Evening star., 1939-12-04
Reds SEARCHING
For C|outing
0utfie|der
Prepared to Bid for
Medwick at Majors
Meeting This Week
By GAYLE TALBOT.
Associated Press Sports Writer

.
CINCINNATI, Dec. About the
only thing the big baseball pow
WOW had produced up to today was
John Kramer, special cop, who
claims to be the only living man
who ever punched the late John j..
McGraw right on the chops end
made the little Napoleon like it.
Kramer, an old-timer now him.
self, declares that he busted Nc
Graw with his right here about %
years ago, and that the two gold
teeth McGraw sported to the day
Of his death were the result of this
signal encounter. Kramer is Gus
todian of the press room, and very
proud of the distinction he bears.
"Y'see,' he recalls, Il had had to
call down McGraw and the other
Giants for the cussin's durin' the
game. So when it was over and he
passed me in the runway, John
started in sayin' what he thought
about me and all my ancestors. So
I laid one on him, and beauty 1t
was. They arrested both of us"
he beamed, "but John never held
1t against me. He was fine gen.
tleman."
Reds After Outfielder.
The boys here to cover the an
nual standing and talking marathon
were beginning to wish by today
that somebody would take a punch
at somebody else. They were long
ing for the good old days. The
minor leaguers and the big leaguers
had been together for a couple of
days, smoking up the hotel lobby
and talking each other black in the
face, and not blessed thing had
resulted.
The one reason to hope that there
might be some player deals eventu-
ally lay in the very length Of the
meeting. Most of them will be here
until Saturday, daring each other
to trade, and in that time they
might complete a few deals through
sheer evaporation. The Cincin-
natl Reds say, openly ana earnestly,
that they hope to obtain a hitting
lefthelder before the meeting
breaks up.
That's what we must have" said
Manager Bill McKechnie. 1T was
our weak spot-the outfield. We
have players to trade and money to
spend. But we're not going to give
up any Of our key players. And,
of course, I can't say what out
flelders we hope to get"
Craft Dangled Is Bait.
Without betraying any confidence,
it may be said with certainty that
the Reds do not intend to part with
Catcher Ernie lombard, goat of the
last game of the World Series, If
they possibly can avoid it. The bait
they will dangle includes Harry
Craft, regular center fielder last
year. They are going to hang. on to
Vince Di Maggie, who hits for dis
tance when he doesn't strike out.
The Reds are, of course, inter-
ested in getting Joe Medwick from
the Cardinals. and they think that
Owner Phil Wrigley, jr., of the Chi
cago Cubs was throwing up smoke
screen, or something, when he said
recently his team was not In the
market for the st. Louis slugger. It
was suggested to McKechnie that
st. Louis was the team the Reds.
would have to beat in the next
National League race.
II wouldn't say that" Bill count
cred. II would say we are the team
they will have to beat"
Lands in Good Mood.
All the big league officials were
breathing some easier after receipt
of word from Commissioner Lands
yesterday that they might go ahead
and draw up working agreements
with minor league outf1ts-providing
only that they didn't break any rules.
They hoped and trusted that this
meant the judge would be in
cheerful. plant frame of mind upon
his expected arrival next Thursday.
Sometimes it almost seems to the
baseballmen that Lands Is getting
tougher with each passing year.
The minor leaguers, presided over
by their own particular car, Judge
william G. Bramham, were holding
their first round-table discussion
today.