The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-11-15
! Sports
DOlleBfx)w1l
BY NORMAN E. BROWN

land Indians by Alva Bradley and
associates places that ball club in
the list of big money clubs.
For the first time the club is
owned by men who can match dol
lars with the owners of the
Yankees, Giants, Cubs and Browns
in buying players and building
teams.
If money can purchase winning
club in Cleveland that town ought
to have one within the next two
or three years.
The New York Yankees, champ
ions of the world, are owned by
Col. Jacob Rupert, millionaire
brewer Originally Rupert shared
with Col. Til Huston the control
of the team, but several years ago
bought him out. Rupert has
enough money apart from the
millions the Yankees have netted
him to "play" with baseball.
The controlling and important
interest N the New York. Giants is
held by Judge Charles Stoneham,
millionaire broker. John McGraw, of
course, is the guiding genius of the
team, as far as its direction is con-
cerned, but Stoneham is the man
behind the pocketbook.
William Wrigley, muiti-million-
aire chewing gum man, has spent
huge sums to build a winning team
out of the Chicago Cubs, and has
millions more to toss into the hop
per at Joe McCarthy's request. The
Irritation with the pennant las:
season has made Wrigley more
eager than ever to land one.
The st. Louis Browns have given
little indication of recent years
that they are backed by big money,
but the fact is that Harry Sinclair,
multimillionaire oil man, is the
silent partner with Phil Ball.
These four clubs may be ranked
as the big money clubs up to the
recent deals which placed the
Indians on the list.
Alva Bradley and his brother, in
the group also. are big real estate
operators and promoters. John
Sherwin is a millionaire banker.
His father is chairman of the board
of directors of one of the biggess
banks in the middle west, anc
Sherwin himself is an officer.
Not only that, but the men them
selves are going into the baseball
business with the thought of turn
ing over all revenue from the team
into rebuilding it for the next few
years, policy which can't be fol-
lowed under the ordinary stock
holder organizations.
OF course other clubs in both
leagues have prospered. The Phila-
delphia Athletics, under Connie
Mack, have netted Connie and the
Shibes generous returns over Con-
MES career as pilot.
The Washington club after many
lean years, paid handsome divi-
dends during and since the pennant
winning days. of 1924-25.
The Detroit ball club has always
been paying proposition, thanks
to Hughie Jennings and then Ty
Cobb, but there is no desire to toss
reserve funds into the breach with
abandon to give Moriarty a victor
ious ball club.
Sam Breadon, who started his
baseball career with couple of
thousand dollars worth of stock
in the st. Louis Cardinals, has
realized on his investment. The
championship year increased his
personal fortune considerably.
Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the
Pittsburgh club, has made money in
baseball, as well as other ventures,
but his pennant winning teams
have not Melted him a vast fortune
by any means.
The Yankees, Giants, Cubs,
Browns and Indians have the
money.
It will take money-in the
American league-to revive COM
petition in that circuit, short of
the next three years. The new
money behind the Indians and the
announced intentions of the owners