Sacramento's Saviors

"It's too damn bad somebody doesn't do something about it."

In the noisy, cluttered city room of the Sacramento Union, Sports Editor Dick Edmonds and a 30-year-old baseball maniac and nightclub owner named Yubi Separovich bemoaned the end of the world: Sacramento's "Solons" were no more. The St. Louis Cardinals, owners of the club, had sold their Pacific Coast League franchise to Tacoma, Wash., for $50,000. In three days, P.C.L. directors would meet to approve the transfer, the stadium probably would be torn down, the ball park subdivided for postwar real estate.

Head in hands, sportswriter Tod Schoonover stared at the telephone, suddenly grabbed it. Sacramento's Chamber of Commerce had tried to outbid Tacoma, raised a scrawny $8,000 and quit. He would make one last effort. Frenetically Schoonover phoned sporting friends--bowling alley operators, golfers, promoters, cafe owners. Ninety minutes later he had promises of $22,000. Yubi Separovich added $2,000. He and Edmonds then started after every solvent fan in town. In 48 hours they had $53,000, barely caught the night train to Los Angeles for the P.C.L. meeting.

Shot in the Arm. Blizzards stalled the train. In Mojave, they switched to a bus nine hours behind schedule. Panting with excitement, Separovich and Edmonds burst into the directors' meeting, waved $10,000 in cash and fistfuls of checks. Sweat dripped down Yubi's swarthy face as he pleaded for the sport he loved. Directors jumped up and cheered. "The greatest shot in the arm for Coast League baseball in modern history," shouted one. Another phoned Cardinal President Sam Breadon, whose answer made more baseball history: "For them, the price is cut to $40,000." Tacoma's agent withdrew: "They deserve to have the team."

For their $40,000, the battlers now had the Solons' vital franchise from the P.C.L. giving them membership in, and the right to play in the league.

Sacramento's Mayor Tom B. Monk, a police escort and howling fans paraded the returning heroes. Schoonover met them with $30,000 in new pledges toward buying the ball park--the Cardinals sliced the price from $60,000 to $50,000--and rumors of a $25,000 bid for concession rights.

Late last week the Solons' 26 new owners met for the first time. Yubi Separovich was there, with $5,000. On their newspaper salaries, Schoonover and Edmonds could contribute only good will and advice. The owners need plenty of both to solve their problems: 1) the Solons were a dismal last in the P.C.L. last year, and attendance was piddling; 2) spring practice begins shortly and only five players are signed; 3) somewhere, the Solons must find a manager.

"It will probably be a lousy team " warned Edmonds. "But what really counts is that Sacramento still has its ball club."

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