Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-02
THE B ASEBALL
BE A T

BY BURTON HAWKINS

PAUL RICHARDS is baseball radical That is he
doesn't believe that what good for baseball IS
ago necessarily is excellent operating procedure today
And he says "The American League better wake up
It's time to do some positive executive thinking Baseball
Is not in good shape"
Richards devotes virtually every waking moment to
baseba-on the field when he manages the Orioles and
before and after games when he doubles Baltmores
general manager He could be rash admittedly but he
says Anything that's constructive at this point must
be radical"
To Richards way of thinking "the scrawl is the
WALL If the Senators vacate Washington II think the
National League will in here" Paul said between
games yesterday Grifth Stadium "and think they
might expand to IL clubs by taking in New York. Toronto
Houston Dallas"
But the National League is supposed to have unani
consent of to expand and two owners re-
portedly dead set against it How about thatP
$50" said Richards the six owners who are In favor
Of expansion offer another resolution that only
majority vote will be needed to expand"
THEY'D HAVE TEAMS finishing eighth, ninth, 10TH
18th and 18th. Would anybody out to see those
clubs?
II think they'd break up into two divisions of six
clubs" Richards countered land think they'd play their
World Series Anything possible and the American
League had better realize it.
"There are two schools of thought about Batimores
position regarding the Senators moving out of Washing
ton Richards continued Zone that 1t would benefit u.s.
that we'd pick more fans from fringe areas and pos
sibly get from Washington The other is that we
figure to draw more fans at home against team named
Washington than we would against named Mime
apolis"
There was question about whether, in his opinion
Washington is dead baseball city.
who knows?" countered Paul Something is wrong
either with the city the Grihs Maybe attendance
would perk up if the club just finished fourth
or fifth in awhile.
1.-THE way baseball is handing out huge sums in boz
muses. to untred youngsters Is silly but try do anything
about it you can't get two people thinking the same
way There should be unrestricted draft to make more
players accessible.
DETROIT HAS TO DRAW million people to break
even Cleveland is in trouble than Washington The
Indians will big money this year, while Washington
might make little or lose little.
IF Chicago has four years like this one they'll
be in deep trouble Kansas City is just another spraying
cow-town New Yorks attendance off this If the
they could draw than million That would put them
in hot water.
Baseball crazy geographically. The National League
spreads from Philadelphia the Pacific Coast the Amer
lean League from Kansas City to Boston, the American
Association from Denver Charleston W. Va the Inter
national League Toronto to Havana Reagnment is
needed.
"Its high time for positive executive thinking TOO
many people in the game saying to themselves, I'm
getting $4,000 year and expenses, SO why should
disturb the Situation?'
OF course if some of those kids paid out bonuses to
sign through for eventually then we're on the
hook But attendance way down don't know what they
expected don't think could be asked to do any more
than we've done this season.
Baseball isn't healthy. Cleveland and Washington
are in trouble Others aren't far from it If things Keep
going way they Radical action is needed now