Evening star., 1947-12-07
.Durocher |sAppointed
Dodger Pilot After
Nod by Chandler
BY the Associated Pres,

bfIoohb1 IN, Lee. o.-be0 OuT
ocher returned to baseball today
as manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers
without prejudice" from Commits
sioner A. B. Chandler, who had sus-
pended him for the entire 1947
season.
Gracefully yielding to the newt
able. Burt Shotton, who won a
pennant as the interim skipper last
season, retired from active manage
ment to accept a vague but lucra-
tive position that he termed "a nice
old mans job" The 63-year-old
fatherly gentleman from Barlow
Fla, will oversee the work of the
managers in the Dodgers 26club
farm system.
Branch Hickey, jr., acting in the
absence Of his father who is presi-
dent of the Brooklyn club, made
the brief one-sentence announce
ment that read:
The 1947 contract Of Leo Du-
rocher has been renewed for 1948
by the Brooklyn baseball club"
Figure Believed S50,000.
No salary terms We're announced,
but it was believed the figures will
match the $4,000 repeatedly called
for last season. Actually, the con-
tract has not been signed and may
not be until spring training, but
that is mere formality. 1t will be
for one year.
While his son was breaking the
not-too-well-kept news at a press
conference In the Dodgers plush
offices, Kicker, sr., was en- route
from a Philadelphia hospital where
he had visited his daughter. Du-
rocher, who has said Il want to stay
In Brooklyn until the day I die. -
was driving to the airport to catch
a plane for Los Angeles.
Shortly after the Brooklyn an
nouncement, Chandler followed with
statement designed to clarity
Durocher's status. This was the
key to the long-delayed decision
by hickey.
Chandler told a Cleveland press
conference "as far as the commits
sioner's office is concerned, Leo
Durocher returns to baseball with
out prejudice and will be. judged
by his conduct in the future"
Chandler Breaks Silence.
Breaking his own silence decree
on the story Havana episode of last
spring which led directly to Leo's
chandler said, the
grounds were sufficient and were
known both to Durocher and Mr..
He added there had been
AN accumulation of unpleasant in
cidents."
The commissioner hastened to
add, the commissioner neither ap-
proves nor disapproves of the ap-
pointment. 1t is solely a matter
between Mr. Durocher and the
Brooklyn baseball club
Background of the extended inde-
cision by the Brooklyn club was
given by hickey, ST., who arrived
for a meeting of directors some time
after the morning conference.
L most deeply disagreed with the
decision" Hickey said in his first
public statement on the case since
the silence ban was imposed. Il felt
Durocher had not done wrong
and I'm sure the commissioner
might be among the first to say the
Havana incident was perhaps small
part of the cumulative effect"
Reiterating that he had no desire
to reopen the case by which Du-
rocher was suspended for conduct
detrimental to baseball" Hickey
added, Il don't wish to comment on
the commissioners argument on
cumulative effect. There have been
mistakes made down through the
years.
Points Out Consistency.
Il think developments and cir
cumstances since the Havana epi-
sode show no grevious wrong was
done at Havana Durocher, of course,
was manager at that time.
Then, if I believed no grievous
wrong was done, and Durocher
were eligible then, sheer consistency
would compel me to admit he was
eligible for the managership now"
Referring to Shotton, whom he
lured from semi-retirement to man
age the club after it already had
played two games in the 1947 sea-
son, Hickey commented, Il think
Mr.. Shotton agrees with me fully
that I was right in my reasoning"
Hickey disclosed, as had been
hinted unofficially for some time,
that what delayed his announce
ment was to await assurance from