June 1, 1964 - Righthander Frank Lary (pictured), acquired from Detroit by the New York Mets, said today that Tiger manager Charlie Dressen enforces rules so strictly “I don’t think the Tigers will ever win with him as manager.”
“Dressen makes it tough,” said Lary. “It’s O.K. to have strict rules, but they shouldn’t be carried to extremes.
“After all, I think I’ve been around long enough to handle myself on and off the field. When you play ball, you have to be relaxed.”
Lary also charged that Dressen didn’t handle pitchers properly.
“Dressen gives up on a pitcher too soon,” said Lary. “Why, in 1961 I won 23 games because [manager] Bob Scheffing went along with me. If Dressen had been the manager then, I probably would have won about 12 or 14.”
Lary, a two-time 20-game winner who has been hampered by arm trouble since posting a 23-0 record in 1961, made his Met debut Sunday, only hours after his arrival in New York.
The 33-year-old Alabaman was pressed into service during the Mets’ 23-inning marathon second game and pitched two hitless innings in relief, striking out two while walking none.
Lary’s purchase by the Mets was made on a conditional basis. If his ailing arm is not sound, the Mets can return him.
Since putting together his 23-9 record, Lary has been unable to return to form, posting a 2-6 record in 1962 and a 4-9 mark last year. In 1962, he also spent part of the season in the minors.
With the Tigers this season, Lary had worked only 18 innings and had not pitched in more than a week when he got the call for the Mets.
Manager Casey Stengel indicated he was pleased with Lary’s first effort.
“The catcher told me he had good stuff,” said Stengel. “He didn’t seem to show any signs of a bad arm to me.”
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