The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-04-09
'RICKEY WILL
 SELL. OR TRADE | MEX 'JUMPER'
BY CHARLES NETHAWAY United Press Sports Writer

Catcher Mickey Owen, homesick for the Dodgers and fed up with his Mexican league deal, headed back for Brooklyn today where a warm welcome from his fans may be tempered by cool reception from boss Branch Hickey, who wants to sell or trade him.
 Rickey made it plain to Owen in long distance telephone converse ton yesterday that his days as 8 Dodger were numbered.
 Owen, reconsidering his fiye-yeal contract as player manager of the Torreon team in the Latin loop. called up Hickey at Cambridge, Md, and said he was coming home.
 But the Dodger president, con- tacted later, said that he considered Owens act one that couldn't be passed off so lightly.
 T have not changed my plans foi Owen" he said. When he jumped to the Mexican League from US somebody asked me what would do if he decided to come back and I said he would be sold or traded if a suitable offer were made.
 That still goes"
 Owen said thaC he agreed to meet Hickey at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn on Friday, where the two will work out plans for the star cateher's fu- ture.
 To Cardinals?
 It was regarded Gs highly likely that Rickey might swing a deal to send Owen back to the St. Louis Cardinals where he developed the young star as head of that clubs vast farm enterprises. The Cardin- alS are badly in need of front-line catching talent since their number one man, Joe Gargiola, still is in military service.
 Owen made no secret of the fact that it was the Dodgers he wanted to play with. He said that friend ships in Flatbush' won out over the jackpot of Mexican League money that he was to get and that he was going home right away.
 T had to do this" Owen said. T was afraid I might lose too many friends if didn't, and those friends in Brooklyn mean lot.'
 Before leaving by car for New York, Owen said that if he had gone to the Mexican League "it would have worried my conscience consid- erably."
 I'm almost 10-year man in the Majors and money isn't everything, you know" he said T wouldn't say anything against the Pasquel Broth CTS because I am for promoting baseball 100 percent and they are very enthusiastic. I think they ought to be complimented for what they are doing"
 Like Vernon Stephens of the St. Louis Browns, who also soured on his deal with the Mexican League, Owen was in hot water with the five Pasquel Brothers who operate the circuit.
 In Mexico City, Bernardo PasQuel said that the league would sue Owen for breach of contract.
 Our contract with Owen was signed and filed in the United States and we're going to sue him to the limit, no matter how much 1t costs us to do it." he said.
 Pasquel also said that Stephens was under fire by the Mexico City newspapers, who referred to him as the "Nino Perdido"-the lost child.
 Stephens will be hailed into court, too, if it can be done," he said.
 The Brownie shortstop, however. was back in the good graces of his manager Luke Sewell at Tulsa, Okla.
 Owen said he found no fault with his treatment at the hands of the Mexicans. He said that Alfonso Pasquel, another of the brothers, met him when he arrived with his wife and young son.
 He was a perfect gentleman Owen said.
 Jorge Pasquel, president of the league, had announced that he iii- tended to bring 12 additional Amer ican players to Mexico before the start of the Major League season There seemed little likelihood now that he would have the heart to gc through with the project.
 Owen was so enthusiastic over his Mexican League deal last week when he left the Navy at Sampson. N. Y. and headed for the border that he said he would be able to "retire in five years with what I'll get"
 He will be taken back under the terms of a three-year contract signed in 1942 which called for Sl5,- 900 in the third season, Since Owen was in the Navy through most oi the l945 season, the terms of that