Читать книгу No Money, No Beer, No Pennants. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Great Depression онлайн

69 страница из 104

One of the strangest actions taken by the Indians occurred during the season on September 9. Manager Peckinpaugh announced that pitcher George Uhle was suspended for the remainder of the year. The explanation given was that Uhle was out of condition and not in shape to play baseball. There had to be more to the situation, as Uhle had already appeared in thirty-one games, starting in twenty-eight of them. How could a ballplayer not be in condition after playing for five months? There was no question that Uhle was having a poor season, with twelve wins and seventeen losses, but a suspension? A few months later the mystery was revealed. At the winter meetings, Billy Evans sent Uhle to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for shortstop Jackie Tavener and pitcher Ken Holloway. Evans revealed that the suspension was due to Uhle being a bad influence on several of the young players. For that reason, the former ace of the Indians pitching staff was banished from the club. Ironically, Uhle would return to Cleveland in 1936 and, at the age of thirty-eight, make a few token appearances for then-manager and old friend Steve O’Neill.