Evening star., 1960-10-26
THE BASEBALL
BEAT
Getting Set for Invasion
by BURTON HAWKINS

NEW YORK, OCT. 26-There has been tendency in
recent years to play tiddly-winks with major league
franchises Tipping the clubs to whatever population
ters seemed most eager to watch the flight of baseball
There may be more of that today when the American
League considers expansion.
There will be a concerted effort by owners to
plantan American League team Angeles At least
one feels that the Kansas City franchise should
beupooted after five and Grated for shipment to
the spraving west Coast city, where million citizens
are unacquainted with Mickey Mantle Harmon Klebrew
Early Wynn and other American League stars.
"AS I understand it," said the owner "the Athletics
would have to pay the city $1250O0 for two years
stadium rental and concessions. say pay the city the
$2OO get out of Kansas City and switch to Los Angeles
Wed be getting out cheap.
1.-THE Athletics this past season lived up to their
tract with the city by selling $4,000 tickets but the turn
se count was about 100000 less In other words there
about 100000 tickets sold which the visiting clubs
didn't get paid for. don't like it."
JOE cFoNIN, WHO HAS no vote in the proceedings
will try to use his presidential persuasion to wedge his
league into Los Angeles Its silly not to go there"
Cronn sad but Joe wasn't indicating that he'd go along
with the idea of killing off Kansas City
Cronn is concerned about the National League get
ting too far ahead of his league from the standpoint Of
potential drawing power What with the National League
returning to New York and picking Houston, the 10
cities have metropolitan populations in excess
SO million.
AS they filed into todays meeting American League
staked in eight cities with total population
of approximately Is million They need Los Angeles to
approach equality, and it's Cronins opinion that his
league can't afford to pass up that big city.
II wouldn't be surprised to see both leagues expand
to IL teams in the future" Cronin Said but we
can't look that far to the future We need Los Angeles
We can't let the National League get the tremendous
advantage they would have If we fail to go into Los
Angeles"
CRoNIN IS CERTAIN to have the support Of the
Cal I0nod With ton
Veeck and Hank Greenberg Of the White Sox, both of
whom recommended that the American League invade
the Pacific CocGt long before the Dodgers and Giants
beat them to the punch. ,...g- l,.s..
I'VE took a long step backward when we pushed into
Baltimore and Kansas City," Greenberg said "It made
no to crowd two franchises together close
Baltimore and Washington to each other We're losing
ground with the National League in sole possession
of the West Coast and back in New York I'd say there's
considerable sentiment for the American League moving
into California"
If that materializes the American League will be cast
in the role of villain by the Continental League which
went out of business before baseball thrown with
the understanding that four of its clubs to be alb
sorbed in the expansion of the two major leagues Los
Angeles not member of the Continental.
The National League smartly pucked the two most
attractive Continental cities, New York and Houston
leaving the American to settle for DaaSFort Worth,
MnneapoisSt Paul. Toronto Buffalo, Atlanta Denver
providing the American League sticks to Continental cities
**#'*
THE CLEVELAND INDIANS will insist that two Con-
ental cities be tackled to the American League They're
under the impression, perhaps exclusive that there's
moral obligation to live to the commitment of its Re-
ahgnment Committee, which pledged that Continental
teams would be added Others declare that members Of
the Reaignment Committee weren't empowered to grant
such promise.
freolcung the outcome is like trying to guess the
Identity OF Martha Rayes next husband The possibilities
are numerous and anybody with firm conviction of What
Will develop by Sundown hasn't been student of past
See BASEBALL BEAT Page D,s