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This week’s Cryptosoxery is about a renowned manager’s evaluation of a prospect that didn’t turn out the way he expected. But first, the answer to last week’s quiz, a quote from the greatest of all White Sox managers, demonstrating an attitude not necessarily shared by the incumbent:
The youngsters coming up now just go through the motions necessary to make the play. They should bounce around a little, show some life and zip. — Al Lopez
Lopez, a Hall-of-Famer baseball person who had 10 straight winning seasons with the Sox, including the 1959 World Series trip, didn’t mention anything about whether the players needed to be sincere when they show a little zip.
This week’s cryptoquote also has to do with a Hall-of-Famer baseball person manager, though not one who ever managed the White Sox. Still, the White Sox owe him a great deal of gratitude because of a case of poor judgment on his part:
CE EFT TOY DW FKV ICJTTJ, IDOOKT (QCIP)’V GRYMQTOE WCKSTY FKQ. CV FT HCEIFTY
FKV SKEEST VTIDOY UCVTQCO, OTSSKT WDZ, YRJKOM EFT 1949 VTCVDO, FT VCH
ODEFKOM VNTIKCS, URE LTJA VNTIKCS FT ERJOTY DRE ED UT. — YCST VQKEF
As usual, thanks to the magic encryption machine at wordles.com.
Cryptoquotes are simple letter substitutions, same letter throughout — F’s may really be C’s, H’s Q’s, and so on. To solve the puzzle look for the most common letters, beginning with E and working through the Wheel of Fortune choices, then look for common words or letter arrangements.
The speaker may not help this time, though, because he’s an historian. not a baseball figure. The Hall of Fame manager and another Hall-of-Famer baseball person are just mentioned in the quote.
The answer, and a new Cryptosoxery, next week.