The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-03
RED S0X WRECKED
BY HARRY FRAzEE;
JOHNSON INDICATED
BY FRANK G. MENKE


Once again the judgment of Ban
Johnson seems to have been vindi-
Gated.
It's in the particular case of Harry
Frazee. the stormy petrol in prac-
ucally every business in which he
has been engaged.
Some years ago when Joe Lannin
wanted to sell his Boston Red Sox,
the rotund Frazee announced that he
would buy them. Johnson opposed
the program. He declared in no I'M
certain tones that he didn't consider
Frazee the sort of citizen who would
be welcome addition to the baseball
family.
Johnson knew Frazee.
But Lannin insisted upon selling,
Frazee insisted upon paying big
price. and, despite the opposition of
Johnson, the theatrical party became
magnate.
Almost Immediately thereafter trou-
bic began.
Frazee, vowing vengeans upon John
son, proceeded to search around for
ways and means of heckling the
American league president and under
mining his power He got his grand
chance in the Carl Mays case. He
sold Mays to the Yankees when Mays
was ineligible for sale. because he was
on the suspended list
Row Ensues
A row ensued between Johnson and
Frazee on that subject. Johnson de-
cision that Mays could not be sold
was in fun keeping with the rules of
baseball. But Frazee had gone ahead
nd With ho
That club, it is alleged, already had
surrendered $4,000 or so to Frazee be-
fore Johnson knew what was coming
off
Then Johnson fought the sale. That
angered the Yankee owners, who were
inflamed by Frazee. Those two clubs
Boston and New York-were later
Joined by Charlie Comiskey, of the
White Sox, in the fight on Johnson.
Frazee presumed that the hour had
come when he could make a battle
on Johnson which would drive the
chief of the American league out OF
the game.
The war which followed-the war
which FraZee practically created-was
the most disastrous internal strife or
eanized baseball ever knew. The
game was doing very nicely, thank
you. before Frazee and his poisoned
darts began flying around. Then this
happened:
Organized baseball saddled it
self with a high commissioner and
is paying him the staggering sum
of $4,000 annually.
The major leagues abolished
the draft rule as it applies to the
Class IA minors and cannot draft
man from these leagues for
period of seven years.
FraZee and his war accomplished
those things
Knew His Stuff.
Johnson, therefore, seems to have
known what he was talking about
when he took the attitude that Frazee
was a menace to baseball and should
never have been permitted within its
folds.
But Frazee didn't stop there.
He has wrecked the once-mighty
Red Sox, transformed it into collec
ton of riff-raff and misfits and prac
tically killed American league base
ball in the Hub city.
Frazee's love of gold, and his uttel
disregard for the principles of sports
manship. caused him to sell every
player. or trade every player. who hat
helped 10 make the Sox a ball club
He has alienated every fan in The
metropolis of Massachusetts; he ha:
caused a roar Of condemnation loud
er than any magnate ever PROVOKED
stree the game began.
And he has created cry in Boston
"Out with FraZee forever"
In all baseball history the game ha:
never known man who has created
quite so much havoc, or trouble, o.
dissension or financial loss as Harr!
Frazee, the man Ban Johnson wanted
TO keep out of baseball because John
son knew Frazee-and Frazee's meth
DDS.
Baseball will regret the day that i
took Frazee into its councils, predict
ed Johnson.
II does.
tCopyright 1921 BY King Features
Syndicate, IIc.)