Evening star., 1960-10-27
THE BASEBALL
BEAT
- BY BURTON HAWKINS
New Era for Baseball
BY BURTON HAWKINS

q
Senator'S presuning Washington left with that nickname
vestige of their thoperated baseball club The slate
is wiped clean There will be new, undiScoSed
There will be new manager office force and new
players. 1t may be said that the Senators are in
the major leagues s, ..5s :@;e,
The last sentence is meant as no parting shot at Cal
Grtmth There's hope he succeeds at Minneapolis but
there is recognition oo that Washington the
years were fed up with his type of operation There will
be an immediate step backward in order to achieve
ultimate advance, and there's the feeling Washington
fans will welcome the hope of the future.
The American League, having taken gigantic stride
by shifting the present Senators to Minneapolis by
expanding to Los Angeles and by granting Washington
another franchise under other ownership now is con-
fronted with the necessity of equppng Washington and
Los Angeles with fairly representative for the 1861
season.
Hank Greenberg, who will sell his interest in the
Chicago White Sox and head the Los Angeles club was
saying today that behooves the league to give the new
entries fighting chance for survival
GREENBERG is RIGHT and Frank Lane general
manager of the Indians, recognizes it, along with Bill
Veeck president of the White Sox I'VE can't afford to
permit Washington Los Angeles to have club which
Will lose 28 OF Its first 80 games, Lane said. I'm not
saying that should give up Harvey Kuenn Vic
Power to either team but both entries should
get a crack at respectable players"
Greenberg is hoping for arrangement whereby
club may isolate 20 of players on its roster
-~ -O--~----S - w ~ F~N~-~N ~SS~
Of the teams That's little enough to start with"
Hank said. That's nucleus, for while the
clubs will start with 40 players their opposition will have
about $50 players each under contract including those
in the minors"
Other formulas have been offered but regardless of
the system adopted Washington fans face the reality
that their team figures to finish ninth or 10th in the
American Leagues sudden puff to 10 teams That's agree
able, Tor the future will be brighter Baseball in the
Nations Capital will be starting from scratch but the
foundation will be solid.
WASHINGTON IS AN untapped gold mine" Veeck
said. THE possibilities are unlimited said in the mast
tnat Grth vacated Washington there would be another
franchise placed in Washington within "a hours Now
guarantee this-that whoever comes into WASHINGTON
will be capable able wellnanced will not be operat-
ing with the idea of how much he save"
Lane another enterprising baseball man, declared
I'D love to be the going into Washington I've always
1et That the city of the top two three franchises
IN the Nation Fourteen years the second division is
long time and the city has had opportunity
to show how it would respond to aggressive operation
Now it will have that chance"
The new owner will be revealed shortly and Wash
ington fans will for him. He will need the aid of all
OF u.s. for in less than four months his club will spring
training At this point he has nothing except franchise
and the firm conviction Washington is beautiful baseball
city
In the coming months, the owner must select
general manager manager knowledgeabe Office force
farm system director scouts negotiate contract for
radio and teevision choose training site-these will be
merely some OF the nnumerabe problems confronting him
Immediately. ... -tt-,
THE NEW OWNER WILL be engulfed It is inevitable
that ne Will make mistakes 1t inevitable too that the
new senator's cannot hope to succeed at the outset but
nnaly washington will have a base There NAV
be trouble getting of the launching pad but the hzzes
OF the present will be the soaring exciting successes of
the future.
For year. the new owner will be forced to function
at Grath Stadium Then, in 1852 the cyS new stadium
vii be available with its parking space for $4,000 auto
mobiles and buses 1t will be team in new stadium
with new outlook. 1t will be pioneering in sense and
1t should be a pleasurable adventure.
so it's goodbye to Cal Griffith Joe and Thelma
haynes Sherry Robertson Billy Robertson Jimmy Robert
son ana perhaps numerous Others They'll prosper in their
nsw territory The club they take with them isn't far
from oelng good one. There's hope they'll patch the
weak spots and enjoy life in their new surroundings
It's hello to Washingtons new baseball boss with the
AnoWleoge that he'll receive enthusiastic welcome It's
new era Tor Washington baseball The forecast for the
immediate future in regard to the won and lost column
oeak The prediction for the more distant future is
steady progress.