Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-20
As Trade Of PhiIIey
Battles Baseball Men;
Dodgers Sign Hodges
BY the Assoeioted Press

The management of the
Athletics must be clairvoyant to
trade a veteran outfielder like
Dave Philley. who hit 1903 last
year. for a pair of 24-year- old
INFESTED minor league pitchers.
The AS sent Philley to the
Indians yesterday for Pitchers
Leroy Wheat and Bill Upton
Wheat appeared in only II
games last year for the Tulsa
Oilers in the Texas League and
wound up with an OIL record.
Upton posted a 1916 mark with
indianapolis.
The trade was the big news
on the major league front, al
though the Dodgers signed First
Baseman Gil Hodges, who had
been demanding more money.
and Inf1elder Bobby Morgan.
The Senators got by one obstacle
when Maury McDermott signed.
In Baltimore the Orioles an
nounced the signing of Pitcher
Vernon Bickford. Bickford came
to the Orioles recently from the
Braves. The 33-year -old right
handler won two and lost five
last year.
And Bob Carpenter, owner of
the Phillies, yesterday reported
hearing by telephone from Earl
Torgeson that the first baseman
was satisfied to play this year
for the same money he made in
1858.
Salary Chief Reason.
Earle Mack, vice president of
the Athletics. admitted Philley
was traded because he wanted
more salary than the club was
willing to pay him. Mack said
the AS offered Philley a $4,000
raise, which would have put the
outfielder in the $4,000 bracket.
Philley has declared he was
never offered more than half
that increase.
Baseball people in these parts
found it hard to believe the deal
was a straight player swap with
no cash involved. But that's
what Mack said it was. 1t would
seem that the 34-year-old
switch hitting Philley, a line
drive hitter and an outstanding
hustler, would be worth at least
$4,000 in today's baseball mar
ket. Yet. all the AS have to
show for him is a couple of
pitchers who may be back in
the minors before long.
OF course, there's always the
chance that Wheat. a 200
FOUNDER from Edwardsville. ILL.,,
or Upton, l70-pound native of
Cape Girardeau, Mo-, may turn
out to be good pitchers. Upton
won 81 and dropped 9 in 1852
with Spartanburg of the Tri-
State League.
Tigers, White SOx Interested.
II don't think we could have
done better for Philley if we had
traded elsewhere, Mack said.
Chicago and Detroit were in
terested, but dropped out when
he continued to demand SOS, 900
to sign contract. We needed
some pitchers. talked to Man.
ager Eddie Joost and he said,
Get me some pitchers We
might have got an outf1elder
from some other club, but think
this is a better DEAL"
Philley came to the AS in
April, 1851. in a three-cornered
deal between the AS, Cleveland
and Chicago. Philley, Gus Ter
NAL, Ray Murray and Sam FOL
dak came to Philadelphia. while
Lou Brissie and Sam Chapman
went to Cleveland. Chicago got
Paul Lehner and Orestes MinoSo.
Mack said Hank Greenberg,
Cleveland general manager. had
been given permission to bargain
with Philley and the two ap-
parently came to terms.
Greenberg said at Cleveland:
We've got another solid out
fielder who can be very helpful
to us. We've got pitching, so we
can afford to give that up.
1.-The Philley deal was in line
with improvements we hope to
make before the season starts"
he added, limiting of other trades
hanging fire.