[SelzShoes]

Interlude: The Sporting News Reports, part 2

Just when sanity seemingly was restored with a 10 team and a 6-team league, a trio of announcements shook the game further.

The conference was, obstinately being used to announce the final destination of the former Saint Louis Browns. Owner Bill Veeck and General Manager Branch Rickey had more in store for the assembled press. In addition to announcing the agreement to bring the club to Kansas City's Ruppert Stadium, Rickey and Veeck announced the signing of seven Negro ballplayers to the club. League President Connie Mack, in attendance, confirmed he had approved the contracts for the upcoming season. The seven players added-infielders Jackie Robinson, Ray Dandridge and Artie Wilson; outfielders Monte Irvin and Willard Brown; pitchers Leon Day and Satchel Paige-are by all accounts, decent ballplayers. With Paige being the most well known of the lot. Even though Veeck has a reputation as the type of man who values publicity more than results, the pair insists the signings are not for press alone. Rickey, who indicated more Negroes could be signed, stated emphatically the goal is the fly the Contential pennant over Ruppert Stadium.

Rickey further noted a try out camp would be held in the Kansas City area for Negro players, for any club-from either league-interested in tapping this source of players. As of press time, no NAL club and only a handful CL clubs have accepted the invitation.

Less than a week later, a story broke in the St. Louis Post: the Saint Louis Cardinals were preparing to switch leagues. In an unfortunate account of race relations in the Gateway City, owner Sam Breadon stated he did not believe the City of Saint Louis would take to integrated ball. The Cardinals' ownership, whose Sportsman's Park is the only major league field left with segregated stands, felt "now is not the time for mixed race baseball. "

Eyes moved east, as the public fully expected the Yankees to jump as well, and ending the tradition of two-league baseball. The public outcry over the Yankees' exclusion had consumed more newsprint than any story since the Babe swatted 60. This seemed to be the best solution for all fans; eliminating four bad clubs seemed to be in the offing. General Manager Larry MacPhail was coy about the Yankees' intentions, but the rumble of rumor said it was a done deal. Until Joe DiMaggio signed with the Los Angeles Lancers for a record $200,000. The Yankees publicly demanded the return of the superstar as price of their entrance into the NAL. When LA owner Bing Crosby refused under any circumstances to do so, MacPhail withdrew back into the Contential. Within days, the Yankees in revenge had signed Hank Greenberg and Bob Feller. Ted Williams reportedly turned down $175,000 to jump from the Red Sox to the Yankees. And the final act of vengeance came with the Contential announcing Buffalo, Columbus and Minneapolis would be added to their roll. The three cities just happened to house the number one farm team for Detroit, Saint Louis and the Giants respectively.

The NAL has since convinced the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League to make the jump the major league level, bringing their number to 12. The PCL had already approved a squad for Phoenix to replace the valuable Los Angeles territory; now they face the decision of whether to find another city for expansion or fold one franchise.