St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-11-17
White Sox Buy
Florida Hotel To
Lick Race Bios

Sarasota, Fla. lamp - chi
Cages White Sox have purchased
the Sarasotas Terrace hotel, larg-
est in town. AS a result, its Ne
gro and Cuban players will be
housed under the same roof dur
ing spring training.
Purchase of the hotel by the
Sox eliminates a racial problem
which has vexed the teams Negro
players and worried team officials
during past seasons.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, the rea-
son for the purchase of the hotel
was not thoroughly explained. One
Interpretation, from the outside,
was that the action was submits
sion of a sort to local pressure
in regard to the spring training
Indignation problem. Negro play
ers previously stayed elsewhere in
compliance with Florida discrim-
nation laws.
A press release said: ITO facili-
tate the housing of athletes
throughout the year, the Artnell
Corporation, of which Mr.. CAR
thur Allyn is president, and which
owns 81 per cent of the White Sox,
has purchased the Sarasots Ter
race Hotel
Purchase price for the 117-room
structure, which will accommodate
200 guests, was slightly over $780,
900.
Allyn, who hopes ito make a
profit running the hotel" said the
purchase seemed like a logical
move from our overall standpoint"
Sarasota has been the Sox'
spring training site for the last
two years and during this time
the club has headquartered in the
Terrace, which is adjacent to the
ball park. Last year the Negro
players were moved closer to the
hotel and were stationed at the
DeSoto Motel about two miles
away.
Just who was the seller, or the
sellers, was not announced but it
is reported that members of the
Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
last spring suggested that the Sox
buy the hotel. Bill Veeck, then
the Sox president, rejected the
proposal on the theory that integ-
ration should be achieved without
the Sox owning property.
Best To Be Owner
Said one White Sox executive
last spring: The people were very
courteous and anxious to solve
the integration problem. But they
felt it would be much easier If we
owned the hotel. Then, the year
round citizens couldn't claim that
local people were responsible.
Sox General Manager Ed Short
who made the announcement, ex-
planned that hereafter all Of the
clubs personnel will be able to
stay at the Sarasota Terrace. "Ev-
eryone can stay" said Short, but
II someone brings his family he'll
have to make his own arrange
ments. This is routine"
Short also said that the new g.
year contract will go into effect
in 1868 when all of the clubs farm
teams will train in Sarasota, and
that starting next summer the Sox
will operate a franchise in Sar-
asota instead of Daytona Beach,
which has been their previous af-
filiation in the Class D Florida
State League.
Short estimated there are "a
Negro players among the $50 min
or leaguers in the Sox farm sys-
tenn.
It is known that Short was con-
cerned about the race taboo.
Besides the inconvenience OF
having to shuttle back and forth
to the games to join white players
the segregation posed a mental
and physical hazard to the Negro
players.
Wander About, Searching For
Meals
There have been reported in
stances Of tan players having u
wander about town looking fol
meals because local hotels and
restaurants refused to serve them
The Los Angeles Dodgers and
the San Francisco Giants are be-
ieved to be the only other major
league clubs which either own OF
have owned a hotel at their spring
training site. The Dodgers live in
Dodgertown at Vero Beach, Fla,
a one-tme Army camp, and sew
eral years ago the Giants pur-
chased an inn in Sanford, Fla,
where they had their minor league
Damn