Evening star., 1946-12-08
Leonard Is Sold.
To Phis in Nat ]
HousecIeaning
indians Offer KeItner,
Mockiewicz and Case.
In Deal for Spence
By Burton Hawkins

Emil (Dutchl Leonard, former
ditch digger who assembled to
major league stardom on fiuttery
knuckle ball, yesterday was sold
by the Mats to the Philadelphia
Phillies, it was announced by
President Clark Griffith of the
Washington baseball club. The So
year-old right-handed pitcher
passed into the National League
for reported $4,000.
Still under consideration by the
Mats boss is a deal broached by
the Cleveland Indians, who offered
Outflelders George Case and Felix
Mackiewicz, plus Third Baseman
Ken Keltner, in exchange for Out
fielder Stan Spence. From source
close to the Cleveland club it was
learned that Manager Ossie Bluege
accepted the deal at Los Angeles,
scene of the major leagues winter
meeting, but Griffith withheld con-
firmation pending additional re-
ports on the physical condition OF
Case and Keltner.
Leonard's sale to the Phillies
marked the third deal of the week
for the Mats, who previously sold
Catcher Mike Guerra to the Phila-
delphia Athletics and sent Catcher
Jake Early to the st. Louis Browns
for Catcher Frank Mancuso.
In nine seasons with the Mats,
Leonard won 118 games and lost
101. Drafted from Atlanta of the
Southern Association, Dutch won
IL games and lost is in 1888 and
the following year achieved his top
performance, winning 20 games and
losing only eight,
Sagged After Good Start.
Two other seasons Leonard en-
joyed rosy records, capturing ID
games and losing 13 in 1941 and
winning II games and losing seven
in 1945. He failed to obtain a salary
boost after that 1945 season, how
ever, due to the fact many games
were saved for him by relief
pitchers.
Leonard launched the 1916 season
impressively, taking five straight
decisions before losing his first game.
He slumped badly, though, and
finished the year with 10-lG
record. Dutch then took coast-to
coast Transforming trip with Bob
Feller's All-Stars.
Dutch's portiy frame was bathed
in the hot glare of the national
sports spotlight on the closing day
of the 1914 season. Reached by tele-
phone in his Detroit hotel room,
Leonard was offered brihe to
throw the final game OF the season
to the Tigers.
At first inclined to regard the in
cident as a gag" Leonard later
fretted about it and conf1ded in
Coach Clyde Milan. Dutch then
shut out the Tigers, which insured
the st. Louis Browns winning the
American League pennant.
Dutch Broke Leg in 1942.
Leonard's career was jeopardized
in April, 1912, when he broke a leg
sliding into first base on close
play. He started only five times
that season and split four decisions.
Dutch received credit for the
American Leagues victory in the
1943 all-star game, triumph which
was sweet for him inasmuch as he
previously had spent time with the
Brooklyn Dodgers, who permitted
him to skid into the minors. Leon
ard blamed refusal of Brooklyn's
catchers to call for his knuckler as
the reason he didn't stick with the
Dodgers.
| Grifhth's hesitancy in swinging
the Case Keltner Mackiewicz for
Spence trade stems from the fact
that both Case and Keltner were
ailing last season If that deal
develops it will bring three right
handed hitters into the Mats fold
in exchange for the southpaw
swinging Spence.
Case, who was traded by Wash
ington to the Indians for jeff Heath,
had his worst season last year, while
Keltner saw only part-time en-
ployment and MackieWicz was a
reserve outfelder.