The Indianapolis times., 1930-04-18
/ ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, April l6.-lt IS the
1 unanimous opinion of the
Giants that by shipping Burleigh
Grimes to the Braves for Percy
Jones and cash the Pirates elm
mated themselves from considera-
ton for a one-two-three finish in
the National League this year. and
that the Boston club has assured
itself of a place high in the sec
ond division. While Grimes still will
be a big menace to the New Yorks,
they are glad 10 see him shift from
the western half Of the league into
the eastern. They believe that the
balance of power in the old circuit
will be transferred TO the eastern
section and that they will get lot
more help in fighting back the Cubs
Cards, Pirates and Reds.
The Giants. Dodgers. PhiIles and Braves
an figure 20 be stronger than they were
in 1929. The Cubs do not look as good
as they did last season. The Cardinal
seem unchanged and the Reds bit
stronger The Pirates have dropped a
pitcher who won twenty five games for
Them in 1923 and took seventeen in 1929
despite the thumb injury which kept him
on the ,helf for weeks. They have acquired
in his place a Icfthander who has won
only forty-two games in the last five
Years.
Jones got seven decisions for the
Bostons last season. True. he lost
dozen games by one-run margins,
but his earned run average was no
better than 4.64 Only twice in his
ten years in baseball has Jones come
under the four earned-run mark.
That was in 1926. when he won
twelve games for the Cubs with an
average of 300 runs. and in 1923,
when he was with Los Angeles.
n
ON Nov. 7, 1928, when Jones.
" Leggett. Cunningham, Seibold
and Mcguire accompanied 100000
10 Boston in exchange for Rogers
Hornsby. Jones could have been
waived out of the National League.
Ever since Barney Dreyfuss came
into baseball in Louisville he has
been the arch opponent Of the hold
out. Time after time he has got
rid of great players who wanted
more money than he had offered.
He traded Grimes to Brooklyn IN
1918 because Burleigh was a hold
out. Now he has got rid of him a
second time in similar circum-
stances. He sent Vic Aldridge to the
Giants for Grimes because Vic was
a salary squawker. Last year Bar
ney came near getting rid of Paul
Waner for a similar reason.
We do not know just how much cash
figured in the transfer of Grimes Of Bos
ton But the fact remains that in up
holding his policy Dreyfuss has weakened
the Pirates and done no harm to Grimeo.
The spitbalI star will pitch hard as
ever for Boston and he will get exactly
what he wanted from Bsrney-$ee, 900 a
season for two years.
Il
TINE deal is almost as SurpriS-
4 ing as was the HornSby affair in
New York and emphasizes an
anomalous condition in baseball.
owners will run helter-Skelter after
mtried bushers and will beg minor
clubs to accept small fortunes for
lads who don't know the first thing
about major league practice. But
a hurler like Grimes will be traded
because of difference Of a few
thousand dollars.
Il
of course. there may be an angie WIN
which We arc not familiar Barney may
be shrewdcr than we know. He may be-
Iieve that Grimes is not over the injury
he suffered last season and that at 81
Burleigh is not exactly safe investment
But il we remember right, that was the
impression when Grimes was traded by
the Giants. He went out the next season
and won twenty-five games for the Pirates
- cot Neur York the nennant.