Evening star., 1947-11-26
Cards Sale 9th Big Change in Majors in Years
Ownership Of Clubs
Changes Hands al
S14,000,000 Cost
by the Associoted Press

BY the Assoeiotsd Press
NEW YORK, Nov. 26.-Sale of the
st. Louis Cardinals for reported
s3,50O,000 marks the eighth owner
ship shift in the major leagues
within a four-year period in deals
totaling an estimated $14,O00,000.
Yesterdays st. Louis transaction
placed the club In the hands of q
syndicate headed by retiring Post
master General Robert E. Hannegan
Five National League and three
American League franchises have
changed hands since the late Com
missioner Kenesaw M. Lands ousted
Bill Cox from control of the Phillies
in November of 1943.
Actually the turnover had started
year earlier when the National
League. searching desperately for a
solution to the "Phillies situation, .
approved the sale of the club to Cox
by Gerry Nugent.
When Cox ran into trouble with
Lands, the league dug up the rich
Carpenter family of Wilmington,
Del. Robert r.. M. Carpenter, jr.,
stepped in as president November
%, l943.
Next in line was the Boston
Braves organization, which passed
into the control of the three con-
tractors, Lou Perrin, Guido Rugo
and Joseph Nancy, all of whom had
been minority stockholders.
Benefited Entire League.
| Like the sale of the Phillies, the
shift in Braves ownership has
proved benefit to the entire league.
With practically limitless resources
to back them up, both clubs have
rebuilt sagging franchises into up
and-coming organizations.
Branch Hickey came to Brooklyn
from ST. Louis shortly after the 1912
World Series and moved in as an
owner when he and two associates
acquired control of rs per cent OF
the Dodger stock November l, 1914.
Later, Hickey and his partners &C
quired an additional so per cent in
complicated deal with the Ebbets
heirs.
Although the Brooklyn franchise
f1ourished under Larry MacPhail, it
has increased in value under Rickey's
direction with its vast minor league
farm system.
Sale of the New York Yankees
January rs, 1945, to Del Webb, Dan
Topping and MacPhail for $780, 900
was the richest deal in baseball
history until the Cardinal transfer.
The Yanks set new all-time attend
ance records under new owners and
recently returned to the world
championship ranks coincidental
with MacPhail's retirement.
Browns Flopped Badly.
Dick Muckerman took charge of
the st. Louis Browns in 1945, buying
out Don Barnes, who had acted as
president since 1886. During Barnes
direction the club won its first
pennant, 1914, but Topped badly in
later years. After hitting low this
season, Muckerman and General
Manager Bill De Witt have been
peddling star players for an esti-
mated 100000. There have been
repeated rumors that the club would
be sold, although Muckerman owns
Sportsman's Park, home OF both
st. Louis teams.
Cleveland was purchased by a
syndicate headed by Bill Veeck for
reported $1,750,O00 June 10, 1916.
The colorful Veeck has strengthened
the club and enhanced its value by
an all-out promotional plan.
Frank Mckinney and his asoci-
ates bought Pittsburgh August 8,
1916, for $2,250,000 and Immediately
started shakeup. Ball players
came and went and two managers
have followed frankie Frisch. De-
spite a poor season afield, the club
packed them in at Forbes Field un-
der the impetus of Ralph Kiners
homers and the publicity value of
Hank Greenberg.
Breadon's Career Brilliant.
Then came the deal for the Cardi-
nails which marks the end of the
career of Sam Breadon, most i'm
portant factor in the National
League since 1920. The new owners
will have a difficult Job matching
the pennants and world champions
that Breadon cultivated. !
With half the clubs changing
hands, only few of the old timers
remain. The Comiskey family,
which has operated the Chicago
White Sox franchise since the
American League was organized,
still holds the fort. Connie Mack,
Philadelphia Athletics fixture and
club president since the days of the
Shibes, continues to run things
from the bench and Clark Griffith
remains the big gun in washington.
Horace Stoneham, whose father
bossed the New York Giants for
years after World War I, operates
the rich Polo Grounds plant and
Phil Wrigley follows in his fathers
steps as head man of the Chicago
Cubs.
The three remaining clubs picked
up new hackers in the mid-1930s
when Tom Yawkey bought the Bos-
ton Red Sox. Powell Crosley, jr, the
Cincinnati Reds and Walter o.
Briggs extended his share in the
Detroit Tigers to a controlling in
terest.
Arkansas Stute Gets Bid
JONEsBORO, Ark, Nov. Is R.-
Arkansas State College received an
invitation today from the University
of Hawaii to play in the Pineapple
Bowl at Honolulu. January /. Ar
kansas State has a season record of
four victories, three ties and two
losses. Hawaii is host team at the