Bad Boys, Bad Times. Scott H. LongertЧитать онлайн книгу.
them to respond accordingly. He kept an even temperament when the team struggled and Bradley wanted specific answers. Perhaps had he shouted a few more times or shown some frustration to Bradley, he might have kept his job.
Be that as it may, O’Neill had no control of Johnny Allen’s appendix issues or Bob Feller’s sore elbow. The two pitchers, counted on to lead the rotation, won only twenty-four games between them. The remaining staff of the All-Star Harder, Hudlin, Galehouse, and Whitehill went 44–45. Had some of those guys, particularly the last three, stepped up, a change in managers might not have taken place. Bradley did not follow his usual motto that “The owner hires the manager, the fans fire him.” In this instance he listened to nobody, informing the press the show must go on. Indeed it would, with Oscar Vitt running that show—or circus, depending on how one looked at it.
Chapter 4
ROLLICKING ROLLIE
In what was hopefully not an omen of things to come, Indians general manager Cy Slapnicka suffered a heart attack just before the start of the annual Major League meetings in early December. While attending a banquet in Milwaukee, he became uncomfortably ill but attributed the chest pains to a simple case of indigestion. At 3 a.m. he realized the pain had gone far beyond indigestion. He reached for the phone and called the room of Indians scout Bill Bradley to tell him to get a cab and rush him to the hospital. The doctors confirmed that Slapnicka had experienced a heart attack and restricted him to a cumbersome oxygen tent. He would be out of action for an extended period of time. Alva Bradley’s right-hand man usually had an active role in talking trades and ideas with the other team representatives. Now Bradley only had Oscar Vitt with him, who was not expected to have much of an impact due to his unfamiliarity with the club.
The team did formally announce that they had completed a deal with Milwaukee of the American Association, sending three players to the club for highly touted third baseman Ken Keltner. The Indians had actually bought Keltner’s contract at the end of August; however, the transaction was not complete until the three players were sent. Keltner had emerged as a star player for the Brewers, batting over .300 and handling third base at a Major League level. He would report to spring training and be given a legitimate shot to win a starting job.
The most unexpected proposal of the meetings came from none other than Alva Bradley. He announced a revolutionary plan to bring night baseball to Cleveland. Bradley cited the recent success of the Cincinnati Reds, who had held seven games at night, which drew a total of 130,000 fans. The Cleveland owner firmly believed the time had come to play ball games under the stars, and he was stepping forward to lead the charge. He had done a thorough study and was preparing to invest $75,000 at Municipal Stadium to install the proper lighting.
The standing rule on night baseball stated, “Any club desiring to play night baseball must apply to the other seven teams for permission which if granted at all would be granted for one year only.” Bradley would have quite a chore on his hands in convincing a majority of American League owners to support his innovative plan.
The owners reserved the right to decline a request if the club had been operating at a reasonable profit by daylight. Only for a club in financial straits might the owners consider endorsing an emergency measure. Bradley’s did not fit that description.
The owners politely listened to Bradley’s arguments, then adjourned to discuss the proposal. In a short time they returned a one-sided vote of five against the lights and just two, Chicago and St. Louis, in favor. The other owners still believed baseball should be played in the daytime, and did not consider that fans might embrace the idea of playing ball after sundown. The Cleveland boss told reporters, “Naturally I’m disappointed. Night baseball in Cleveland would have meant a lot to the club and new fans.” Bradley took some solace in the ball club netting a profit of $190,000, the highest amount during his tenure.
The other business was more mundane. The season would open on April 19 and close on October 2. The All-Star Game was awarded to the Cincinnati Reds. Some disagreement occurred over the type of ball to be used: the American League owners favored the livelier ball used in their league for more hitting, while their counterparts in the National League preferred their league’s dead ball to highlight pitching. The meetings ended with no other significant business or any blockbuster trades.
In the middle of January 1938, Bradley made known to Cleveland fans that he wanted to schedule twenty-five games at Municipal Stadium. He proposed that all Sunday games and holiday dates be played at the seldom-used facility. He acknowledged that Bob Feller and Johnny Allen were big draws, and as many fans as possible should have the chance to see them in action. He added that the Cleveland Baseball Company would put in a strong bid for the concessions at all games played at the stadium.
Bradley’s plans were a mixed blessing to Cleveland City Council. They would be able to negotiate with the ball club for a percentage of the gate while keeping all parking revenues. On the flip side, council knew few other concession companies qualified to handle the food and drinks required for a crowd of 50,000 or 60,000. Once again they had little choice but to yield to Mr. Bradley, who had taken away $50,000 in city rent when he vacated the stadium after the 1933 season. There had been several different administrations of city managers and mayors, yet none had been able to keep Alva Bradley from imposing his will on the city of Cleveland.
A month later, activities in the League Park office began to gather speed. Player contracts were being negotiated at a rapid pace, while plans for spring training were just about finalized. Bob Feller was rumored to have been offered a substantial deal of $17,500 plus a bonus for attendance at the games he pitched. Feller’s strong performance in September convinced a now-healthy Cy Slapnicka that his pitching prodigy was just about on par with the best pitchers in baseball. Johnny Allen got a tremendous contract calling for a team-high salary of $40,000 for two years. It seemed most of the players were able to get raises without much of a tussle from the front office.
Baseball Magazine published an old classic anecdote about salary negotiations between players and owners. The tale concerned Colonel Jacob Ruppert, the proprietor of the New York Yankees. Ruppert’s grandfather and father had founded a large brewery in the New York area years ago, where they produced the popular Knickerbocker Beer. Colonel Ruppert was already an enormously wealthy man when he purchased the Yankees in 1916. With some wise player acquisitions named Ruth and Gehrig, the Yankees became the top-drawing team in all of baseball. Knowing the franchise had cash to burn; the players started to get aggressive in their contract demands. Waite Hoyt, one of Yankees’ best pitchers, met with Ruppert about his salary for the next season. A frustrated Ruppert, said, “Hoyt where’s this going to end? Ruth wants more money, Gehrig wants more money, Pennock, Meusel and all the others want more money. What do you fellows think I am anyway, a millionaire?” Hoyt’s reply went unrecorded.
Alva Bradley and his front office remained quite energetic throughout February. An announcement soon came that the Indians had acquired St. Louis Browns catcher Rollie Hemsley for third baseman Roy Hughes and backup catcher Billy Sullivan Jr. Cy Slapnicka had had his eye on Hemsley for some time. The initial motivation came from Bob Feller, who been barnstorming with Hemsley and loved the way he caught a game. He mentioned this to his general manager, who started efforts to get the veteran in a Cleveland uniform. The Browns hesitated at a Frankie Pytlak–Rollie Hemsley straight-up deal. Slapnicka countered with a starting third baseman and an alternate catcher. This time the Browns said okay.
Rollie Hemsley came to Cleveland with some outstanding credentials. An All-Star in 1935 and 1936, Hemsley had excellent defensive skills along with an above-average bat. He knew how to handle his pitchers as well as call a good game. He did not shy away from collisions at home plate, nor did nagging injuries force him out of the lineup. Bruised shins and swollen hands were just part of the everyday routine for Rollie. There did exist one small detail that made Cleveland his fifth stop in the Major Leagues. Hemsley had a severe problem with alcohol, and it was becoming worse each season.
Ralston “Rollie” Hemsley was born on June 24, 1907, in Syracuse, Ohio, located in the southeast portion of the state. The small Meigs County mining town sat across the Ohio River from West Virginia. Local folklore claimed when the river reached a certain low point, anybody