Evening star., 1951-12-05
PhiIs May Yield
Granny Hammer,
bubba Church
Philadelphia Demand
For Shortstop Arises
As Main Obstacle
By Joe ReiehIer
Asseeiatsd Press Sport. Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. s.
Fully aware they must revamp
their infield If they are to figure
in flag contention. the Boston
Braves are resigned to putting
Southpaw Warren SPAIN. their
No. l "untouchable." on the trad
ing block to plug their woefully
weak shortstor position.
This came tc light today at the
Golden Jubilee Convention of the
minor leagues when the .Associ-
ated Press learned that the Braves
were prepared to give SPAIN, one
of the best pitchers in baseball,
to the Phillies for Shortstop
Granny Hammer and Righthander
Bubba Church.
Trading away the 31-year-old
SPAIN. four time 20-game-p plus
winner, is one of the toughest
decisions the Braves ever had been
forced to make. John Quinn, gen.
eral manager, and Tommy
Holmes, team manager, however,
have become convinced that is the
only move they can make to
strengthen the club where it is
weakest. The Braves ranked sixth
in executing double plays last
season.
Church S Years Younger.
SPAIN won % and lost IA last
season. Church, five years
younger than SPAIN, had a 14-l1
record in his first full campaign.
Promoted to a regular berth in
June. 1850, the Birmingham right
handler wound up with an 8-6
record. Hammer, regarded as one
OF the best shortstops in the Ma
tlonal League. skidded a bit after
a spectacular 1850 season, batting
N.255 in $50 games. A brilliant
fielder. Hammer is only "a.
The only hitch in the deal is
that the Phillies are demanding
a replacement at shortstop and
want the veteran Sebastian Sisti
who can fill in at any infield posi-
ton. Sisti batted .279 in ia
games. Buddy Kerr and John
Logan. who divided the regular
'shortstop berth last year, batted
.lS6 and .219. respectively.
The Braves also have been ne
gotiating with the Chicago Cubs
for Third Baseman Ransom Jack
son, one of the better young in
fielders in the circuit. The Cubs
have asked for First Baseman
Earl Torgeson in return. jackson,
rs. is a long ball hitter and an
excellent fielder. While he hit
only .273 in 145 games, he wal
loped 16 home runs, stole IA bases
and batted in 76 runs. Torgeson,
who will be % years old January
l also can hit the ball for dis
tance. He walloped 20 homers
and batted in 81 runs for a 1868
average.
Dodgers Dicker With Reds.
The Brooklyn Dodgers, thwarted
in their efforts to work out a big
three-way deal involving Cincin-
natl when the Phillies refused to
substitute Outfielder Del Ennis for
Catcher Andy Seminick in the
trade for First Baseman Gil
Hodges, were on the verge of max
ing a trade with the Reds.
President Gabe Paul of the Reds
said he had offered Righthander
HoWie Fox to the Dodgers for
three young players. He named
them as Shortstop Rocky Bridges,
Outfielder Cal Abrams and Catch
er Seve Lembo. All three were
utility men with the Dodgers last
year. The Dodgers are holding
out for Joe Rossi. recently drafted
.3O4 hitting catcher from Port
land, to be included in the deal.
Fox had a ola record with the
|sixth-place Reds.
The st. Louis Cardinals have
|reopened negotiatins with the
Giants for Eddie Stanky. Presi-
dent Fred Saigh, who still hasn't
given up hope of getting the
scrappy second baseman to man
age the Cards, has made a new
offer. He has told Manager Leo
IDurocher of the Giants he would
Igive them righthanded Pitcher
Red Munger, Veteran Catcher
(See BASEBALL, Page ca