The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-01-29
.RADHVG PHILLIES
AGAIN; OTHERS MAY
FOLLOW MELTON
LOWLY PILLS DEVELOP TOP
PLAYERS AND THEN WATCH
THEM WIN FLAGS FOR oP-
pONENTS
By DILLON GRAHAM
AP Features Sports Editor

NEW YORK, Jan. 29.-The
baseball moguls are at it again,
playing their annual off-season
game Of raiding the Phils.
Branch Hickey, in his unac-
customed role of buyer rather
than seller, jumped the gun on
the others and bought RUDE Mel
ton for Brooklyn. He gave up
Johnny Allen, another finger,
and a bunch of cabbage estimat
ed at $4,000.
There are a few more gems
on the Pills roster and so the
other moguls still have an OPP
rortunity to make grab for
themselves.
The Phils get 'em and develop
/ 'em-but their stars win pen
nants for someone else. Maybe
it's the only way to pay off the
wolf at the door but it keeps the
Phils firmly bedded in the cellar.
Hans Lobert found out last sea-
sen that he couldn't boost them
out by his cheer-leading and pep
talks.
The RUDE is just another in
the long line of Philadelphia
standouts who've been peddled
away.
There was Kirby Higbe, who
brought a hundred grand and
three players to the Phils in late
1910, and National league pen
nant to the Dodgers the follow
ing fall.
The year before, the Phils had
snapped Claude Passeau to the
Cubs for three players including
Higbe.
Owner Gerry Nugent started
his 1888 auction by letting Brook
Ign have Dolph Camilli for $45,-
900 and one player, thereby lay
ing the first stone in the Dodg
ers rebuilding program. Later
that year Nugent gave the Gin
finnati Reds Bucky Walters for
$4,000 and two players. Walters
practically guaranteed the Reds
the pennant in 1899 and 1910.
Further back, the Phils sold
their star hitter and outfielder,
Chuck Klein, to the Cubs in
1888 for $4,000 and three play
ers, and the next year they let
the Giants have Dick Bartell.
These are the big money
sales but the Phils have also sold
number of other good perform
erS.
Somehow l think it would be
good for every team to have a
guy named RUDE. The mere name
to me implies that you never can
tell what sort of outlandiSh thing
the guy will do, and it would be
fun watching and anticipating
him. There was chap named
RUDE Waddell whom, Connie
Mack will tell you, was quite an
unpredictable bird.
Brooklyn's newest RUDE doesn't
look like your minds eye picture
of a hayseedy rube. But he is
credited with some A.W.O.L. per-
fcrmances that are strictly down
the rube's avenue. He was the
widest finger in the league last
year but he had a lot of speed
and stuff. Reuben Frank Mel
ton won nine games and lost 20
for the Phils, and it is quite prob
able that he will reverse those
figures fer the Dodgers.
The Phils get fairly disable
fan themselves in Johnny Allen,
whose latest move almost allows
MIN to challenge Bobo NewSom
for the title of movingest player.
The fireball vet has worn the
garb of four other major league
outfits.
A rugged individuallst, Allen
didn't hit it off with Joe McCar-
thy and the Yankees traded him
in 1885 to Cleveland. The In
oianS sold him to the Browns aft
er the 1910 season, and midway
of the 194l season he was bought
by Brooklyn. The 37-year-old
onunker may have trouble taking
a regular turn but he should help
the pills as q Snnf nifrhnr