The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-13
DERRINCER' WAS
 'KIDNAP' VICTIM FOR CLEVELAND
McKechnie Tore Up $5,- 900 Check Given Paul
 By Slapnicka
By JOE WILLIAMS


 Big Paul Derringer was telling me today how Cy Slapnicka tried to kidnap him for the Cleveland club and how he offered to cooperate in every way only to have the sinister plot collapse at the last moment.
 That was in the spring of 1927, the first year I came up. l was a member of Branch Rickey's St. Louis chain gang. The agreement was that at the end of twenty one days I was to be signed or given my release. If I made good Rickey was to give me & $2,500 bonus and S750 month. At the end of the 2l days Hickey hadn't shown up. Two or three more days went by and still no Hickey.
 T was pretty discouraged and worried and was about determined to go back to the farm in Spring. field, Ky, when a fellow drove up to the hotel and introduced himself as Slapnicka. He was scouting for the Cleveland club which was train ing down the road a piece. In some way he had heard about my agree ment with Rickey and that 1t had expired, so he made me a proposi- ton to join the Indians.
 Tt was a much better proposition than the one I had with Hickey. Slapnicka wrote me out a check for 5000 and agreed to give me Sl 900 month. I didn't lose any time accepting. Slapnicka then in- troduced a melodramatic note in the proceedings by having me pack my bags ard slip out the back door of the hotel. He would drive the car around from the front and meet me there. This was late at night. If Slapndcka hadn't had a flair for the lurid suppose I'd be pitching for Cleveland right now.
 On Guard
 "What happned was this: When I opened the door there stood Bill McKechnie, smoking cigaret. Bill was coaching for the Cardinals in those days. Where do you think you are going?' he demanded. I told him what had happened and he said Where is the check" I showed 1t to him and he tore 1t to pieces-a 5000 check, more money than had ever seen in my life ard I wasn't too sure I'd ever see that much again. I was both angry and sick. Don't worry," assured McKechnie. Every things going to be all right
 with this he took me to the clubs secretary and demanded that he be given the rightto sign me and pay me the original bonus whether Rickey liked 1t or not. That's what was done and that's how happened to stay in the Ma "tional league. I've often wondered mhat would have happened If Slap Yicka and I had walked right out of the main entrance and I'm still wondering what McKechnie was do- ing smoking a cigaret at the back door"
 This will be Derringer's tenth fear as a big leaguer. Hickey trad- cd him to the Cincinnati Reds in l935 and he's been there ever since. In the meantime McKechnie by a poetic coincidence had shifted to Cincinnati and regained possession of the pitcher Slapnicka tried to kidnap. It has turned out to be a valuable possession. Derringer help eel pitch McKechnie's Reds to two straight pennants and it's no cinch he won't help pitch them to an- other.
 Derringer is big. amiable right handler, 200-pounder who stands 6 feet, 3 l-2 inches In his spikes, and is one of the class fellows of baseball. He's gregarious and con- vivial and VIC suspect McKechnie lets him run his own life more or less. Derringer likes smart, merry company and adds a social touch to any party. He's quick with a dol- lar and you won't find him looking the other way when the check comes around. He has parlayet un- usual ability and a warm person. ahty into well-deserved popularity
 Carry the Load
 Together with Bucky Walters, Derringer has been the spearhead of the Reds last two pennant drives. If the Reds are to make 1t three in a row Walters and Der ringer again will have to carry the load. Between them they won 52 games in 1889 and 42 last year. Der ringer is beginning to get old and the chances are he isn't the pitcher he used to be. You hear in the tsMgouts that Walters has gone ahead of him. This may be SO but the big fellow is still quite a pitcher and it's an even money bet he will win as many as fifteen thds year, if not more.
 Derringer set something of rec ord in 1883 when he lost 27 games and yet he tells you this was one of the best pitching years he ever had. T just couldn't win but I never had more stuff and my earn- ed run average was 3.30, a whole lot better than 1t has been in other years when I was winning twenty games CT more. A little luck never hurt any pitcher and don't care how great he is."
 Derringer could have used a lit- tie luck on two occasions last year, once against the Cubs and another time againStthe Cardinals. Both times he lost a no-hitter because of unusual circumstances. Hack of the Cubs broke bat swinging at a pitch and it went for hit. The very same thing happened in a game with the Cardinals swhen Stu Martin broke @ bat and got him. self a cheap hit. The two near no-hitters came within ten days. With a little luck Derringer would have come close to matching Johnny Wander Meer's classic per- formance of pitching two no-hitters in a row. Only one game would have separated Derringer's efforts.
 CATER TO JOCKEYS
 Jockeys quarters at Hialeah Park a- k.a~ Ia