Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-26
WIN, LOSE OR
DKAW By FRANCIS sTANN
Much Ado, Plus Obscurity

ACCORDING TO BRANCH RICKEY, speaking from
retirement in suburban Fox Chapel Pittsburgh,
"thrd major league must soon To hear Ford Frck
commissioner of baseball there must be three sx-cub
leagues pretty quick One wonders these fellows have
been watching much baseball lately
1t is easy to roll of the tongue cities like Houston,
Havana Toronto Montreal Dallas Miami etc, but how to
star them with big league players? The big brains talk
bthey Of increasing the number of major teams but they
= are obscure about the sources of talent
Hickey did say this: Maybe the seasoned observer in
the major leagues wouldn't consider players in the pro-
posed league of sufficient maturity However the fans
in Dallas Toronto wouldn't share that view They'd be
interested primarily in the competition"
Now what does that mean? Are Texans and Canadians
backward they wouldn't know a big Lacquer from
busherP You palm of third fourthrate entertain
ment to these people?
IN THE NEXT BREATH Mr. Hickey thinks that in 10
years there may be minors he dissatisfaction Of minor
league with lack Of attendance and their loss
of prestige force Of them to become big league
he blandy states.
To interpret it one way, a low-rankng minor league
team like Charlotte for instance will declare itself big
league team. The pumpkin becomes chariot, Just like
that Mr.. Hickey always was something of an ambiguous
person
Commissioner Prick differs from Hickey only in the way
he would increase the number Of big league teams In
q league with than eight" Hickey says, you have
too many second division clubs" Frck who originally
toued three sixteam leagues said that second thought
he would make it two leagues each with dozen clubs.
couple Of 12-team leagues must add up to % Also
Three leagues of six teams each must is also
Frank Lane who got into the act the other day,
argues for two 10eam leagues That 10 alsorans
That's improvement? There can only be IA ALSO
at present-aS it's been for the last SO years.
TO SIT DOWN SOME dolorous evening with the man
ager of bad ball club who lets down his hair and
speaks in confidence would get another slant this
expansion business
How can they talk about t?" he would say take
my club for instance know where we're going to finish
last next to last simply don't have the five six real
pros you need to win. don't have Musial Mays or
Mantle Ford.
II to hit and run, but how ~ My guys can't
The double play? We don't make it unless it's auto
matic-a hard-hit ball straight at somebody They talk
about stating clubs but how that be done If
can't find enough big eaguerS for the 16 teams have
now?
Were playing guys now who don't belong in the
majors You can't put fellow in big league uniform and
say, Now you're big leaguer!'"
Actually, there three major leagues right now-the
National the Yankees and the American Regardless Of how
General Manager George Weiss and Field Manager Casey
Stenge try to debunk the Yankee threat to and hide
the fact remains that they don't win easily they ought
to be investigated.
THERE is NO INTENTION on the part of Weiss
speaking just recently behalf Of the Yankees to break
up the club and sell of players the theory
that team can become strong as to kill interest
Connie Mack" quoth Weiss from New York, broke
up some Of his great Athletic teams because they
too good Well he had different type of club ownership
than the Yankees have We don't need want that kind
of money don't how tight the pennant raceor how
one-sided-as long the Yankees top"
Weiss Denies publicly, that his Yankees hurting the
American League box-offce. I'm our two games with
Chicago didn't draw $4,000 paid admissions" he asks
"And when played in Washington they had Of
the biggest crowds in Senator history.
Besides, who says we're making runaway race? I've
clubs leading in September by bigger margins than
ours in May, and still they blew the pennant."
Weiss didn't say anything about somebody making
book that the Yankees would blow in So Just off-hand
however he to make than Brother Hickey
and Ford Prick He suggests that he has pretty good
corner the bona-fde big leaguers
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