The Washington times., 1935-08-05
Plans
Already For
Braves
By FRANK BUCK" o'NE1LL

BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL
George Preston Marshall today
is confident that his offer for
the Boston Braves will be &C
copied by Charles Francis Adams
and the minority share holders
affiliated with the Boston sports
man-grocery man. Marshall is sure
that the friendly support of Ford
c. Frisk, president Of the National
League will be sufficient to swing
the balance in his favor.
The price offered by Marshall,
will be more acceptable to Adams
and to the National League, it
was said this morning, than a
more libetal price paid by men
who were not baseball hearted"
The greatest opposition to Mar
shall and his associates, it was
learned this morning, will come
from the O'Malley faction in Bos
ton. The O'Malley group is COM
prised Of Boston advertising and
business men whose interest in
baseball has been constant if not
fanatic in its warmth. They are
already launching a campaign on
a Boston baseball for Boston
men" platform. How much sup.
port they will gain is not known
by this writer's grapevine men.
In Touch
Marshall has been in constant
touch with men in Boston since
Judge Fuchs was forced to toss in
the towel and admit his inability
to carry on.
With his customary ability to
think ahead, Marshall already has
plans for strengthening the
Braves. AS the picture is seen here
today, Marshall would base all
his negotiations on taking over
the team in 1896. and letting the
headache of 1885 rest on other
temples.
AS optimistic as he is energetic
and colorful, Marshall is thinking
out ways and means of rebuilding
the Braves for next year. He is
scanning the minor leagues from
the Evangeline League to the Pa
cific Coast and looking for clubs
with which he might form a work
ing agreement in the development
of young players. Wise beyond the
ken of baseball men in general,
Marshall is interested in leagues
like the Evangeline loop. From
these circuits your stars of 1899
are coming.
It is going to require color,
courage and coin to buy the
Braves, and the initial payment
is just the postage stamp to carry
the stampe Diapers. The minute
the new owners-if the deal is
closed-step in to the picture,
they're going to find themselves
in swift competition. There are
the Cardinals with 300 players
on their lists; the Yankees with
at least half that number under
agreements, stamped and under
stood.
Young Players Rare
There is a scarcity of young
ball players, a result of the ex-
plosion of minor leagues during
the dark years of the depression.
The Class D boys of 1881, 80 and
'33, who would have been ad.
vancing in their profession until
by this time they'd be ready for
major league trial, we're thrown
out of baseball work. They've
been in the fields, or factories or
on relief.
This may seem like a far cry
from George Preston Marshall
purchasing the Boston Braves,
and perhaps it is. But it's some
thing to consider when a man is
stepping into a new setting with
no established farms, no strongly
bound working agreements, and
until yesterday, or maybe today,
not even a scout securing the
minor leagues for talent.
Marshall has the color and the
courage. He has the coin, and
the financial interests he has in
terested with him have enough
money to supply any deficits.