Evening star., 1960-12-14
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS STANN
On the Briqhter Side

BOSTON, DEC H-In President Joe Cronins plush
American League offices Ed Doherty painting bright
er picture for the new Washington and Los Angeles fran
chises than some, If not most people visualize.
mo matter how the draw turns out" the Senator'S
general manager sa referring todays choosing of the
l2O egibles from the eight other teams We've got
have much better than Baltimore got in 1854 and
Kansas City got in 1855. And you quote me-"
Joe Mckinney the American Leagues horn blower
produced the rosters of the Orioles Of 81 who had
the old st. Louis Browns 53 and the Athletics of 1885,
who were the Philadelphia AS of 81 It generally
agreed that neither the upsart Senators the Angels
would have to be very good to be better.
Some OF the most monumenally forgotten ballplayers
in history the Orioles initial roster including
Mike 6yzka, Bob Habenicht Jim Fridley, Karol Kwak
ROCCO ppoto and others Of that standard This the
st. Louis club that finished last in 49, precisely 46
games back Of the pennant-winning Yankees.
y,
ONLY SIX OF THE "a Orioles still are in the majors
namely Roy Severs Ryne Duren Bob Turley Don Larsen
Chnt Courtney and Vic Wertz Right sievers Duren
luey and Wertz are considered valuable property but
wei this Is the way Doherty put it:
Duren had 1912 record with San Antonio in SO
before ne Joined the Orioles the next year He was wild
man In the box Larsen and Turey had been losing nch
ers for the Browns Sievers" I. studying the roster
was Z7O hitter with only eight home runs in 50 and he
mad such bad arm that he played for the Orioles
They were so Roy up that he was traded
to Washington for Gil Coan
Look for yourself" Ed invited "The "a Orioles had
only one 800 hitter from the 53 season. Don Lenhardt
and ne didn't last much longer"
would you care to try your memory regards to the
Anetc roster that was transferred to Kansas City in
1888? There were name like Walt Craddock Marion Fri
cano Charles Haag Oscar Van Braban and LEROY Wheat
all billed as pitchers There such pillars of strength
as Joe Astroth Jim Fngan Forrest Jacobs Lou Limer
Bill Renna and Pete Suder.
RUNDOWN OF THE COMPLETE IS Kansas CITY
roster reveals that only six of those AS too still are in
the mators-Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz Joe DeMaestri
Hector Lopez, Vic Power and Elmer Valo Here again
Dohery points out that in IS the Dtnar Lopez
and Power didn't precisely roll off the public tongue
"Dtmar was fresh up from Ottawa, 6-l2 pitcher
there he said Lopez also played Ottawa in 4 and
rover was 225 hitter, not A-Star game choice as
ne was In 1850 In fact the only 800 major league hitter
listed on Kansas Cys roster Jim Fnigan with 302
Indeed only one pitcher the "a Orioles roster and
one on the IS Kansas City list had winning records
previous year The Orioles man Marlin Stuart who
mad been 80 with st. Louis and the AS winner" was
Snanz who had been 10 at Philadelphia with an arm
so sore ne couldn't comb his hair.
Oddly neither the Orioles nor the AS finished in
tne cellar IN their first Baltimore finished seventh
saved from further ignomy by the Philadelphia AS and
Kansas City moved all the way up to sixth place beating
out the Orioles and the Griffithian Senators in IS
=. ATTENDANCE-WIs the moves were instantly suc
cess1u The SO Browns, who drew only 2o723s fans at
nome attracted 10609l0 the season in Baltimore
me oa u.s. VINO pulled only 1866 in Philadelphia played
70 l,SSo'oo4 IN kansas City the following year -s
Inere is no parallel of course between the Orioles and
AansaS Ciy AS In their first the Quesada
senators in 1851 The Quesadas will pepetate big league
bai in Washington without missing beat whereas Bal
tmore nadnt had major league baseball in more than
hal1 a century and Kansas City never had It,
Inc pioon OIL the rose in Kansas City now because
In six years the Athletics been able to finish heher
tnan seventh place The natives once cheered every
fou pop now are growing restless Attendance fell off to
4soa last season Baltimore, thanks chiefly to Paul
Richards has done much better The Orioles, rousno
secono-pace finish in 80 pulled in 1887 $40 customers
That's the way we hope to improve" Doherty was
s SAVING, although like TO think finish in the
tnst division in shorter time than seven years"