Evening star., 1954-10-14
Senator's Insist
League Vote
Was Not Final
Richardson Charges
Raw DeoI'; Johnson
Pushes His Pluns
BY the As.eeleisd prs.s

Some aspects Of The Great
Chicago Mystery began to clear
up today, but it appeared that
the full story Of exactly what
happened at the American
League meeting at Chicago Tues
day, when conditional approval
was given for the transfer Of
the Philadelphia Athletics fran
chise to Kansas City, may not
be known until Monday.
While Calvin Griffith, vice
president of the Senators, warned
that the shift has not been de-
cided finally, Will HarTidge,
president of the league, said
today that he Is confident Roy
Mack will go through with his
pledge to sell his AS stock to
Arnold johnson.
Roy has been given until IL
am. Monday to complete the
sale of the club to the Chicago
financier for $3,375.000.
johnson Considers It Settled.
Meanwhile, Tommy Richard
son, one of the bidders for the
franchise, claimed he got raw
deal" at the Chicago meeting,
and johnson went ahead with
his plans for Kansas City as
though everything was all
wrapped up.
Roy Mack asked me to get
approval of the league for
transfer of the franchise to
Kansas City so that he could sell
out to Johnson" Harridge ex-
planned. HE requested the delay
(until Monday in order to talk
it over with his family.
"His decision in the matter
was recorded in the minutes of
the meeting. and I do not believe
Roy will go back on his word.
Roy did not want to SELL"
Harridge continued. "He wanted
to keep the club so that he could
turn it over to his son, Connie
Mack III.
II convinced him that it was
in his best interests to sell for
two reasons: First Of all, by the
time his son was ready to take
over the club. there might not
be anything left of it.
Secondly, I pointed out it
wasn't just an individual club
matter. The entire welfare of the
league was at stake, because 1T
was obvious that the situation
was hopeless in Philadelphia"
Announcement Misleading
Calvin Griffith earlier pointed
out that the Washington club
land others" do not consider
Tuesdays To vote final.
1T was misleading to announce
that Kansas City was favored by
a unanimous TO vote" Griffith
said in an interview. "Detroit's
vote was never counted, despite
the fact that Spike Briggs left
his proxy with the meeting and
ordered it to be cast as a firm
mo- against Kansas City.
THE Washington, Boston and
Detroit votes are enough to stop
any move to Kansas City, and
that may still be DONE"
Six clubs must approve the
shift before it can become official.
Griffith said he would lodge
an official protest against the
leagues announcement that
Kansas City had been okayed
by the unanimous vote of the
club owners. S
Griffith said the Washington
team made its position clear that
it favored another year in Phil
adelphia for the Athletics: that
its second choice was a move to
Los Angeles and that its third
preference was for a shift to
Kansas City. He said the Red
Sox stipulated the same condi-
tions.
He indicated he expects to
gain support from Cleveland's
Hank Greenberg.
Griffith also hinted at "some
brand-new developments before
Mondays deadline when Roy
Mack is supposed to make up his
mind about selling to Kansas
City"
Richardson, who is president of
the Eastern League and a direc-
tor of the Athletics, charged last
night that the league put the
pressure" on Roy Mack to agree
to sell to johnson. Richardson
said he "felt we got a bad deal" I"
"The meeting was called to
give Roy an opportunity to buy
Continued on Page C-3, Col. 2o