Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-17
'veeck Decision Due
To Have lis Effect;
Perrin HaIf-Hearted
BY Francis Siam
Stor Stcff CORRESPONDENT

- Siar Stcff Correspondent
TAMPA. Fla, Mar. 1.-THE
attention yof the baseball world
shifted today from the American
to the National League on the
eve Of a second request for a
franchise transfer.
Despite the unexpected defeat
Of Bill Veeck. who sought to shift
the st. Louis Browns to Balti-
more. word from Bradenton. Fla,
was that Lou Perrin of the Bos-
ton Braves still would make his
scheduled pitch tomorrow to
have his club moved to Milwau-
kee.
At this meeting in st. Peters,
burg, National League club own
ers will sit in judgment. But,
whereas success for PERMITS plea
had been all but conceded earlier,
there were grave doubts today.
General Manager Frank Lane of
the Chicago White Sox may have
summed it up when questioned
after Weeks setback yesterday
Psychological Effect Seen.
"Our decision should have no
direct bearing on what the Ma.
tional League Decides" Lane
said. "but there's a possibility
Of a psychological effect"
Another major league execu-
tive, who preferred to remain
anonymous, put it this way:
Nov that no geographical
change is to be made in the
American League, I doubt if Pc
RIM much cares if his request to
move from Boston to Milwaukee
is approved. AS a matter of fact,
I wouldn't be surprised if Perini
now hopes for a setback similar
to Weeks"
This executive, plus others, saw
it this way:
1. PERMITS Boston-to- Milwau-
kee request was based originally
on the pressure by VeeckA to
transfer the Browns to Balti-
more.
2. Perrin hardly could with
draw his plea for a decision for
fear of offending the citizens of
Milwaukee. He has a stake in
the Wisconsin city because he
owns the American Association
franchise there.
One Vote Can Kill 1t.
Since the ballots are secret, "
one club owner said, IT wouldn't
even be surprised if Perrin en-
couraged some one like Bob Car
penter Of the Phillies to vote
against moving the Braves. I
don't say he will, but it would
save everybody a lot of trouble
at this late date and Lou wouldn't
have to answer to Milwaukee
charges that he abandoned the
city"
Walter O'Malley of the Brook
lyn Dodgers already has limited
he might not vote for the change
because he favors the idea of
restricting such action to the
period between October l and
December /. Horace Stoneham
of the New York Giants also is
reported to be lukewarm to any
transfer.
Contrary to American League
rules. a single negative vote to-
morrow in st. Petersburg would
kill Milwaukee's hopes of be-
coming a National League city,
In the American League. a GO
vote is needed to make such a
switch. Although the vote was
not announced, it was reported
that only Cleveland and the
White Sox backed Weeks plan.
The Browns president needed
support of five other clubs in or
der to swing the transfer to Bal
timore. After eloquently plead
ing his case in a session lasting
about five hours, Veeck was ex-
cused from the meeting room at
the Tampa Terrace Hotel while
a vote was taken.
American League President
Will Harridge, who earlier had
broadly limited that Weeks sue
cess would be a cut-and-dried
affair, refused to disclose how
the voting came out. "All I will
say" Harridge told newsmen, "is
that seven club officials voted,
II five had been in favor of the
transfer to Baltimore, Veeck
would have won his case because
his own vote would have added
up to the necessary six.
"As it turned out, Veeck won
fewer than five supporters among
the seven voters. It was not
necessary to consider his own
VOTE"
Baltimore Officials Blue.
Veeck was visibly shaken
when told of the decision. A
contingent of Baltimore officials.
headed by Mayor Thomas DIAL
esandro, was deeply disappoint-
ed. A group Of newspapermen
from the Maryland city conceded
that Baltimore fans will be
shocked by this news"
During a post-meeting inter-
view with Veeck, a st. Louis
newsman said. "Why did you
turn your back on st. Louis?
(See VEECK, Page A-12.)