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■ a Z ■ Successful Trades Tab Lane , As American Leagues Rickey j j i t 1 1 3 • : ; I L . [ ! I 5 1 T White Sox Early Surge Due t To Clever Deals Engineered By Busy Front Office Boss By MILTON RICHMAN United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y„ May 23.— Frank Lane, wily White Sox general manager, is being hailed as the Branch Rickey of the American League today, thanks to a spectacular series of successful trades. "Trading ball players," saye Lane, "is a ticklish business. First, you have to be careful, then you have to be lucky." Lane has been a little bit of both and thats one of the chief reasons a revitalized Chicago crew has been the talk and toast of the American League so far. One of Lanes latest maneuvers netted the White Sox slugging Orestes Minoso from Cleveland in a three-club seven-player deal. Here is how Lane finally got Minoso: The Athletics wanted Gus Zernial badly from Chicago; Cleveland wanted Lou Brissie badly from the As, and the White Sox wanted Minoso badly from Cleveland. Just as the deal heared completion, Cleveland officials said to Lane: "Instead of taking Minoso from us, why dont you take Suitcase Simpson, instead? Simpson is a more polished ball player, anyway." Lane said the White Sox preferred Minoso and it looked like the entire negotiation might hit a permanent snag. How He Got Minoso Finally, Lane said to the Indians, "You want Brissie badly but if you keep trying to give us Simpson, we wont give Zernial to the As and the entire deal may go out the window. Besides, you said Simpson is a more polished player, didnt you?" So the White Sox got Minoso and the way the Cuban Negro has been hitting, he is a good bet to wind up among the top five in the league. Lane had to do some tall talking to pry shortstop Chico Carrasquel from the Brooklyn organization a few "years ago, but he convinced Branch _Rickey to sell the nimble Venezuelan lor 0,000 and it ranks as one of the biggest "steals" of all time. Back in 1948, Lane pulled another beauty . when he acquired ace southpaw Billy Pierce from Detroit in exchange for catcher Aaron Robinson. . Following the trade, Lane wondered out loud, more for effect than anything else, whether he had made a wise move. Detroit general manager Billy Evans 1 heard of Lanes doubt and telephoned him 1 the very next day about the deal. "I hear youre telling everyone we rooked you in the Pierce-Robinson deal," Evans j said. "If you feel that way about it, well give you a nice sum of money to get Pierce back." "Thanks very much for the offer," grinned Lane, "but Ill sink or swim on-; l* Pierces future." Lane hasnt been doing much sinking f with Pierce, now considered one of the better left-handers in the league. Everyone laughed at Lane last December . — and then they sympathized with him i — when he gave up Ray Scarborough and 1 Bill Wight to the Red Sox for Joe Dob-. son, Al Zarilla and Dick Littlefield. So j far, however, Lane is way out in front on the deal. Lane didnt do so badly when he ac-[ [ quired men like Eddie Robinson and Eddie Stewart from Washington, either. Everything the man touches turns out to his advantage. FRANK LANE
