The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-04
BASEBALL GEAR MAY SET FREE
 20 TO 5 Q MEN
Trades Slow at Cincinnati Though Quinn and Witt
 Are Ready

United Press Staff Correspondent
 Cincinnati, Dec. 4.-(UP).-The big winter baseball show opened to- day on a negative note.
 Commissioner K. M. Landis wasn't here and the trading mart was so quiet there wasn't even a good Joe Medwick or Hank Greenberg ru- rnor.
 With about 1,400 baseball mag mates and officials here for the week long conclave, activity was expected to pick up considerably especially when Landis arrives in mid-week.
 His recent conferences in Chicago indicated that he may explode bombshell when he arrives. The club most worried was Detroit which has been up on the carpet more than once this winter for it's activities in connection with the Fort Worth and Beaumont, Tex, league clubs, the Lake Charles and Alexandria Evangeline league clubs and the Toledo American association club. It's possible Landis may de- clare anywhere from 20 to 50 ball players free agents in a decision as broad as the one he made against tn, St. Louis Cardinals in March, 1888.
 Opens Today
 The first session of the 38th an- nual national association conven- tion of minor leagues opened today with Judge w. G. Bramham presid- ing. On advice from Landis, Bram- ham yesterday rescinded an order, issued shortly after the World Series, preventing clubs from mak- ing new working agreements or re- newing old ones. That one had to be called of or all baseball machinery would have been frozen. But "the judge" has bigger fish to fry If re- ports breezing around are well- founded.
 The minor league sessions will last through Wednesday and then the major leaguers, with already full quota here, will hold the stage the last three days of the week.
 The post World Series trading was at its lowest in many winters, in- dicating to some that therel be plenty of action here. But Oscar Witt, Cleveland ' pilot, and Bob Quinn, Boston Bees, d ont think SO.
 "I'd be willing to trade one or my first string catchers, Hemsley or Pytlak," Witt said, but all I can get in the way of an offer is an old broken bat. The way these fellows are talking now it doesn't look like there'll be any trading"
 Witt said the story from Cleveland that he plans to shift First Base man Hal Trosky to the outfield, twas just a joke"
 Want Fair Trade
 Everybody wants Max West, Ed die Miller and Al Lopez from the Bees" Quinn said, but they want to give us a bunch of ball players that are sitting on the bench. We'll trade but not at the ridiculous terms some of the other clubs ex- pect us to-"
 Bill McKechnie. Reds manager, froze trading activities still fur- ther by saying that Whitey Moore, who got in bad last season and sup posedly was headed elsewhere wasn't on the market.
 Where can get a better pitcher than Moore?'" McKechnie asked.
 Early today Larry MacPhail in- dicated that he and Leo Durocher might quit kidding and get together on the signing of "Lippy Leo" to his l940 contract to manage the Brooklyn Dodgers. Their only argu- ment is over the length of contract. Durocher is asking for two years term and MacPhail is offering only one.
 The Piedmont League voted to re- tain the split gate plan and the Shaughnessy play-offs. The resolu- ton to adopt a new system to re- place the split game plan was spon- sored by the three Virginia clubs, but was defeated by 5-3 vote after Q bitter debate.