The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-15
PLAYER-POKER
 BIG FEATURE OF
 BASEBALL MEET.
Cleveland, Detroit, Boston Out to Beat Yanks;
 Pitchers Get Break"
BY GEORGE KIRKGEY United Press Staff Correspondent


 New York, Dec. 15-(UP) Frozen trading activities in the American League were thawed out today with deal between the Cleveland In- dians and the Boston Red Sox.
 After nearly 48 hours of lobbying and verbal bartering between this and that club, the Red Sox swapped outfielder Ben Chapman, $40 hit ter, to the Indians for pitcher Denny Galehouse and inflelder Tommy IT, win, who shortstopped last season for the Milwaukee American Asso- citation club.
 This deal was expected to be the forerunner of several other Ameri- can League trades, originating from Cleveland-Detroit axis. With Chapman to play center field, the Indians are in position to trade Earl Averill. Present rumorS send him to the Tigers for pitcher Eldon Auker and infielder Billy Rogell. If this deal can be made, or one similar then the Tigers can swap infielder Pete Fox and inf1elder Roy Christ man to Washington for infielder Cecil Travis.
 This could go on like chain let ter. The idea of the Red Sox, Tigers and Indians is to build ball clubs to challenge the Yankees next season. They are fully cognizant of the fact that they can still finish two-three- or-four by standing pat. Player Poker
 But Walter O. Briggs, owner of the Tigers; Ava Bradley, owner of the Indians; and Tom Yawkey, own CT of the Red Sox, all want a pen nant winner. They are playing play er-poker in an effort to dethrone the Yankees.
 Meanwhile, officials of both leagues were congratulating themselves on the most harmonious meeting in years as they went into joint session with Commissioner K. M. Landis. The following results had been achieved:
 l. A uniform baseball for both leagues.
 2. Agreement on new pitching rules designed to give the pitcher more latitude in his delivery.
 3. Night baseball in the American League for Cleveland and Phila- delphia.
 The new baseball for 1889 will have tho Ay,oar;oay, T oa o1,o couor (1 f10nntI of an inch thinner than the Nation al League balD and the National League stitches 6 strands of thread, one more than the American League ball last year).
 Under the new pitching rule, the pitcher will be permitted to start his windup with one foot behind the rubber instead of both feet on the mound as formerly.
 Permission for Cleveland and Phil adelphia to play seven night games each came as no surprise. Opinion of most major leaguerS was that within two years every major league club would be playing a limited num- Der of night games.
 Tigers No Like Lights
 In the American League all clubs are expected to play night games at Cleveland and Philadelphia except Detroit, which for some unexplain- able reason, has stated its opposition to the nocturnal pastime.
 The Chicago Cubs paved the way for the acquisition of a player from the St. Louis Cardinals by selling outfielder Jim Asbell to Houston and outfielder Coaker Triplett to Colum- bus, both Card farms. The rum )r was that the Cubs would wind up with outfielder Country" Slaughter, Cardinal freshman last year.
 Two attempts by the Chicago White Sox to make deals fell through. Jimmy Dykes offered out fielder Rip Radcliff to the Athletics for outfielder Hal Finney. and of- fered infielder Boze Berger to the Red Sox for infielder Eric McNair.