The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-08-12
SPORTS of TIMES
Shea Gains
Huge Victory
BY LOU FARRO
Times Sports Editor

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of Bill Shea enjoyed the fruits of victory last week al
though on the surface, it appeared he had suffered
defeat.
The victory was the agreement of the American
and National Leagues to expand by adding two teams
to each loop. 1t was a major triumph even though the
move spelled death for the Continental League, which
Shea and his hackers founded about a year ago.
ALTHOUGH NO DECISION WAS MADE as to
which cities would get the new franchises, no one
doubted that New York would be one of them.
And that's exactly what Shea, a New York at
torney, was commissioned to do three years ago by
New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner. Namely, to make
New York the largest city In the United States, a two
team city. Specifically, the idea was to lure a National
League team to the metropolis.
The project was undertaken after another we'll
known Irishman, Walter O'Malley, owner of the Los
Angeles Dodgers, spearheaded a drive which landed
the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants in Cali
fornia. The westward move left New York with only
an American League repreSentative-the Yankees.
SHEA, A GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY law
school graduate, plunged vigorously into the project,
which was a formidable one indeed. 1t meant entic-
ing one of six teams Cubs, Cardinals, Redlegs,
Braves, Phillies or PirateS-to New York.
The fasttalking Shea disclosed that on five &C.
casions, he thought he had one Of the teams ready to
move. But the deal fell through each time. Although
he didn't say what team or teams were tabled, most
observers felt the Cincinnati Redleg franchise was
the hkeiest one to go.
Failing to line up an existing team, Shea propos-
ed expansion of both leagues, or at least the National.
This proposal fell upon deaf ears. Most major
league owners weren't interested. They were salts
fled with keeping things as they were.
THERE WAS ONE ALTERNATIVE LEFT: start
an entire new league. Shea worked quietly on this
bold project and then about a year ago, announced
the formation of the Continental League.
Named president of the new loop was the highly
respected Branch sold Mahatma" Hickey, who many
years ago, when he ran the st. Louis Cardinals, pi-
neered the baseball farm system. Columbus was one
of the cities which became part of this Cardinal chain.
Although Shea, Hickey and other hackers of the
new league were very optimistic and enthusiastic as
well are daring, there were relatively few others who
shared this optimism and enthusiasm.
FOR NEARLY so YEARS, major league baseball
has been the exclusive property of a few cities. There
were major league moves to other VltieS, but only af-
ter club owners gave their express consent. Remain
ing unchanged was the structure of the leagues-eight
teams in each.
Two major assaults were made against the big
league "Gibralter." In 1914, the Federal League was
formed and in 1916, the Mexican League. Both failed.
1t wasn't any wonder that most baseball observers
felt the Continental League would meet the same fate
as the Federal and Mexican Leagues.
ALTHOUGH ORGANIZED BASEBALL officials
pledged their cooperation to the new league, it was
nothing more than a pledge. They did do one thing at
a hush-hush meeting held in Columbus. They estab-
lished 10 conditions which the Continental Loop had to
meet before it could gain big league status.
After a year of negotiation, planning, ctr, Shea
and Hickey huddled with major leer'n c~h'cftains in
Chicago. Just before the meeting last week, Shea de-
clared 'this could be the most momentous meeting in
the history of baseball"
1t appears it was just that since the decision to
expand was made at that meeting. Target date for ex-
pansion is 1861 or 1862 at the latest.
Although the dynamic Shea failed with the Con-
tinental League, he succeeded in his earlier project of
coaxing the major leagues into expanding.
N THIS ALONE is A TREMENDOUS achieve
ment for Shea. Indeed, if it wasn't for him, the major
leagues would still be doing complacently, covered
with the musty, cobweb satisfaction of keeping things
as they have been for nearly so years.
Even though the battle appears to be won, Shea
can't call it a complete victory until expansion actual
ly occurs. Which is another way of saying there's
often many a slip between the cup and the lip"
Just in case major league bigwigs jam up ex-
pansion machinery, Shea no doubt will don his battle
dress again. And he'll have some pretty good weapons
to use. He could either revive the Continental League
organization or let the us. Congress know that an
unpleasant situation exists. In its last session, Con-
gress showed great interest in baseball by considering
some antitrust legislation affecting sports,
The entire situation still merits a close watch.