Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-04
SENATORS
Continued From Page D-1


Continued From Page d.
the Continental League is re-
garded by many baseball fig
ures as strategy designed to kill
that league before it breathes.
Many present owners OF Ma
tional and American League
teams have expressed opposi-
ton to the Continental League.
H. Gabriel Murphy, insur-
ance executive and 40 per cent
Senator stakeholder who is
hereto attend the series, said:
"It's hunting season again.
Every year for the month OF
October Griffith goes hunting.
No offer will be good as far as
I'm concerned. The only place
for the Senators is in Washing
ton. I repeat that I will resort
to everything in my power to
see that the franchise remains
in Washington"
Murphy Seeks Review
Murphy revealed that his at.
torneys have petitioned the Su-
preme Court to review a de-
cision of the lower courts which
declared Griffith had the right
to move if he so desired. That
suit was based on a section OF
the District of Columbia Cor
poration Act which states that
the principal business of a cor
poration operating under that
act must be in the District OF
Columbia.
Should the Supreme Court
rule against Murphy in that in
stance, it is believed Murphy
Immediately will file another
suit on declaration of Grit
flth's intention to move. This
would be based on the con-
tention Of his lawyers that a
two-thirds vote of the stock
holders is necessary to trans
fer the physical assets of a
corporation. The clubs lawyers
contend a majority vote of the
board of directors is all that is
needed.
Cr0nin COrrects Procedure
Cronin disagreed with Griffith
as to procedure to be followed
in the event he wishes to trans
fer to Minneapolis.
"He doesn't have to go to the
Realignment Committee" Gro
min said. His first move must
be to request a special meeting
of the American League. Then,
If he gets permission to move,
it's his problem to iron out all
the other difficulties"
Griffith, thwarted in previous
attempts to move to Los Ange-
les and Minneapolis, must deal
with the Boston Red Sox, who
operate the Minneapolis club,
and the Los Angeles Dodgers,
who back the st. Paul team.
The a djacent Minneapolis
and st. Paul teams would be
stripped from the American
Association, currently confront
ed with the loss of three other
clubs in the 10-team league
because Of financial difficulties.
Griffith also would have to
serve notice on Ed Doherty,
American Association president,
of his intention to invade that
territory. Doherty has been at
tending the Little World Series
in Havana, and Griffith says
he has not talked with him.
Blocked by Yawkey
Griffith must receive six IA
vorable votes-f1ve in addition
to his own-from fellow Ameri-
can League owners in order to
switch. In July, 1858, PreSi-
dent Tom Yawkey of the Red
Sox blocked the idea of moving
out of Washington with an inn
FASHIONED speech which forced
Griffith to abandon a planned
presentation to other owners.
The situation since has
changed, with the Continental
League lowering on the hori-
zon. Still unaltered, however,
is the fact that Congress is
contemplating baseball legis-
lation, as it was when Griffith
last was blocked. Whether base
Dali now is prepared to risk
the possible wrath of Congress
and approve a shift of the
franchise is conjectural.
Griffith holds the key to four
situations - the Am err C a n
League, the Continental League,
the American Association and
the proposed new stadium for
Washington which has been
authorized by Congress and
President Eisenhower.
The American Leagues
structure would be altered, with
the possibility that Cleveland
would be switched from the
Western Division to the East
ern Division, joining New York,
Boston and Baltimore, with
Minneapolis being bracketed
with Detroit. Chicago and Kan
sas City.
The Continental League