The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1945-04-25
Sen. CHANDLER
EXPECTS FREE
HAND AS GEAR
BY JOHN L. CUTTER
United Press Staff Correspondent

washington, April Z0-(UP)-Sen.
Albert B. Happy" Chandler, D.,
KY, hoped today that as baseball's
high commissioner he can be as
good for the sport as it has been to
him.
TO me baseball is the greatest
sport in the world" Chandler said.
ut has brought me probably the
highest honor Of my life. I hope
that can do something for the
game"
Chandler returned to the Senate
today to begin winding up his polit-
teal affairs with expectation that
he can do 1t In 80 to so days. When
that Is done baseball, an avocation
until now, will get his undivided at
tention.
THE important thing at the mo-
ment is to keep the gam. on its
present high plane" Chandler said.
TITS an honest game and has to be
kept that way.
After the war there is another
matter. The young kids coming
along have got to have chance to
get into the game. Baseball is going
to have an important place in the
postwar sports program. It's healthy
and It's fun. 1t will do the kids a
lot Of good"
No "StOoge"
Chandler left no doubt that he ex-
poets to have full authority as COM
missioner comparable to that Of the
late Judge Kenesaw M. Lands.
1T never occurred to me that it
would be anything less" he said.
IT can't go in there standing in the
shadow of Judge Lands and not
have authority to do good job as
! see it,"
The question OF whether the COM
missioner's office will be continued
in Chicago has not yet been decided.
It probably won't be until after
Chandler has talked to Ford Prick,
National League President, William
Harridge of the American League
and Leslie O'Connor, who served as
Judge Lands secretary.
| Chandler made arrangements to
leave party politics with tinge Of
regret. His senate seat probably will
be taken by a Republican under APP
pointment OF Kentuckys Gov. ST.
neon E. Willis until successor Is
chosen in the state election next
/ November.
Willis said in Frankfort, KY, last
L. nHia tn
comment on a possible successor to
Chambers Senate seat.
Chandler said he was gratified at
the method of his selection. He had
the word Of the 16 Major league club
owners and the two league presi-
| dents that he was picked from a
field of 100 candidates on the first
ballot and that the selection was
unanimous.
In addition, he was told that the
decision finally was made on the
basis of picking the candidate who
loves baseball best of all.
They decided it was l." Chandler
ANNOUNCED happily. I'm tickled to
death and think it is one Of the
highest tributes paid to me in my
| life"
There also was the matter Of get
ting $4,000 a year as baseball COM
missioner instead of $4,000 year
as Senator. Chandler was practical
about it.
Aids Family
1--WE been in politics all my life,"
he said. TITS a great game but you
can't make any money at 1t. I've got
a wife and four children and I've
got to think about them and their
future too. hope this will enable
me to provide for them little bet
ter than I've been able to in the
past"
Chambers first thought when he
was notified of his selection was Of
his family. He telephoned his wife
at Versailles, KY.
His wife Mildred and the two boys
at home were enthusiastic. Fifteen
year-old Ben wanted to know i'm
n1ediately whether the new job
means that he can go to all the
baseball games.
TT sure does, sonny" Chandler
promised him.
Chandler then recalled how IL
year-old Dan broke a front window
Of the Chandler home only week
ago with a line drive from home
plate OF the family's own diamond
where all the neighborhood scrub
games are played.
Chambers interest in baseball
dates back to his earliest childhood
He got his first taste of organized"
baseball as a member of the varsity
at Pennsylvania College in 1917. He
pitched and played shortstop and
hit .467 one year.
In 1920 he pitched Is games, win
ming IL. for semi-pro team at
Grafton, N. D. That brought a
berth with the semi-pro Lexington,
KY, Reo's in 1921 and the Lexing-
ton club Of the Blue Grass league
III 1922. His fondest recollection of
that latest connection was a home
run with the bases full.
Ready to take over Immediately
Chambers first big job will be to
keep the sport going for the dura-
ton despite the acute manpower
shortages. After that he will SUI
pervise the great shuttle of play
ing talent expected at the end OF
the war. Players now in the serv-
Ice must return to the clubs they
left to go to war The men they
DUMP will be sent to the minor
leagues. Chandler will have to
rule on any controversies arising
from those changes.
Col. Larry s. MacPhail, head OF
the New York Yankees, who led a
faction which demanded that the
selection Of a commissioner be made
now and not delayed until after the
war, said that Chandler was the
unanimous choice because the own