A roundup of the sports information of the week
BASEBALL—New York Yankees pulled their 15th trade in five years with their bartering buddies, the Kansas City Athletics. Prize was A's most promising property, Roger Maris, league-leading batter last season until sidelined with appendectomy, and two others in exchange for Don (Perfect Game) Larsen, aging (37) Hank Bauer, Outfielder Norm Siebern and First Baseman Marv Throneberry.
Continental League President Branch Rickey, pressuring American League for flat yes or no on whether or not they intend to expand, drew an answer of sorts from AL's exasperated president, Joe Cronin: "We have no plans for expanding in 1960, '61, '62, '63, or in '72 or '73." This did not satisfy Rickey at all. "The situation has not changed a lick," he fulminated. "They've been saying that all along. Major league baseball is desperately opposed to the organization of this league, and this statement adds up to complete opposition."
FOOTBALL—In post-mortem hullabaloo over Syracuse-UCLA game week earlier, Syracuse Coach Ben Schwartzwalder's sideline antics came in for close inspection. Schwartzwalder proved he had earned well his accolade of Coach of Year by virtually admitting his leg-slapping and cap-saluting were sideline coaching signals to his sophomore quarterbacks. "Those quarterbacks of ours are only rookies, and we try to encourage them in generalship as much as we can. They appreciate it." Good bet: TV cameras and 76.000 spectators will be watching closely for Schwartzwalder when Syracuse meets Texas in the Cotton Bowl Jan. 1.
At meeting in Chicago of Big Ten faculty representatives, disputed issues between themselves and Big Ten athletic directors (SI, Dec. 14) were referred to school faculties for study and advice. More rousing issue became offer of a national advertiser (Miles Laboratories) to pay $1 million a year for three years for exclusive TV rights to Big Ten sports. Knowing such a deal would conflict with NCAA's cherished TV scheduling prerogatives, Big Ten faculty representatives begged sponsor to keep offer open till NCAA can be consulted in January annual meetings.
THE COURTS—Vincent J. Velella, East Harlem mouthpiece who is president of the shabby ruins of the corporation that promoted the Patterson-Johansson heavyweight title fight, was arraigned in New York and freed on $1,000 bail after pleading not guilty to a two-count perjury indictment. Velella was charged with lying in testimony involving the participation in the promotion of Anthony (Tony Fat) Salerno and Charlie Black.
TWO PHOTOS
BUSY BEN SHOWS HIS GENERALSHIP