Evening star., 1945-04-25
Appointment Is Seen
As McPhaiI Victory;
Salary, $4,000
BY HAROLD HARRISON,
Associated Press STAFF Writer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 25.-
The job of guiding organized base
ball through the remainder of the
war period and handling the myriad
problems expected to pop when the
conflict ends has been placed on the
shoulders of A. B. (Happy) Chan
dler, 46-year-old United States
Senator from Kentucky.
Representatives of the 16 major
league teams yesterday chose
Chandler high commissioner of the
game. His selection, announced as
unanimous, ended a five months
search for a successor to Kenesaw
Mountain Lands, who died last
November Is.
Announcement OF Chambers ap-
pointment was accompanied by
word from the Kentucky Senator,
once a minor league player, that he
would accept and would be "imme-
diately available"
The job pays $50,000 year and
Chandler was named for a seven
year term.
Early to See problems.
Chandler was one of the first to
invite attention to the many prob
lens he may be called on to face
when the war Is ended and host
of players return from military
service to resume their baseball
careers.
In Washington, he expressed be-
lief the game faces another trying
period" after the war and added,
we'll have to keep a close watch
to see that nothing goes wrong"
Chambers appointment generally
was considered personal triumph
for Larry MacPhail of the New
York Yankees, one Of the first to
urge selection of the Kentuckian.
Although Chandler never got be-
yond minor league baseball competi-
ton, he was quite an athlete in his
younger years. He was an all-Ken-
lucky basket ball player at Transyl-
vania and a star quarterback in
football. Later he coached unde-
feated basket ball teams at Ver-
sailles (Ky) High School and Mas
sic, private school. He also
coached and secuted for Centre Col
lege.
Turning to politics in 1929, Chand-
ler progressed from State Senator,
to Lieutenant Governor of Ken
lucky, to Governor and then United
States Senator. His present term
would have expired in l949.
Has SizabIe Family.
He Is married and has four chill
dren and one grandchild.
Appointment of Chandler was an
nounced by the club representatives
after an executive session which
lasted approximately four hours.
Leslie O'Connor, Lands secretary
who has been conducting affairs in
the commissioner office since the
judges death, said the Senator was
a unanimous choice on the first
ballot.
The after meeting grapevine pro-
duced the report, however, that at
least four other men were consid-
cred in the deliberations. They were
President Ford Prick of the National
League, Gov. Frank J. Lausche of
Ohio, Chairman Robert Hannegan
of the Democratic National Commit
tee and former Postmaster General
James A. Farley.
O'Connor said after the meeting
that 1t was strictly up to Senator
Chandler" whether he remains at
his present post. He added however
that he would stay on the job at
least until Chandler takes over.
In selecting Chandler, the base
ball magnates went outside the game
to get commissioner for the second
time. Lands, the only other man to
hold the job, was Federal judge
when the club owners selected him
to help lead baseball out of difficult
ties which followed the Chicago
White SOX gambling scandal of 1920.