The Incompatibles

In Manhattan's Hotel Commodore last week, the top brass of two big league ball clubs eyed each other for size and vulnerability. Both were suffering similar symptoms: the New York Giants had some stars who did not speak Manager Leo Durocher's roughneck language and the Boston Braves had a long list of players who were incompatible with easygoing Manager Billy Southworth. A swap might keep both from repeating their indifferent 1949 showings.

For three days there were offers and counteroffers. Then the haggling came to an end and the Giants proudly announced that they had taken on Boston's talented young (26) Shortstop Alvin Dark and his garrulous sidekick, aging (32) Second Baseman Ed Stanky. Leo Durocher seemed principally pleased to get Stanky, who had played for him in Brooklyn. Said the Lip: "Stanky'll drive the pitcher daffy. He'll drop his bat on the catcher's corns. He'll sit on you at second base, sneak a pull at your shirt, step on you, louse you up some way--anything to beat you." Stanky spoke Durocher's language.

For & Against. With equal pride, the Braves announced their haul in the big deal. From the Giants they got two hard-hitting, rifle-armed outfielders, Sid Gordon and Willard Marshall, one able-bodied shortstop, Buddy Kerr, and one nondescript pitcher, Sam Webb. Kerr and Marshall had been in Durocher's doghouse almost from the day he took over as Giants manager two seasons ago.

Southworth's trouble in Boston was deeper and more recent. It began last winter after Southworth had masterminded a mediocre collection of misfits and castoffs to the 1948 National League pennant. When his ballplayers wanted more money, they heard from the front office that "Southworth doesn't think you're worth any more than you're getting." As the 1949 season wore on, the Braves split into three or four camps--some for Southworth, some against him, and some just against each other.

Haunted House. The most outspoken of the malcontents was Ed Stanky, who made no secret of what he thought about Southworth's managing. Stanky's roommate, Alvin Dark, said "Me, too." By August, Southworth was like a man in a haunted house, shying at every whisper, He was sent home on the verge of a breakdown. The crowning insult came when his players voted him only half a share of their series money (for finishing fourth).

It was obvious that if Southworth stayed--and his $50,000-a-year contract had three years to run--the Braves would have a reshuffled team. By last week, 13 Braves who had been on Southworth's varsity in May had been traded or sold and half a dozen more were on the block.

Another big league club, the sad-sack St. Louis Browns, made headlines last week by practically putting itself out of business. To make ends meet, they sold their two best players: hard-hitting Third Baseman Bob Dillinger and an outfielder to the Philadelphia A's (for $100,000 and four players) and cracker jack Second Baseman Jerry Priddy to the Detroit Tigers (for $125,000 and a pitcher). To help inspire confidence among the players they have left, the Browns had hired a consulting psychologist.

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