Evening star., 1949-02-06
Scribes and Mogu|s,
Set for .Fete, Talk
Mostly Of Joe
BY the Assesiatsd Prss.


NEW YORK, Feb. 5.-The Joe
DiMaggio "holdout" campaign con-
tinueS with a third conference and
showdown scheduled for Monday
after failure of the Yankee Clipper
and the New York Yankee ball club
to reach an agreement.
1--WE met last night and discussed
my contract" said DiMaggio. Each
side made counter proposals but
we couldn't get together. I
wouldn't want to say anything
about the terms until we get it
settled.
Monday morning we meet again
at the Yankee Offices. If we don't
get together then. I'll leave on vaca-
ton trip to Mexico Monday night
unsigned"
The Yankee Office disclosed that
President Dan Topping, General
Manager George Weiss and Secre-
tary j. Arthur Friedlund repre-
sented the club at the second salary
conference. The fact that Fried
lund, an expert attorney, had been
called into the discussion was taken
as an indication that DiMag would
sign an unusual term contract.
Best guess on DiMaggio's asking
price is two-year contract for q
total of $4,000. The club will go
that high but wants DiMaggio to
take a chance with them on bonus
attendance clause.
Dinner Draws Throng.
The DiMaggio story overshadowed
other developments as baseball men
crowded into town for tomorrow
nights 26th annual baseball writers
dinner.
Bobby Feller and his Cleveland
Indians boss, President Bill Veeck,
also were talking money but they
had reached no agreement. Like
DiMaggio, Feller differs with the
ball club on its estimate of next
years attendance. Bobby thinks the
gate will drop and Veeck says he
expects to draw as much as last
years all-time record.
Feller and Veeck met tonight in
Hank Greenberg's apartment but
again failed to reach an agreement.
However, both said they were much
closer to settlement.
Marsh Samuel, Cleveland pub
licity director, said Feller and
Veeck will hold another confab at
pm. Tuesday in Cleveland.
Neither DiMaggio nor Feller are
noldouts officially. The clubs insist
they don't call any man holdout
until March when he is due to
report for spring training. Never
,heless, the players and manage
nent are not in agreement.
The New York Giants have the
oest signing record with all but one
If their players on the dotted line.
Catcher Walker Cooper is the only
stubborn Giant.
Most of the other clubowners
Classified their weekend trip to New
York as social" instead of "busi-
ness" No deals were reported In
she making tonight. i
Bill and Charley Dewitt, who just
took over as owners of the st. Louis
Browns, were called upon to deny
. runor they were trading Third
Baseman Bob Dillinger to the New
York Yankees for Third Baseman
Bill johnson and 100000.
Evans Hopes To Get Priddy.
Nothing to it," said Charley De-
Witt. I'VE haven't talked to the
Yankees in a month. We're always
deal minded. After all you don't
stand pat with a second division
club. But we have nothing on the
fire right now.
Earlier in the day. Billy Evans.
general manager of the Detroit
Tigers, expressed a hope that his
attempts to deal with the Browns
for Second Baseman Gerry Priddy
might have a better chance under
the new ownership. There were no
negotiations.
The Eastern League increased its
player limit from 18 to 10 men at a
special session. This conforms with
a recent decision to boost the
salary limit from $5,400 to
S., TOO for each team.
While the moguls swapped talk
in hotel rooms and lobbies, the
baseball writer's polished their skits
for the annual show. Television and
its influence on baseball will be the
subject of several sketches.
The list of speakers for the din
ner include Francis Cardinal Spell
man, Archbishop of New York; Sec
retary of Labor Maurice J. Tobin;
Mayor William ODwyer, Of New
York; Art Bugs Baer, and Roscoe
national president Of the
baseball writers.
Lou Boudreau, manager of the
Cleveland Indians, and Ford Frick,
president of the National League,
will be honored. Boudreau will re-
ceive the Sid Mercer Memorial
plaque as player of the year and
Frick will accept the William j.
Slocum Memorial for outstanding
service to baseball over a period OF
,,oarc