Friday, March 28,1958 University Daily Kansan
Page 5
Messrs. Walter O'Malley and Horace Stoneham are now securely installed in the land of their dreams, California, also land of fog, smog and pay-TV.
O'Malley, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers (formerly of Brooklyn) and Stoneham, of the San Francisco Giants, left the crowded boroughs of New York City for California's sunny climate, huge parking lots and fat TV take.
But these two gentlemen, in chasing the buck 3,000 miles, have done more than their part toward convincing a rather naive public that the "national game" isn't quite what it used to be and the sport involved now is who can get to the land of the fast buck first.
Lou Perini started the parade in 1953 when he moved his financially embarrassed Braves from Boston to Milwaukee. The Browns and A's followed suit but these moves were for financial survival.
But O'Malley, whose Dodgers were doing the best business in the league until Milwaukee discovered baseball, was not justified in moving the Dodgers from the city which had supported them for half a century.
The money-makers have moved into baseball and the franchises shift wherever the money can be made the fastest—like the vendor who leaves one streetcorner for another, more lucrative one.
The Dodgers averaged $370,000 a year profit from 1952 to 1956 and although this wasn't as much as the fabulous Braves made, the Bums made an additional $750,000 per year from television.
With the recent franchise moves two time-honored baseball concepts have been erased. It is no longer true that ownership of a major league club is a bad financial risk fit only for rich sportsmen.
It is also no longer true that big league franchises are sacred and cannot be moved.
This is OK by most people except that in one breath the O'Malleys defend their moves by explaining that everyone must look out for his financial well-being and with the other breath assure fans that they are operating a public institution, the "national game" which must be supported by loyal fans. This support includes the thousands of inches of free advertising in newspapers without which the majors could not exist.
But the National League, which gave the Dodgers and Giants its blessing, is becoming a bit nervous at the reception the two wanderers received at the end of the rainbow. Walter and Horace, instead of being welcomed with open arms, were greeted with the petitions of the local folk who objected to the Dodgers taking over Chavez Ravine, near Los Angeles, for a stadium site. A referendum in June will decide whether the Bums move in or get the bums rush.
Now the National League owners who sanctioned the moves are getting edgy. They do not share in the profits from pay-TV (which, by the way, hasn't gone into effect yet) but only from gate receipts which won't be too big in the Giant's little Seal's Stadium. The added expense of travelling to California may not be offset by additional revenue.
A side effect of the move, but a very important one to the future of baseball, was the ruining of the once fine Pacific Coast League which cannot thrive with major league competition.
So New York is left with only one major league team and over two million fans, who yearly add to see the Giants and Dodgers, are sold down the river. But he who laughs last, laughs best and Walter and Horace have already had their laugh.
Jayhawker Baseball Team In 4-Game Trip
The rain and snow have broken long enough to allow three sessions of infield drill, but the continued chill kept the pitchers' arms sheathed and most batting has been done before the pitching machine.
Floyd Temple's team meets Rice' at Houston April 4-5, and Houston U. April 7-8. Temple was fairly certain of his pitching rotation, only because of two available veterans, but had no idea of how to arrange his batting order.
Minus the early necessities of an intra-squad game, batting practice and heavy infield drill. Kansas' baseball team heads south by bus Saturday to open the 1958 season with a 4-game swing into Texas
Temple will throw his all-Big Eight pitcher Larry Miller at the Owls. John Hanson, Tonganoxie sophomore, will draw the opening assignment against Houston.
Boo Marshall returns in center with Harl Hansen, Kansas City sophomore, or Art Miller, St. Benedict's transfer, in right.
Temple will try his varsity catcher, Barry Donaldson, at third with sophomore Carl Lauerter moving
behind the plate. Another rookie, Art Muegler, will open at second. Two-year regulars Jim Trombold and Barry Robertson return at first base and shortstop.
Chicken Pickers Defeat Phi Gams For 'A' Crown
The Chicken Pickers, Independent A champions, won the A championship Thursday in intramural volleyball, by defeating Phi Gam, Fraternity A champions. The score
Swim Title To Phi Gams
Phi Gam won the intramural swimming finals with 46 points Thursday. The winners managed only one first place, in the 120-yard Medley Relay, but placed in enough events to win the meet. Other teams and their scorers are ATO 41, Sigma Nu 28, Phi Psi 17, DU 14, Kappa Sig 10, Triangle 7 and Phi Delt 3.
160-yard freestyle relay—1, Sigma Nu. 2, ATO. 3, Phi Gam. 4, Phi Psi. , Time. 1:27.0
Results:
60-yard breaststroke—1, Hunt, DU
2, Hendrix, Sigma Nu. 3,Gilles, ATO
4, Ranson, Phi Gam. Time. :37.0
(Pool record. Old record held by
Hendrix .39.0)
60-ward freestyle—1, Jones, ATO. 2,Oldham, Kappa Sig. 3, Syler, Phi Gam. 4, Gilmore, Psi Pi. Time. 36.2
60-yard backstroke—1. Reed, Triangle, 2. Reitz, Phi Gam, 3. Ferrell, Phi Gam, 4. Fishel, Phi Psi, Time, 44.9
Diving—1, Uhilr, ATO. 2, Martin,
Phi Gam. 3, Broadwell, Phi Delt.
4, Hanson, Sigma Nu. Winner received
76 points.
40-yard freestyle—1, Bynum, Sigma
Nu. 2, Edward, Sigma Nu. 3,
Uhlir, ATO. 4, Oldham, Kappa Sig.
Time: 21.7
60-yard individual medley — 1,
Hunt, DU. 2, Thompson, ATO. 3,
Michaels, Phi Gam. 4, Reitz, Phi
Gam. Time: 36.5
120-yard medley relay -1. Phi
Gam, 2, ATO, 3. Phi Psi, Time: 1.16.7
was 15-13, 15-6. In the first game,
Phi Gam led 13-10, but the Chicken-
Pickers came back to win. The
winners took the lead 4-2 in
the second game and held Phi Gam
to only 4 more points.
The games lasted 55 minutes, longer than most. Both teams played well and good fielding stood out. John Peppercorn led the losers and Glen Buell was a standout for the Chicken Pickers.
Templin and the Whipits won their Independent B semifinal matches. Templin defeated Foster, 16-14, 16-14. The Whipitis defeated the Fig Pluckers 12-15, 15-11, 15-10. Both Foster and the
Other results:
Fraternity B—DU over TKE, 15-3, 15-6; Beta over PiKa, 7-15, 15-3, 15-7.
Kansan Ads Help Boost Business
April 2 - TCU at Fort Worth.
April 9 - Wichita at Lawrence.
Fraternity C—Sigma Nu over Beta II, 15-11, 15-10; Beta over SAE I, 11-15, 15-12, 15-7.
Fig Pluckers had won first place in their divisions.
Games today:
March 31 Houston at Houston.
April 2- TCU at Fort Worth
Independent B final -Whipits vs.
Templin. 4:15.
The schedule:
Golf Team Opens Play
April 15—Kansas State at Lawrence.
Davies finished tenth in Big Eight medal play last year as the Jay-hawkers ran second to Oklahoma for the team title. Wood was ninth. Lost were No. 1 swinger, Gene Elstun, and Bill Sayler, at No. 4.
Kansas' new golf coach, Jerry Waugh, is taking three veterans and his most promising sophomore on a Houston-Fort Worth Easter trip to open a 14-match season next week.
April 18—Oklahoma at Lawrence
The foursome will meet Houston U. Monday and TCU Wednesday. Bob Davies, Dodge City senior; Bill Toalson, Dodge City junior, and Bob Wood, Liberal junior, are returning lettermen. The rookie is Jerry Kraus, of Kansas City.
April 30—Washburn at Topeka
April 26—Missouri at Columbia
April 23—Washburn at Lawrence
May. 16-17—Big Eight at Ames
May 2—Iowa State at Lawrence
May 3—Missouri at Lawrence
Fraternity B final—Beta vs. DU.
5.
Look through The Daily Kansan. You'll find that Lawrence's most successful businessmen fully utilize advertising. It's no coincidence that advertising and profits go hand in hand. Use Kansan ads." There is no power in the present where there is no faith in the future."
May 7—Kansas State at Manhat-
Fraternity C final—Beta I vs. Sigma N, 4:15.
May 10—Iowa State at Ames.
All games will be at Robinson Gym.
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