The Philadelphia Phillies are the black sheep of the National League. Only once in 25 years have they finished in the first division, only once in seven years have they finished better than last. Last fortnight the League decided to lend no more money to the hapless Phillies, bought out the controlling stock of President and Mrs. Gerald P. Nugent, who in a decade had run the club $250,000 in debt.
Customers for big-league ball clubs do not grow on trees. But scarcely had the ink dried on the Nugents' check (guestimate: $39,000) when a half-dozen syndicates were scrambling for the Philly...