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Red Sox Transfer Piersall to Minors Surprise Move Comes After Rookies Note to Harridge Concerning Ten-Dollar Fine By JOHN ADAMS United Press Sports Writer BOSTON, Mass., June 28. Jumpin Jim Piersall, who only last night revealed he wrote a letter to American league president. Will Harridge concerning a 0 fine, today was optioned by the Boston Red Sox to the Birmingham Barons of the Southern Association. The zany rookie outfielder, fined recently by Harridge for "fraternizing with Detroit Tiger players, will be replaced by Faye Throneberry who was recalled from Louisville of the American Association only a few weeks after .he too was sent down. Another outfielder, Gene Stephens, will fill Throneberrys post at Louisville, shifting from Albany. Piersalls option came only a few hours after he said, "I sent Mr. Harridge a letter and told him Id be paying some umpires salary this season." The Waterbury, Conn., player whos been the talk of the baseball world this season was fined following a report by umpire Ed Hurley who said, "all I can do is tell Mr. Harridge what Piersall is doing." "Maybe I deserve it," Piersall said of the demotion. "Certainly was a complete sur-; prise to me. No, I cant tell you why Im being sent down. Am I coming back? I hope so." I Boudreaus Comment Manager Lou Boudreau said. "I changed my mind about him this morning after saying last night he would start todays game. I sent him down to straighten him out." "Hes got to hit better," Boudreau added. "I told him so." Piersall was reported to have been sobbing when he left Fenway Park for a gasoline station. When asked whether he would drive down to Alabama, Piersall said, "No sir, Im flying down there to play tonight." Piersalls demotion, ironically, recalled St. Louis Browns "pitcher Satchel Paiges comment recently after the fiery rookie had taunted him on the base lines. "I never saw any man do those things anywhere. And Wheres he going next week, anyway?" But Piersalls answer was typical of the burning love hes got for baseball. "I dont care what anybody thinks about what I was doing. We won the ball game, right? And winning ball games is what Im after no matter what goes on." In 43 games for the Red Sox Piersall had 43 hits, including one home run, for a .267 batting average. Sent in late in the game last night to replace Clyde Vollmar, Piersall, a speedy outfielder who was shifted shortstop in spring training and then played there during early season games, was to have started in right field tonight. Piersall was involved in a fight earlier in the season here with Billy Martin of the New York Yankees who said he couldnt "take" the bench jockeying given him by the Red Sox player who fast was becoming known as the modern version of "the clown prince of baseball." The 22-year-old Piersall is married and once said, "Im looking to buy a home, for my family and everything goes with me to help a club win." Hell get the chance to do so for Birmingham where he batted .346 in 1951 in 121 games.
