Tri-City Sale Plan OKd

Association Gets League Okay To Buy Braves
Purchase Plan To Be Made Tomorrow
[Tri-City Herald, Sept. 28, 1952]
The Western International League board of directors gave the green light Friday to plans for purchasing the Tri-City Braves by people of the Tri-City area.
Stockholders, bondholders, persons who have signed pledges and others in the Tri-Cities interested in retaining the club will meet Monday night in the Kennewick City Hall. The meeting will be at 8 p.m.
An organization structure will be formed then and plans will be made for the actual selling of the stock.
No exact amount has been set to purchase the franchise but it is estimated that the present owners can be bought out far less than $20,000 plot the assumption of debts totaling more than twice that figure. If $60,000 in stock is sold it is believed that the local group can purchase the club outright and have additional operating capital.
Sponsoring the local drive to purchase the club is the Tri-City Athletic Association, owners of Sanders Field, the home of the Braves and one-seventh owners in the ball club.
At a meeting in Seattle Friday night, Dick Richards general manager and majority stockholder in the Tri-City Baseball Club, was given permission by the league directors to dispose of his holdings to the association.
Robert Abel, president of the WIL said it is hoped that Richard's holdings can be transferred in 30 days.
Abel also said the owners of the eight teams in the league have shown no inclination to transfer any of the franchises.
There has been considerable speculation in recent weeks that some of the clubs would give up their franchises because of financial difficulties brought on by poor attendance.
Abet declined to comment en reports that moves were under way to bring Edmonton and Calgary, Canada into the league next season.
Reports on the Canadian entry into the league have received wide circulation in recent-weeks. Presumably, they would take over the Wenatchee and Tri-City franchises. However, transportation and weather problems tend to make the Canadian entry improbable.

Citizens at Kennewick Seek Team
KENNEWICK, Wash., Sept. 29 — A citizens' board was named here Monday to negotiate the purchase of the franchise and controlling interest in the Tri-City Braves of the Western International Baseball League.
The board, given the name of the Tri-City Booster Club, said it would try to finance the purchase through the sale of stock for $50 a share to residents of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland and the outlying areas.
The booster group will be headed by Mike Cronin, Kennewick.
Six-sevenths of the baseball club is up for sale Dick Richards, the majority stockholder, was given permission by league directors in Seattle last week to dispose of his holdings. A tentative 30-day time limit was put on the deal.