The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-11-07
DYER NEW CARDS PILOT AT S2O,OOO
By HARTMAN w. NICHOLS United Press Sports Writer)


 St. Louis, Mo, Nov. Eddie Dyer, a veteran of 20 years as man. ager and scout in the St. Louis Cardinal farm system has signed a contract to replace Billy Southworth as manager of the National league club, owner Sam Breadon an- nounced today.
 Breadon said Dyer signed two- year contract last Friday. No terms were revealed, but it was assumed Dyer would receive approximately the same salary as Southworth, the builder of Redbird champions who resigned to become skipper of the Boston Braves.
 Southworth, who was relieved of his 1946 contract to manage the Cardinals when the Braves offer came along, reportedly received $2O,000 a year.
 Dyer, a veteran of 20 years as manager and scout in the Cardinals farm system, left baseball last year to join his brother in the oil bus mess at Houston. Tex. His son said last night that Dyer had no com- ment on the reports. Cardinal Pres ident Sam Breadon said he might have an announcement today.
 Dyer, lefthanded pitcher at Rice Institute, signed a Cardinal con- tract in 1922, but a sore arm stop- ped his playing career He became manager at Topeka and then at Scottdale, where Joe MedWick made his professional start.
 Big Surprise
 Southworth's resignation stunned St.. Louis fans. Breadon said he was as surprised as anyone when Southworth asked to be released from his contract. Breadon said he wouldn't keep Southworth from a better position with Boston. It was believed that the Braves offered Southworth between S25,o0O and $30,000 a year
 Tn announcing oouthworth'S deci- sion to leave the Cardinals, Breadon issued this statement:
 Right after the World Series, Billy called me and wanted to know if he could be released from his Cardinal contract as he had an opportunity in Boston and would like to accept it.
 T told him at that time that I thought he could get better deal" would not stand in his way if he
 Breadon would not reveal the terms of Southworths RedbirJ con- tract, nor the salary he would re- ceive in Boston. Baseball men here speculated that the Boston figure 1 probably was at least S5,OOO over Bllly's former salary-or around $25,000.
 Southworth, in his new assign ment at Boston, succeeds Del Bis sonette former Brooklyn first base man, who moved up last season when Bob Coleman quit as Braves pilot.
 Billy's record with the Cardinals was admirable. In 1940 he joined the club in his second managerial venture with them, after having made his debut as skipper in 1929.
 Woke Elm Up During the 1940 season, he stirred the Redbirds out of what had be- come almost chronic lethargy and hoisted the team to third place in the National league. The following year, under the Southworth thtumb. the team moved up another notch to second place and then roared into high gear to take league pen- nants in 1922, l943, and 1944. In 1942' the Cardinals won the world title in a tremendous upset from the booming New York Yankees and trimmed the St. Louis Browns In like fashion in 1914. They fin | lshed second to the Chicago Cubs In the 1945 league race.
 St. Louis fans were stunned by Billy's resignation-and none less stunned and shocked was sam Breadon, who had known it for over a month and kept the secret.