Thursday 24 July 2008

Bill Brenner Battles Broncs

Brenner Having Release Trouble
LEWISTON, Idaho, Oct. 16 — Bill Brenner, who handled several jobs simultaneously around the Lewiston baseball camp, has appealed to the czar of minor league baseball for a release from the local club.
Brenner argues that he won't be able to be general manager of the Vancouver team in the Western International League next year and at the same time pitch for Lewiston.
He resigned as manager here Sept. 16 and the executive board of the Broncs accepted the resignation.
But the board then pointed out, he hadn't resigned as a player and held that he couldn't, under baseball law.
Brenner said the National Association of Minor League baseball clubs holds that the release of a manager also terminates his contract as a player. He has asked George Trautman, president of the association, for a ruling.
“If Lewiston is trying to prevent me from playing at Vancouver,” added Brenner, "I believe the Sherman anti-trust law would apply.
Such action would be regarded as depriving me of a means of livelihood.”
The directors believe Brenner’s playing contract can be sold for a healthy sum—he was one of the league’s leading flingers. If the clubs should put him on the draft list he might be worth as much a $6000.
Brenner said such an action might complicate things and he advised Trautman of this possibility.

Hey, Mr. Trautman!
Brenner The Player Still Bronc Property
By CLANCY LORANGER
[Vancouver Province, Oct. 17, 1953]
Bill Brenner, already signed as general manager and field manager of the Vancouver Capilanos, is still waiting for his release “as a player” from the Lewiston Broncs.
Brenner, whose resignation as manager of the WIL Broncs was accepted Sept. 16, recent visited Lewiston and says now he expects the release “momentarily.”
*   *   *
The unique turn of events came about this way: The Lewiston Club is run by a seven-man board. There of the members of the board are baseball men who apparently understand the complicated workings of baseball law. The other four, it seems, do not.
So when the board accepted his resignation as manager, it claimed he hadn’t (and couldn’t) resign as a player. The directors reasoned that Brenner, a better-than-20-game-winner the past two seasons, might be worth as much as $6000 on the open market as a pitcher.
*   *   *
The new Capilano boss feels that it will all turn out all right, but in the meantime he’s asked George Trautman, president of the National Association, for a ruling. The association holds, says Bill, that the release of a manager also terminates his contract as a player.
“If Lewiston is trying to prevent me from playing at Vancouver,” Brenner is quoted in a story from Lewiston, “I believe the Sherman anti-trust law would apply. Such action would be regarded as depriving me of a means of livelihood.”

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