Owen Friend Bought To Ensure His $50 Pension

Owen Friend played infield through the early fifties with a few teams, the Browns, Cubs, Tigers, Cleveland and Boston. He was traded and transacted a few times during that time period, but one heretofor undocumented one certainly is worth publishing.

His Baseball Reference major league page mentions his purchase by the Cubs from the Red Sox in 1955, and that he played for the Cubs in 1956. But it isn't that simple.

Friend was released by the Cubs in spring training, and signed with AAA Havana, in the Reds' system. This set up the deal mentioned in the May 25, 1956 Evening Sun from Hanover, Pennsylvania...

"Cubs Recall Winceniak, and Sell Friend To Havana  CHICAGO—Infielder Ed Winceniak has been recalled from Havana of the International League by the Chicago Cubs and Owen Friend has been sold outright to the same club. Winceniak had been optioned only two weeks ago by the Cubs. The recall completes a gesture of courtesy by the Cubs personnel director, Wid Matthews.... Friend had needed only a few more days service in the majors to qualify him for a $50 month pension at the age of 50."

And that was it for Friend in the majors. He went to Vancouver for a couple of seasons, and to independent Dallas after that, but soon, Phoenix came calling:

From the SpokaneDaily Chronicle of April 17, 1959...

"The Giants picked up additional infield help today when Owen Friend was sold to Phoenix by the Dallas Rangers of the American Association."

Phoenix was his last AAA playing stop. Recalling a player for ten days so he could get a $50-a-month pension....certainly wouldn't have seen any player of team bother with that today.

Friend pic from snipview.

 

Toronto Keeps Selling Ray Crone

Ray Crone was a pretty fair pitcher for the Braves and Giants in the mid fifties. His major league career ended in 1958 when the Giants traded him to independent AAA team Toronto.

His transactive career (copyright phrase and new word ME) didn't end there as he bopped around a bit for a few years,

This Milwaukee Sentinel article from July 5, 1959 shows that Toronto found they enjoyed selling Crone so much they did it twice in a week:

"The (Birmingham) Barons have returned veteran pitcher Ray Crone to Toronto and the International League immediately sold him to the Memphis Chicks.
Crone, 27, lost two games during his one week with the Barons. The Birmingham club had purchased him conditionally from Toronto."

So, on or about June 29, 1959, Toronto sold Crone to Birmingham on a conditional deal. Birmingham returned Crone to Toronto July 5, 1959. Toronto sold Crone to Memphis July 5, 1959.

Toronto wasn't done selling Ray Crone. Somehow they get control of Crone back before the 1960 season, according to the Milwaukee Sentinel of Jan. 25, 1960...

"The Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League have bought two former major league pitchers, Ray Crone and Don Johnson, from Toronto of the International League. No price was revealed."

Oddly, Crone and Johnson were traded for each other in the Giants-Toronto deal in 1958.

This Sentinel article, though, messes up in the second graph: "(Crone) was 0-2 for Toronto last season after spending most of the season on the Giants' bench." Crone was not on the Giants at all that year.

Portland, another independent AAA team, moved Crone on to Dallas-Fort Worth and the Athletics' organization...from the Bend Bulletin of June 3, 1960...

"PORTLAND (UPI) - The Portland Beavers released and sold two veteran pitchers Thursday. The Beavers announced they have sold Ray Crone, a former major league miner with Milwaukee, to Dallas-Fort Worth of the American Association and released Bob Alexander."

Crone finished the season at Dallas, and played one more year in single-A before calling it a career.

No word on if Toronto tried selling him after he retired.

Crone card from www.tradingcarddb.com 

Tom Qualters Timeline Resolved

Tom Qualters is best known as a bonus baby pitcher for the Phillies that gave up 6 earned runs in one-third of an inning in his first appearance as a teenager, then didn't play at all the next year.

He went on to the White Sox and injured his arm, and then bounced around in the minors for a couple years. In 1959 he spent the whole year at AAA Indianapolis, but then it becomes confusing.

Qualters' Baseball Reference minor league page has him playing for three teams in 1960.

This SABR article on Phillies' bonus babies has Qualters doing the following in 1960:

"Qualters then began the nomad stage of his career, bouncing from Indianapolis to Houston and then San Diego in 1960 (7–9, 4.47 combined)"

Which would make sense, given that he played for Indy for all of 1959, logically he would have started there in 1960. But it ain't so...

 The Terre Haute Star of July 13, 1960 has the following:

"INDIANAPOLIS, July 12.—(UPI) —The Indianapolis Indians today announced the signing of a new pitcher as Manager Ted Beard attempted to push his sagging team from the American Association cellar. Tom Qualters, 25 years old a right-hander, was signed as a free agent. He was released by the Houston team, where he had a 3-2 record and an earned run average of 5.57, appearing in nine games in relief."

So he didn't start the season at Indy. And we find in this article from  the Salt Lake Tribune of April 10, 1960, that he didn't start the season in Houston, either:

"INDIO, CALIF., April 9 (UPI)—Righthander Tom Qualters halted a four-game losing streak for the San Diego Padres here Saturday by stopping the Portland Beavers, "

So the correct timeline is San Diego, then Houston, then Indianapolis. We don't know how he got to San Diego or Houston yet, but we at least know the order.

Various sources indicate that Qualters started 1961 in Indianapolis, then went to Dallas, tried to retire, and went instead to single A Williamsport to player-coach for awhile before finally cashing it in.

So we have a lot of questions to resolve about Qualters' last two seasons!

Qualters from www.ootpdevelopments.com