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Braves stay in Milwaukee; Bartholomay buys White Sox

Had time during the season to put this short little thign together, and I hope you enjoy. Whoever said they wanted to see one where the Braves stayed, mMerry Christmas :cool:


Part 1: Slippery As an Eel

“Slippery as an eel” was the way Bill Veeck described Chuck Comiskey and a number of other people associated with the Chicago White Sox in the late ‘50s.

The cast of characters didn’t just include Chuck Comiskey. Veeck was upset at him for lowballing his own sister, Dorothy, and refusing to pay a proper amount for her shares of the Chicago White Sox in the late ‘50s. Veeck tried to buy Dorothy’s share - and would have. He decided to first approach Chuck, though. Something troubled him about the situation. If he bought Dorothy’s share and couldn’t get anything from Chuck, then Chuck Comiskey would remain the majority shareholder. Then, Veeck would incur over a million dollars more in taxes.

Veeck was no rich man, though. He hesitated, and another of those eels slipped in, a man named Bill Bartholomay. Veeck was negotiating with Comiskey before buying Dorothy’s share, and suddenly, Bartholomay made an even better offer to Dorothy. By this time, it was 1959, and the White Sox were in a pennant race.

Dorothy held onto her share to watch the Sox win the pennant. They drew fans, but not many. Veeck had ideas to draw fans like an exploding scoreboard, but not only did the White Sox have few promotions, the legal battle between Dorothy and Chuck, entering its fourth year since Grace Comiskey died in 1956, was a major drain on the team. It’s said that when the league president presented the championship trophy to them, they refused to even look at each other, and each staked a claim to having been “the driving force” behind it.

Bill Veeck had found possible owners to buy the team – the Allyn brothers. However, Bartholomay talked Dorothy into selling her shares to him, now that the club was at its height. He could provide a better offer than Veeck, and even managed to top the Allyns’ potential bid. He bought Dorothy out, and Chuck Comiskey sold his share to the man early in 1961.

Bartholomay was excited. He thought putting a team in the Deep South would be a great investment, and quickly began talking to people in Atlanta. White Sox attendance was not very good despite that pennant, and the legal battle had drawn away lots of revenue without many fans coming through the turnstiles. Attendance had dropped over half a million from the 1960 season. So, Bartholomay went to the A.L. owners late in 1961 and announced he was moving the White Sox to Atlanta.

Owners were furious. Veeck – recovering now from serious health problems - was, too. He pointed out that he’d tried to find local buyers and even to be one himself, but that owners had approved this sale with no concern for the city’s welfare. Owners were inclined to agree, but Bartholomay - who had promoted Ed Short, a longtime White Sox employee, to replace Bill Rigney as GM – announced the club would move for the 1962 season. He also instructed Rigney beforehand, and Short after the promotion, to, “Make sure you get a good interracial club, I want this to be a groundbreaking club.”

Chicago sued to keep the White Sox in Chicago. Meanwhile, Lou Perini was looking for someone to buy the Braves. Bill Veeck noted that they could move to Chicago if the N.L. didn’t mind two teams in one city. “Maybe you can even move to the American League and have Mr. Aaron battle Babe Ruth in the man’s own league,” he suggested.

Chicago had other ideas as well, including that man out in Kansas City who had begun to threaten to move his club – Charlie Finley wanted to move to Dallas for the 1963 season. Owners refused to allow this, as well.

However, they were especially nervous about this suit by Chicago, which they had joined as plaintiffs. A.L. owners didn’t want to lose Chicago, it was an incredibly large market which would be guaranteed to draw fans; even with the legal wrangling the White Sox had drawn decently. Not only that, but if they lost, Finley would be able to move anywhere with his club, and their entire ability to regulate what clubs moved and what didn’t could vanish.

Veeck also wanted to keep the White Sox in Chicago. However, failing that, he suggested that A.L. owners suggest that Finley move his Athletics to Chicago. It would be perfect, Finley was from there. Veeck said. He couldn’t buy a team at present with his poor health, but he knew Finley would be good for the city. He would draw fans, and in due time, perhaps the Allyns or even Veeck could come back and buy the club from him.

So, late in 1962, with Chicago’s injunction soon to expire and the A.L.’s success at suing Bartholomay in doubt, American League owners approved the deal. Bartholomay could move his team to Atlanta, where they would become the Atlanta White Sox. In return, Charlie Finley would be allowed to move the Athletics, but not to Texas; only to Chicago.

Finley didn’t mind much – he could make lots of money. He could also fix up Comiskey Park – and yet, if he failed to draw well, he could use the excuse of an old ballpark with sagging attendance to move again. The move of the White Sox would impact the near futures of baseball, and of three teams in general – the Sox of course, the Athletics, and the Braves, in ways that weren’t totally expected..

Several key trades, including one with Baltimore, made headlines in the winter of 1962-3, as the team one writer said “will at least now never be dubbed the ‘AtSox’” built to try to dethrone the incredible New York Yankee dynasty.

(Okay, when i cut and paste it gets that really small Times New Roman font, but a change back tot he board's default straights it out.
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