view raw text
Chandler Studies Wakefield Case Happy1 Will Render Verdict Next Week Lane and Weiss Tell Story Differently; Commissioner Also Wants Dicks Version CINdNNATI,0.,May 5 — UP. — The sale of Dick Wakefield to the Chicago White Sox and the fining and suspension of El Paso Club President Jack Corbett were aired before baseballs high command today, but no decisions will be rendered before next week. Baseball Commissioner A. B. Chandler held the Wakefield hearing in his office and found George Weiss, president of the New York Yankees and Frank Lane, general manager of the White Sox, submitting conflicting evidence. Lane submitted alleged proof that Wakefield had notified Weiss he would not join the Sox, unless given additional salary, before the two club officials agreed on terms of the deal. It was expected that Chandler would rule the trade valid, so as not to set a precedent whereby any player traded by a first-division team to a weak club could kill the deal by refusing to report. Meantime, Chandler had a representative in Ann Arbor, Mich., take a statement from Wakefield, who refused to report to the White Sox after being transferred to that club by the Yankees. Lane wants Chandler to cancel the deal in which he sent outfielder Johnny Ostrow-ski to the Yankees for Wakefield and an undisclosed sum. Wakefield balked on reporting when Lane refused to restore a ,000 pay cut he took when he signed with the Yankees. Lane told Ostrowski to remain with the Sox. To Carry Weight in Cold War Chandlers decision on the Wakefield case was expected to carry heavy weight in the "cold war" between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, both of whom will go to almost any financial lengths to prevent the other from acquiring Ray Scarborough from the Washington Senators. Corbett appealed two decisions by George Trautman, president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, to the leagues executive committee. Trautman recently fined Corbett ,000 and suspended him indefinitely for using an allegedly ineligible former Mexican League player. Trautman later lifted the suspension, after the player, Vincent Morales, was declared eligible. Corbett appealed this and another Trautman decision that denied Corbetts right to sign players, who previously had made contract commitments with teams in the Mexican League. The executive committee, said the decision on Corbetts appeal would be released from Trautmans office in Columbus, O., but not before next week. The executive committee also upheld four decisions by Trautman which had been appealed. One denied free agency from the Beaumont team of player Leo C. Righetti. Another denied free agency from the Columbus Red Birds of the American Association to player Ray Yochi. A third denied a salary claim of Business Manager Ray Ryan against the Lakeland club. The fourth denied Baldemero Acostas claim that he was the legal head of the Havana Florida-International League team.