Historic High

When Thomas Austin Yawkey spent approximately $1,000,000 of the $4,000,000 he inherited from the Detroit lumberman who was his foster-father to buy the Boston Red Sox in 1933, his earnest purpose was to put that city and that team back on the baseball map. Subsequent developments proved that he was not bluffing. He promptly spent $500,000 improving Fenway Park, $400,000 for new players. When the Red Sox, perennial tail-enders of the American League since 1924, finished in fourth place last season, Owner Yawkey was disappointed. Last week, almost before other big-league owners had figured out their budgets for the winter trading season, Tom Yawkey opened his purse again and pushed his investment in the Red Sox across the $2,000,000 line. For a sum estimated at $150,000, he bought from the Washington Senators their star shortstop and manager, Joe Cronin. It was, according to Owner Clark Griffith, an historic high price to pay for a professional baseballer.*

The price, however, was only one factor in the astonishment the sale caused baseball addicts. Joe Cronin was considered a Washington fixture. A San Francisco youth who won the city tennis championship at 14, his baseball ability attracted the attention of a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1924. He played for Pittsburgh in 1926 and 1927, went back to the minor leagues as an incorrigibly poor batter. A Senator scout rediscovered him at Kansas City in 1928. In two years his batting average jumped from .243 to .346. After the 1932 season, Owner Griffith made him manager of the team. When the Senators won the pennant las year, Joe Cronin was as much a hero to Washington as Bucky Harris, "boy manager" of the world-champion Senators had been nine years before.

This year Washington finished seventh. Followers of the team blamed injuries to players, lack of new blood, rather than Manager Cronin. A young man with a cowcatcher jaw and an enthusiastic Irish disposition, Joe Cronin last month married Mildred June Robertson, adopted daughter of Clark Griffith. Before last week's sale he received the honor, rarely tendered a professional baseballer, of being consulted about the deal in which he was involved.

Said Joe Cronin, informed that his salary would be substantially larger than the $25,000 he received at Washington: "Great!"

Said Bucky Harris, whom Cronin will replace as manager at Boston: "It was a terrible shock to me."

Other baseball news of the week:

P: William M. Walker resigned as president of the Chicago Cubs. Owner Philip K. Wrigley, who a year ago saw his team in action only five times, took over the job, promised new features for next year.

P: Babe Ruth, who last month announced he would manage a major-league team or retire next season, was, according to gossip in the Hot Stove League, being groomed for the job of running the Philadelphia Athletics by famed old Connie Mack. Last week Ruth and Mack were on their way to Japan for a baseball tour.

* In 1919 the New York Yankees paid $125,000 and took over a mortgage on Fenway Park, in exchange for Babe Ruth. In 1933 the Chicago Cubs paid $125,000 for Chuck Klein.

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