Читать книгу Bad Boys, Bad Times. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years, 1937–1941 онлайн

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Two months later, the Indians, new players and all, gathered in New Orleans for the opening of spring training. The national reporters turned their attention to Bob Feller, filing stories on just about anything concerning him. The public ate it up, particularly Feller’s politeness and “aw shucks” nature. There were many positive vibes coming out of camp, mostly courtesy of the eighteen-year-old almost-superstar.

Near the end of camp, more stories appeared revealing that once again the Indians front office was in hot water with their good friend Judge Landis. On March 29 it was disclosed that the Judge had been investigating a possible cover-up in the case of minor league outfielder Tommy Henrich. The Massillon, Ohio, product was originally signed in 1934 by Cleveland ex-player and scout Bill Bradley. Henrich reported to Zanesville, an Indians affiliate. He excelled there, triggering a rapid promotion to New Orleans. The 1936 season displayed Henrich at his best, batting a lofty .346 and compiling a gaudy total of 203 hits. Clearly he stood as one of the elite players in all of the Southern Association. In September of the same year, New Orleans questionably sold Henrich and pitcher Ralph Winegarner to the Milwaukee Brewers for $7,500. This ridiculous figure came to the attention of Billy Evans, the recent general manager of the Cleveland Indians. Evans departed Cleveland in a huff after Bradley cut his salary by 50 percent and now supervised the entire Boston Red Sox farm system. In an article in a Canton, Ohio, publication, Evans remarked that Henrich alone could easily bring a price of $15,000 to any Major League club. Stories circulated that Henrich read the article and believed a questionable deal had taken place. He did not know that Milwaukee had recently become an affiliate of the Indians. That raised the issue of who had really sent Henrich to Milwaukee, the Indians or their long-time partner, New Orleans. Over the winter months Henrich wrote a letter to Landis, politely asking for clarification of his standing. After his tremendous season at New Orleans, should he not have received an invite to Cleveland’s spring training? He asked Landis who really owned his contract. The investigation began on March 29.