Evening star., 1953-03-16
Club Owners Meet,
Harridge Believes
'If'sCut and Dried
By Francis Stonn
Stor Sioff Correspondent

Cnelr preSlQenC, VIII darfl0ge,
indicating he thinks "it's cut
and dried" American League
club owners met at the Tampa
Terrace Hotel this morning and
were expected to give Bill Veeck
the green light some time today
in his plan to move the st. Louis
Browns franchise to Baltimore.
This action would not bring
major league h' ,eball to Balti-
more officially at once, for the
move would still require the
sanction of the International
League, whose officials are slated
to meet here at / pm. tomor-
row.
Meanwhile, Lou Perini's plans
to shift his Boston Braves to
Milwaukee will come up for a
vote Wednesday when the Ma
tional League owners meet at
nearby st. Petersburg, following
an American Association session
earlier on the same day.
There appeared to be no solid
resistance to either plan at yes
terday's Executive Council meet
ing at Belleair, where Commis-
sioner Ford Frick held a
preliminary session with officials
of the four clubs and leagues
involved.
Just before this mornings ses-
sion began. it developed that
there would be some opposition
from the Philadelphia Athletics
to the Browns switch. but only
a 6-2 vote is needed for ap-
proval. Baltimore officials,
headed by Mayor Thomas D'Ales-
andre, were on hand at the
meeting to verify proposed con-
tracts with Veeck.
National League to Benefit.
An early consensus of the
baseball bigwigs flooding this
area for the series of meetings
indicates the National League
will benefit plenty by the Braves
transfer to Milwaukee. AS for
the Browns shift to Baltimore.
the wise men were more cau-
tious. since certain geographical
problems are inevitable.
"It will be awkward to have
Baltimore admitted as a West
ern' team" Harridge conceded
prior to the II am. meeting over
which he presided. However, I
think it's a necessary move, now
that Bill Veeck has turned his
back on st. Louis.
"Wen simply have to make
the best of it. There's no way
of including Baltimore in the
Eastern Division because that
would mean a 5-3 balance Of
clubs and Veeck would be COM
peting against Washington and
the Philadelphia Athletics. only
an hour or so distant by train"
National Leaguers, headed by
President Warren Giles, were
confident the transfer of the
Braves to Milwaukee would be
unanimously approved.
Were in a better spot than
the American League" Giles said.
In the first place, Milwaukee has
a standout stadium. In the sec
ond place, we will place Pitts
burgh in the Eastern Division
and put Milwaukee in the West
ern, a relatively simple opera
ton. It simply will be ques-
ton of transferring the Pirates
dates to Milwaukee and the
Braves to Pittsburgh"
Minor League Heads Present.
Harridge arrived here yes
terday from Sarasota before
proceeding to Belleair for the
preliminary discussions with
Commissioner Frick, George
Trautman. minor league czar;
Giles and the presidents of the
international League and Amer
ican Association, respectively,
Frank Shaughnessy and Bruce
Dudley. Also attending tn e
meeting were Veeck, Lou and
Charles Perini of the Braves and
Joe Cronin, general manager of
the Red Sox.
II expect it's cut and dried, !"
Harridge said on arrival. refer
ering to the meeting this morn
ing. II can't see how Weeks
request to transfer very well can
be denied in view of the fact
that he apparently has bought
the Orioles"
Giles said he felt equally con-
fident that all National League
club owners would approve the
Braves = to Milwaukee transfer
Wednesday. II could be wrong" :"
he admitted, "but before the
week is out, think there'l be a
team called the Milwaukee
Braves"
Neither Harridge nor his as
sistant, Earl Hilligan, was able
to foretell whether the Baltimore
club would be called the Browns
or the Orioles.
IT just didn't think to ask
Veeck," Harridge said, although
it may not be very important.
Both are distinguished names.
and, if what I'm told is correct,
Veeck has his choice"