Evening star., 1953-10-09

general manager in baseball if not the best
In making his abortive try Miles keeping promise
he made recently in New York few hours after his Ba
triumphed in the all for the Browns
franchise, Miles said, candidy:
eve don't know the first thing about operating big
league club franchise and few players Where
we've got to start is finding who run the show
Money is no object.
LANE, 56-YEAR- OLD long time baseball executive
and former Big football and basketball official looked like
the ideal already two outstanding jobs of
retreadng ball clubs in the past in Cincinnati and once
in Chicago 1t would have been interesting to what he
could have done about rehabltatng the Browns that 1s
Orioles.
Lane might have affected two clubs in the American
League meaning the Athletics and Senators Sandwiched
between the two Cities Baltimore could adversely affect the
donohing Philadelphia and Washington organizations by
coming up with live-wire, contendng team.
It is mortal cinch Lane would not have been long
content with the Browns Orioles as they now stand
He is sandpatter Lane has proved that in the five
years he has been at Chicago No other
executive has close to shifting upward of $50 players
this space of time
Not all of the deals made by the rugged Lane worked
out to the advantage the White Sox but most of
them did The Chicago clubs improvement became notice
able at In 1949 Lanes first they jumped from
the cellar to sixth place BY 1851 the White Sox really began
to roll They've fourth third and third in the last three
and by all odds of the most interesting CLUBS
to watch.
BASEBALL MEN not public, began to take notice
of Lane in 1885, when the Cincinnati Reds came out OF
nowhere to win pennan Manager Bill McKechnie and
Giles president of the National League but at
that time general of the Reds received due credit
for the pennants of 1889 and 1940
Lane director of the Reds farm SYSTEM was unknown
to the public But Frank who had sent the nucleus
of those good Cincinnati clubs He supplied Frank McCor-
mick, the baseman Ival Goodman Harry Craft and
others who played heroic roles
When he moved to the White Sox at the end OF 1948
he waited only until November 10 to make his first deal
1t of his best He traded Catcher Aaron Robinson
to the Tigers for a kid pitcher Billy Pierce.
General Manager Billy Evans of Detroit didn't want to
trade Pierce.
some day he may make good pitcher" told
OVocO ndoS UhItnp ptrOit q m
offering you catcher"
PIERCE HAS WON AZ games in his last three seasons
1853. Casey Stengel whose Yankees he tormented
unabashedy called Pierce the best southpaw in the Amer
League this Two of his Ed Lopa and Whitley
Ford exactly bad Neither Mel Parnel of the
Red Sox.
Later in 1949 Hos Trader Lane virtually stole Second
Nelson from the AS, again using unframed
catcher got in exchange for Joe Upton and
One of the best al-around players in the league is
Minnie MinoSo The Indians had Minnie but they didn't
know how good he probably because they didn't play
him. Lane offered to take Minoso off their hands.
Cleveland wanted a left-handed pitcher. Lane had
spare but he worked out three-way deal also
involving Tribe wound up with Lou Brse and
Philadelphia with Gus zernial and junk and Chicago
with Minoso
So rapid is the of White Sox personnel that
Pierce acquired less than five the Oldest player
in point service. might have been if Lane had
listened to Evans when Billy called him week after trading
Pierce for Robinson.
1--WE want him back" Billy said. eve will put check
for $4,000 in the mail this afternoon.
want him-periOd" Lane