The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-24
MORT COOPER
 NEW BOX OFFICE
 AID AT BOSTON
BY STAN MOCKLER United Press Staff Correspondent


 St. Louis, Mo, May 24-UP)- Rebellious Morton Cooper, key man in one of basebalrs greatest dynast- ies, left a tottering world champion ship St. Louis Cardinal team behind him today to seek his fortune with the perennial laggards of Boston the Braves.
 The big fellow, who walked out on the team he had led to three straight National League pennants, passed up chance at a World Ser ies cut in a long and involved wrangle over 1,500 year pay rise moving in with a team that hasn't won pennant since 1914 and hasn't been in the first division since 1884.
 Whether the trading of Cooper to Boston for nondescript pitcher Charley Barrett and a reported S100,000 in cash signaled the break up of the three time National League pennant winners remained to be seen. Barrett, an off-and-on National League wayfarer since 1887 AAS'NA 4iec NO4l HUI . llldll 4Z SdlllCS in season and usually has lost more games than he has won. Most Consistent Cooper, on the other hand, has been the National Leagues most consistent winner for three straight seasons during which he won p, 21, and 9 games respectively. In 1922 oy,1 1OdQ In 1aI i,, rf victories and in 1942 when he was named the most valuable player, he had the top earned run average of TIT.
 Combining a blazing fast ball with specially pitch he called the fork ball, Cooper won three times as many games as he lost during the pennant- winning years and with proper support might well transform the Braves into pennant contenders. The deal was completed yesterday at conference between owner Sam Breadon of the Cardinals, his man. ager, Billy Southworth, John J. Quinn, business manager of the Braves, and Louis Perini, head of the Boston club. Quinn said Barrett would leave for St. Louis without delay while Cooper was expected to join his new team mates on their road trip at Pittburgh today or to- morrow.
 Manager Bob Coleman of the Braves said at Pittsburgh that the addition of Cooper helps tremen- dously' but would not comment on whether it would bring the team in- to contending position for the pennant.
 Big Help
 This is just what we need Cole man said. Cooper is one of the best pitchers in the National League" Quinn here was even more en- thusiastic.
 We're happy to have Cooper, the best pitcher in the National League J he said.
 There were a number of unan- swered questions regarding the deal It was a matter of conjecture here whether Breadon, noted for his ped ding of outstanding player talent, | 1AoQ SIFCIl u) O1l lIlS Cdl Q1lldLS as 1945 contenders and might follow the Cooper deal with the sale of several of his other top flight stars such as third baseman George Kur- owski, shortstop Marty Marion, first baseman Ray Sanders, or outfielder Johnny Hopp. The Cardinals have an unusually large number of out standing players who will return eventually from the service and Breadon might figure that with help from the vast farm organization he could build new contender within yeXr or so after the war.
 Another question was whether the Braves would meet Coopers salary demand of S15,000 a year although it was assumed they would pay him at least that much. Just how ef- fective he will be without his life long companion and battery mate catcher Walker Cooper, was another point to be settled. It was assumed that Walker, now in the Navy, would seek to make a deal for him. self to follow his brother to Boston when he is released from service. l ----