Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-07
bEzDEK SHOCKS
LOCAL FAND0M
President Baker Surprised at
Hugo's Refusal to Accept
$4,000 Contract
BILL KLEPPER'S FINISH

fnlllleS was a startling surprise. not
only to President Baker. but to every
one who had been watching the inner
workings of the deal. An offer Of
20,000--a good many thousands more
than has ever been paid TO Phil pilot
before-was expected TO be the bait that
would lure the bulgy Bohemian away
from the bucOlic surroundings Of Center
County.
1t didn't. and the credit thereof
should 60 to the lovers of State College.
who urged and implored Hugo to stay
where he is---thOse enthusiasts who Of
feped hook the courthouse il necessary
to pay whatever salary increase was
required.
Bczdek didn't hold State up He said
over the wire yesterday that It had cost
him several thousand dollars TO turn
down the offrr. but that he felt that
! he could not break the ties that bound
him to the Nittany Lions.
Art Fletcher is now the most prom
! inent nspirant for the post Of skipper,
but the OK x-Ginnt faces the same diff e.
Guilty that ruined his predecessors. He
has been in the ranks, just as Moran
and Coombs and Cravath and Donavan
! and Wilhelm were. He hasn't the
prestige that Bezdck carries like an auda
A two fisted fighter. but it is doubtful
IL he can carry out his plans with the
force that Hugo would have done.
! This Is not said in any dispnrase-
ment of the peppcry shortstop. He
knows baseball. and he has the respect
| that Is needed on the local National
League club.
| Mr.. Baker will Ee back in town FRI
day. Though he attended the minor
league meeting in Louisville; no i'm.
poftant salesf,of. famous ball players
were recorded to the Phillies' account.
The Phillles need some neW blood, and
IL the manager had been selected in time
possibly some deals could have been
arranged ut the minor league confab.
Keepers Finish
Bill Klepper. president Of the Port
land Club. Of the Pacific Coast League,
has been barred forever from partici-
patton in baseball. Klepper is said to
have participated in shady deals that
involved misrepresentation of stock and
contract transfers.
This disbarment shows the long hand
Of Lands stretching out to the coast.
Tho league officials had admitted their
helplcssness but the Judge wouldn't
admit his inability to order the sun to
stand still.
Klcpper has been in baseball long
time, but he is through now. No mat
tor what his misdceds there is ccr-
min element Of tragedy in his passing.
II will be remembered that Charley
Murphy. owner of the Cubs, was forced
out of the National League, and Others
have been pushed out of the limclight.
too.
Probably there will be showdown
between Landis and Ban johnson be-
fore the season of 1923 is over. The fat
old Car of the American League nl-
ways has been triumphant In his bat
ties, and whatever the result of the
encounter, Landis, even with the back
ing of Comiskey and the brewing
brothers Of the Yankees, will know that
he has been in fight.
Regardless Of the result OF that en-
broglio klcpper, Of course. will remain
barred from baseball. johnson has al-
ways stood for personal honesty in
ba seball. and he, no NOR" than Lands.
would tolerate what kleppcr is charged
with doing.
Tho purchase of Sammy Hale for
ST., 900 by tn" Athletics: that of
s0uthpaw pitcher, Jake May. by the
Yankees for an equal sum, and the
offer of $780, tor catcher Glenn
Myatt, Of Milwaukee, focuses the rt-
tention of baseball men OF two sep
arstc factors. The first is the enormous
sums Of money that the Pacific Coast
League owners have gotten from. ma ior
leaguers in tho past two years. Tho
second is the mad way in which the
fast company shippers ar" bidding for
men who were castaways only q year
or two ago.
Hale was given the grand razoo by
Detroit. Mry never was II success
with tho St. Louis Cardinals. lla
lacked control, and being only half
pint in size was not raEen very Seri-
ously by the National Leagucrs. Myutt
never was given very much Of Il clluiic.
by Connie Mack. but he showed the
stuff of which he was made when he
was given the chance to work every
day in Milwaukee.
Last year the Yankees. Giants, Reds
and Cubs handed the Pacific Coast Lea.
que close to S3O0.000 for players
Kamm. O'Connel. Caveney. Miller and
Couch. They have started this year
by adding Sl50,0OO to that pile for
Hale and May.
Before the year Is ont n tOraI OF
close to million collars in cash and
players will have passed into the
Golfers OF the club owners in the golden
west.
The American Association n,So rat.
high prices for its stars, and as t6oro
are some players in that league for
whom there 10 lively bidding 1t Is ouito
likely that new record will be set for
that circuit before the current sc,snn
rings down the curtain