Uncle Branch Rickey, the pious deacon of Montague Street, Brooklyn, concluded the first of his autumn deals Saturday with Lou Perini. This bargain sent minor league outfielders Sam Jethroe and Bob Addis to the Braves in return for six unannounced players in the Boston chain and a bale of cash (total also unannounced). We may he sure that Rickey did not got the worst of the deal, but for a change the other party, in this case Perini, did not get hopelessly chisled. We may also be sure that the total of the each in question surpassed the $150,000 doled out for Eddle Stanky in 1947.

Both Addis and Jethroe compare favorably with Joe Orengo land Bob Ramazzotti, acknowledged deans of the Rickey white elephant school of ballplayers.

It is the opinion of this writer that Addis will be the more valuable Brave. A swift loft fielder with a capable arm, he batted 346 for St. Paul, Dodger farm team of the American Association, and will probably open the season in that sector for the Boston club next year.

The Robber Baron

But Sam Jethroe, the Negro centerfielder and leadoff man of the Montreal royals for the past two seasons, should provide more customer interest for the Braves, Hurryin Sam stole 89 bases for Montreal in 1949 and batted 323, an average compiled mostly from line drive singles and doubles land successful bunts. He comes to a team which needs a centerfielder worse than any in the majors, and which needs speed on the basepaths even more.

Jethroe's speed is phenomenal. Clay Hopper, manager of the Royals, said that Jethroe is a better base stealer than Jackie Robinson, another Montreal alumnus. Last June, Buzzy Bavasi, the eminent business manager of the Royals, arranged a pre-game foot-race between Jethroe and Ed Conwell, former indoor sprint champion of the United States. In a 75-yard sprint, Jethroe beat Conwell by a comfortable five-yard margin. In a little publicized re-match, however, Conwell emerged a winner.

Why then did Uncle Branch sell Jethroe, an acknowledged swiftie, a solid line drive hitter, and the possessor of an excellent throwing arm? For one thing, there was the price. A cryptic paragraph in the New York Times stated that the Addis-Jethroe deal provided enough revenue for Ricky to be able to write off the losses of last fall's unfortunate venture into the All-America football conference. The loss on the football Dodgers in 1948 has been conservatively estimated at $300,000. And Rickey got six minor leaguers to boot (whose names will be given on October 15)

The Great Farm System

For another thing, Rickey needs outfielders and especially centerfielders like he needs a hole in the head. The present occupant of Brooklyn's center pasture, Duke Snider, is a brilliant judge of fly balls, has a great throwing arm, hit 22 home runs in his rookle year with the Flock, and batted in the neighborhood of 291. To top it off, he is 22 years old. The whole Brooklyn organization is crawling with bright young flychasers, and the loss of Jethroe will not pain the Dodgers. Whether his addition to the Braves will rebound against the Brooks next season will be decided next season, of course.

Thirdly, the story of Jethroe is not all peaches and cream. Sam is not a good judge of a fly ball, and whether he has a great throwing arm is of little consequence if he isn't there when the ball comes down. Nobody, not even Bill Cunningham, will be able to rave about Jethroe as a defensive player. And Sam is already 30 years old, with not more than four or five years of good baseball in him. Since Rickey's present outfield averages 25 years, why should be add an old man of 30 and bring up the average?

And besides, Jethroe might want to be paid a living wage.