Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-01
WIN, LOSE OR
'DkAW By FRANCIS s7AAA
How to Build q Ball Club

LAKELAND, FLA APRIL Frank Lane may rant
and rave urging the rest of the League to have
no dealings with the Yankees but Lanes exhortaons will
be lost Harry Craft the onetime yhawk who manages
the Kansas City Athletics.
On the AS bench Craft asked how he defended
the Kansas City policy of trading often with the
perennial champs Did critics make it EMBARRASSING
Il don't give a whoop what the other American League
clubs think" Craft snapped. "Im out to put better
ball club the field. If the Yankees want to give
three or four young prospects for veteran I'll do business
with them How else are you going to build up club
that as bad this in reasonable length of tme?"
And the AS have been getting better Graft will remind
although under his stewardship (shared in 1857 with
Boudreau) they have finished in seventh place the last
two years we won 50 games two ago." Harry
pointed out. Last year won 49, In ST 10
games out of the first division Last year Az
1--WE got some ex-Yankees to thank for moving us up
CRAFT DOESN'T BEGRUDGE the Yankees their
wealth of talent. He just wants some of it.
Listen" Harry explained, ed like to be managing
a ball club made up Of ex-Yankees. If didn't win the
pennant I'd darned close. We could start naming
them right the Kansas City club beginning with Bob
Cerv. He wasn't any one-SeaSon fash in So He'll hit
800 or better again and knock in 100 more"
For the sake of curiosity which Craft. himself
shared hasty rundown of exYankees showed pretty
good outhed in Jackie Jensen Cerv and Gene Woodng
Plus fairish nfelder in Billy Martin to mention
Herb Plews and Woody Held
"But most of all in the pitching and catching depart
ments" Craft pointed out Half the clubs in the Amer
lean League using ex-Yankee catchers Of the
White Sox Trandos of the Orioles Berberet of the Tigers
and Courtney of the Senators.
"And you could do than start pitching staff
with Lew Burdette Bob Grim Ralph Terry Tom German
and Rip Coleman"
MOST PEOPLE, CRAFT thinks, don't stop to analyze
the trades that made with the Yankees They listen
to critics who yell that helping them win another
pennan that Baltimore is helping them he pointed out
Nov take the of Billy Martin. We got him from
Yankees
five clubs wanted the fellow. don't blame them
Billy is good ball player. But cashed in him when
the cashing good
washington wanted him. But all Cal Griffith offered
was Plews and a player who's in the minors We
made the deal for Martin with Detroit and got most
Importantly, Bill futile, Duke Mas and Frank House.
when you have a marketable player like Martin,
there's telling how long ofshoot deals will continue.
For instance traded Mas to the Yankees for Bob
Grim and right he's my No. pitcher
And what did Detroit get when it traded MARTINI
Just Ray Naresk and Don Moss the relief pitchers
who might put the Tigers in the race"
$500
THERE HAVE BEEN RUMoRs of another Kansas
Cty-Yankee trade, and Craft acknowledged that he'd
heard them Were talking we're always talking.
We're not close to trade but if like what's offered
we'll trade with the YankeeS-no matter what anybody
thinks"
Until the last three days of last season the
dangerously close to the first division This year2 Il
won't pick spot for my own club" Craft says "but
always set goal of some sort Last it 70
wins We got 49, This year it's 500 record. When you
reach 500 you're awully close to the first division"
misguided visitor to the Athletics dugout made the
mistake of predicting that Kansas City would beat
two clubs
"Who?" Craft asked.
Washington and Baltimore" the other ventured.
"Balimorei" Harry exclaimed "HelIs bells, man.
they've got the best pitching staff in the American League
From top to bottom, the best!"
But what the Orioles going to do for runs?"
queried the other.
They'll get some runs" Craft assured, They aren't
that punches Anyway they won't need many with
that pitching and playing in that big park wish knew
we'd beat out Baltimore, because think the Orioles
going to wind up In the first division"