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University Daily Kansan Thursday, Oct. 14, 1954
Johnson,K.C.ExcitedOverA's
New York(U.P.)—Millionaire Arnold Johnson took the rubberband off his bankroll today and cheerfully announced he is "ready to and the American league to Kansas City sometime this mon spend money or make whatever trades are necessary" to bring a planned last night by city officials and civic leaders who we winner to Kansas City, the major league's newest franchise. Kansas City, Mo.—(U.P.)—A dinner to welcome Arnold J off his bankroll today and cheerfully announced he is "ready to and the American league to Kansas City sometime this mon spend money or make whatever trades are necessary" to bring a planned last night by city officials and civic leaders who we winner to Kansas City, the major league's newest franchise.
The tall, athletic-looking, 47-year-old Johnson, who arranged to buy the Philadelphia Athletics Tuesday night so he could shift them to Kansas City, arrived here from Chicago and completed a tremendous rebuilding job that has to be done" within the next six months.
"First of all, I have to hire a general manager," he said, "and then I have to select a field manager. When that's done—within the next month—we'll have to go out and see about getting some bull players."
Johnson, a Chicago financier who spent four years in the Navy, said he had "an open mind" on who he manage his Kansas City club next year.
"I have not made any statement to the effect that Eddie Joost would not be retained, nor have I said that Lefty O'Doul would be our man next year," he replied in answer to questions concerning the two men.
"Actually, at this moment I have no idea who will be the manager although, of course, I have spoken to the baseball men on the subject," he said.
Reports have circulated that Johnson was seeking either Fresco Thompson of the Dodgers, Bill Devitt of the Yankees or Parke Carroll of the Kansas City club in the manager, but the big leagues' newest owner refused to single out any one of them.
"I'm checking wherever I can to find the best possible general manager and I hope to have him within the next two or three weeks. Then he and I, in conjunction, will select a field manager."
Johnson, key man in the purchase of Yankee Stadium from Yankee owners Dan Topping and Del Webb last summer, appeared unworried about a charge leveled by Washington Senator owner Clark Griffith that he was "tied-in" with the Yankees.
In Washington, the 84-year-old Griffith said he was "far from satisfied with Johnson's "financial affairs."
Hearing Griffith's charge, one Yankee official in New York said,
"Johnson is no more tied in with the Yankees than he is with the man in the moon."
Johnson, himself brushed off Griffith's charge abruptly.
"The question which Mr. Griffith brings up was considered by American league officials in Chicago and settled satisfactorily to all concerned." Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Johnson, who is paying $3-.375,000 for the Philadelphia Athletics, pointed out that Roy and Earle Mack, from whom he bought the club, still have until Monday to change their minds about the deal. The actual closing of the negotiation is considered a cut-and-dried formality.
Johnson said the new ball club will be called the Kansas City Athletics.
While Johnson spoke of his plans about Kansas City in 1955, a thoroughly crushed and "very upset," Connie Mack sat by himself in Philadelphia and watched the curtain come down on an organization he had once led to the greatest heights in baseball. The grey-haired 91-year-old Mack won nine American league pennants and five world championships while guiding the Athletics from 1901 through 1950.
Johnson Coming to K.C. to Start Work
Bv United Press
Arnold Johnson, the Chicago realtor who arranged for the transfer of the A's to Kansas City, said he would come to Kansas City later this week to confer with the city council and "get the ball rolling."
The new home of the A's will be one of the biggest stadiums in the major leagues as far as the playing area goes. It's 450 feet to the fence in center field and 350 at the foul lines.
Plans have already been completed and awaited only work orders to expand the seating capacity from 17,400 to 26,000.
Connie Mack Legend Ends With A's Big Switch to K.C.
New York—(U.P.)—You can talk about the end of an era as the Philadelphia Athletics move to Kansas City but actually it is the end of a man who lived to become a legend.
That would be tall, spare, silver-haired gentleman named Cornelius McGuillicuddy. A man better known to all, possibly, as Connie Mack.
This you can be sure, was not his doing.
Because Connie Mack lived, in the almost transparent shell which has become his once robust body, with just one idea in mind. He voiced it often: "To win just one more pennant in Philadelphia."
It was a cause with him. And one which kept his pulse beating steadily despite the fact that in December he will be 92-years-old.
Even in an age when science and medicine have made magic strides that is a long trip down the turnpike. It made him one of the elders of the sports world, along with such revered deacons as Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, Pop Warner and Amos Alonzo Stagg.
He had taken over at Philadelphia when organized baseball was in its infancy, a wiry, energetic young man out of a shoe factory in east Brookfield, Mass. That was in 1901 and you don't have to be a mathematician to figure it spans more than a half century.
Connie had his big days, plenty of them. Under his guidance the Athletics became one of the titans of baseball. Waving his scorecard, a trait which became a trademark, he piloted them to nine American league pennants. And on the way he had his share of great players—Nap LaJoie, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove, Rube Waddell, Eddie Collins, Home Run Baker, Chief Bender, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmy Dykes and many more.
In the days before World War I Connie rode the crest with six pennant winners. Then, more than a decade later, he brought his beloved Athletics back to the top again with three straight pennant winners from 1929 through 1931.
Then came the lean years.
Yet always, as you sat with him in his tower office in Shibe park, you had to admire the erectness which defied the years and the bright, intense desire to win "just one more."
Even in the late 30's, a mere lad in his 70's, he grasped eagerly at a "rebuilding" attempt when he beat the other clubs to a promising infielder named Benny McCoy. Benny didn't prove to be the real McCoy but Connie still kept hoping against hope.
Until he finished eighth in 1950.
Then Connie stepped down—and put Dykes, one of his "boys," into that well-worn seat in the dugout. But Connie stayed with the ball club. He wanted a finger in it when the A's finally won that one more pennant of which he dreamed.
The Connie Mack of the old days would, somehow, have kept the A's in Philadelphia. But the younger Macks—sons Roy and Earle—didn't have his dedication or his genius. So now the team is gone and, for Connie, the dream is, too.
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Will Harridge, president of the league, club owners in the league and other sports figures were to be invited.
Yesterday's meeting, held in the stadium whose seating capacity is to be doubled to accommodate next spring's crowds, was attended by many officials just returned from Chicago. They had attended the meeting that late Tuesday night finally gave approval to transfer here of the Philadelphia Athletics, now the Kansas City A's.
Councilman Robert Benson said of the few days granted the owner Mack family to close the deal with Johnson: "All that remains is to work out the final papers. Kansas City is definitely in the American league."
The owners voted to give Roy, Earl and Connie Mack until Monday to complete transfer of the team's ownership to Johnson.
When carefree elephants are feeding in the forest the noise of breaking branches and trees crashing to the ground is ear-splitting, But let danger threaten, says the National Geographic Society, and the whole herd of massive beasts can slip quietly from the area with hardly a twig snapped.
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K.C. Jubilant Before Roy Signs
Kansas City, Mo. —(U.P.) As far as Kansas City was concerned today, the deal to send the Philadelphia Athletics to Kansas City was already clinched.
Nobody paid any attention to the fact the contract still has to be signed. The staid Kansas City Times, morning edition of the Kansas City Star, ran a bannerline.
"Kansas City Goes Big League," the banner said.
William G. Austin, manager of the Merchant's association, said he was tremendously pleased" over the part he had in the ticket order enterprise that flabbergasted some owners by producing orders for more than 800,000 reserved seats and another 300,000 general admission tickets before the deal was closed.
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