The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-01-05
Just for the record.

The Boston Braves is not the par
ent club of the Hagerstown Braves.
The only parent the Hagerstown
Braves have is Eugene J. c. Gene"
Raney, the sole owner of the Hag-
erstown franchise The Boston
Braves simply have working agree
ment with the Hagerstown club, the
same as many other major league
clubs have with privately owned
clubs in the minor leagues.
$50
While, like everybody else, was
tickled pink at the announcement
made at the press conference of the
Hagerstown Braves, held at the
Alexander Hotel on Tuesday morn
ing, to the effect that the prices of
admission at the stadium this year
will revert back to the pre-war
prices, had hoped that at the con-
ference there would also be an an
nouncement regarding the vital i'm
plONGIllGllIS tIlol al 1lSCCoocly at
the stadium.
1 have since learned, however,
that no announcement regarding
these improvements can be made I'M
til the Field Athletic Organization
has been reorganized under the
terms of the new five-year lease
recently granted it by the Mayor
and Council 1t is my understand
ing that this reorganization meet
ing will be held within the next
ten days or so, and I hope that
shortly after that the Field Athletic
Association will announce to the
public their plans for the improve
ment of the stadium, particularly
plans regarding the better facilities
for the ball clubs and improved
public toilets.
Getting back to the press con-
ference, at which all the local
scribes and sports announcers were
present, as well as sportswriters and
broadcasters from Frederick, Mar
tinsburg and Chambersburg, some
other interesting announcements
were made. Gene" Raney, sole
owner of the ball club; Rufus Ed
wards, the general manager; and
Dutch" Dorman, the field manager,
all gave brief talks, the gist of which
was that nothing that they could do
would be left undone to give Hag-
erstown and Washington County a
baseball club they could be proud
of.
I was particularly interested in
Dutch Dorman's talk, because of the
fine way in which he brought out the
difference between a working agree
ment with major league club, such
as the Hagerstown club has with
the Boston Braves, and the outright
owning of minor league club by
major league outfit.
In explaining the difference, he
brought out the very important
point that under the Hagerstown
clubs working agreement with the
Boston Braves, Dutch was under no
obligation whatever to use any of
the ball players sent him by the
Boston farm system under the work.
ing agreement, whereas when ball
players are assigned by a major
league club to a minor league club
owned outright, the manager of that
club has to use those players whe-
Their he likes it or not. Dutch also
laid emphasis on youth in the make
up of the Hagerstown Braves club
and said that the club entered into
a working agreement with the Bos-
ton Braves because they had the
best roster of up and coming young
ball players, of any farm system in
the major league. And he proved
his point by stating that last year,
six of the minor league clubs that
were either owned outright or who
had working agreements with the
Boston Braves, won pennants, a
truly remarkable record.
Both Gene Raney and Rufus Ed
wards in their talks, emphasized
their desire to cooperate fully with
the press and radio, and through
them with the baseball fans of the
community, and they both pledged
themselves to keep the public in
formed at all times regarding any
developments that might occur that
would be of interest to the fans
Mr.. Edwards then announced that
in addition to the three players
bought by Mr.. Raney at the minor
league draft, he had also purchased
the contract of Jess Levan, who is
well remembered in the Interstate
League. Jess, who played part of
the 1949 season with Milwaukee and
Hartford, and wound up the year
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