The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-24
Lands F0RBIDS
C0X'S ENTERING
ORGANIZED BALL
Wealthy Lumber Man Is
Barred From Game
For Life

most drastic action OF MS u year
regime Kenesaw Mountain Lam
els, commissioner of baseball to-
day barred William D. Cox, pres
ident of the Philadelphia Phillies,
from baseball for life for gam
bling on games in which his club
was involved.
Lands ruled Cox was ''perman-
emily ineligible" to hold any base
ball office hereafter, either in the
major or minor leagues. His de-
cision was reached after a three
months investigation that included
several interviews with Cox by
Lands.
After the custer had been an
nounced, directors of the Phi]lies,
meeting in Philadelphia, elected a
z7-year-old former Duke football
mayer, Robert R. M. Carpenter
Jr., of Wilmington, Del, president,
succeeding Cox. Carpenters ia
Their, an executive of the E. I.
Dupont de Nemours and Co.. pur-
chased all of Cox's stock, the ex-
act amount of which was not re-
vealed. Young Carpenter is pres
ident of the Wilmington Blue Rocks
of the Interstate league.
Lands, in a formal two page
typewriter statement, reported:
l. Cox had resigned as presi
dent and director of the National
League Phillies last Thursday.
2. Investigation of reports that
Cox was betting on games last
season was begun in August.
3. A week ago he notified Cox
that a hearing on tn e charges
would be held in New York Dec. 4.
4. As the result of admissions
by Cox and because Cox refused
TO attend the Dec. 4 hearing in
an effort to clear himself, Lands
was obliged to notify Cox that:
81. Your betting on baseball
games of the Philadelphia club,
as to which games, as chief ex-
ecutive of that club. in charge Of
operations, you had a duty to
perform requires me to de-
clare you to be permanently in
eligible to hold any office or en-
ployment with tn e Philadelphia
club or any other club or league
party to the major league agree
ment or major-minor league agree
ment."
Cox, wealthy 34-year-old N e W
York lumberman and sportsman,
took over the financially troubled
Phillies as president and syndicate
head less than year ago and
MS fling in the game was mark
ed by series of tempestous events
eliminating in the sudden firing
Of Stanley ''Bucky'' Harris as man.
ager of the club in the middle of
last season.
Lands stated Cox had resigned
AS president and director of the
Phillies three days after the COM
missioner had ordered him to ap-
Fear at a formal hearing on the
charges against him in New York
next week.
Cox refused to attend that sched-
uled meeting, writing Lands that
he had decided to devote all of
my time to my lumber business,
essential to the war effort"
Cox, Lands said, after first as
sorting that ANY allegations he
had bet on games "were ridicu-
lous" admitted to him in New York
on Nov. and later in Chicago
that he had placed through a book
maker approximately Is to 20"
bets of from $25 to 500 per game
on Philadelphia to win, but that
he had discontinued the wagering
| about May 20 when he learned of
the rule prohibiting such betting
| by persons having connections with
the sport.
This rule was promulgated by
the major and minor leagues in
1927 following charges of gambling
made against Ty Cobb, then man.
ager Of the Detroit Tigers, and
Iris Speaker of the Cleveland In
dams Both Cobb and Speaker
we're cleared by Lands.
Lands statement further said
that Cox continually refused to
give him a full statement on
his betting activities, and h d
maintained that ''inasmuch as !
have resigned, I do not see any
useful purpose would be served by
my attending any hearing before
you"
Disagreeing, Lands concluded
that 1.-The proposed hearing was
irtended to develop fully state
ments of the facts by yourself and
others and to give you an oppor-
tunity to present anything y u
might want to have considered.
Therefore, I am not in accord