Monday, Dec. 25, 1933
Baseball Mart
A few miles north of the stockyards, where buyers haggle over cattle on the hoof, owners of National and American League baseball teams got together in Chicago's Palmer House last week to haggle over players. When the trading was over, two men had made the biggest news: Thomas Austin Yawkey, 30, baseball's youngest tycoon, and Cornelius McGillicuddy ("Connie Mack"), 71, baseball's oldest, most famed manager. Connie Mack's news was sad, but inevitable. His Philadelphia Athletics lost $190,000 last year, and Philadelphia bankers were pressing payment of $250,000 in notes. Also some $45,000 was needed for spring training. Old Connie Mack had to do again what he had done in 1914--break up his team. With tears in his eyes he reeled off as fast as he could the names of the players he was selling. Out went Pitcher "Lefty" Grove and Catcher "Mickey" Cochrane. Out went Pitchers "Rube"' Walberg & George Earnshaw and Second Baseman Max Bishop. In came three new players and $295,000 in cash. Then Manager Mack strode from the room, took refuge in the suite of Tom Yawkey who had paid him $160,000 for Grove, Walberg and Bishop.
Tom Yawkey, foster son of the late Detroit Lumberman William Hoover Yawkey, celebrated his 30th birthday last February by buying the Boston Red Sox for $1,000,000. The club has been in or very near last place in the American League since 1924. Knowing Boston for an enthusiastic baseball town, Sportsman Yawkey set out to rebuild the team. Including last week's deals he spent $405,000 for new players. Also he replaced Marty McManus with Bucky Harris as manager. Result: dopesters conceded Boston a good chance to finish high next year. Philadelphia's Catcher Cochrane went to the Detroit Tigers (where he was made manager) for $100.000 in cash and Catcher John Pasek in trade. Then Pasek, with Pitcher Earnshaw, was swapped to the Chicago White Sox for $35,000 in cash and Catcher Charles Berry in trade. The baseball meeting in Chicago also: P:Adopted a uniform ball for both major leagues. The new ball is practically the same as that used by the American League, supposedly livelier than the National's ball. P:Voted white-crowned Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis a new seven-year contract (his third) as baseball commissioner at $40,000 a year.
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