The Dodgers Extend Casey Stengel's Contract and Sign Van Lingle Mungo

Casey Stengel and the Brooklyn Dodgers got great satisfaction by beating the New York Giants the last two games of the season, thus denying them any chances of repeating as World Champions, but 1934 was an unsuccessful season for Brooklyn.

They finished sixth, winning only 71 games.

Lack of Pitching

The Brooklyn Dodgers' offense was good, averaging 4.89 runs a game, which was third best in the league, but Brooklyn's pitching left much to be desired. Brooklyn's 4.48 ERA was better than only than Philadelphia's 4.76.

After Van Lingle Mungo, who finished at 18-16 with a 3.37 ERA, there was no one.

Veteran Ray Benge was mediocre, Old Tom Zachary was on the way out, young Johnny Babich frightened few hitters, and Dutch Leonard was inconsistent, although he had some promise.

Van Lingle Mungo Hold Out

Brooklyn's prospects for improvement weren't good.

In late January, 1935, Van Lingle Mungo told the Dodgers that he would not accept the $12,000 salary they had offered. He threatened to stay out of baseball all season unless Brooklyn made a better offer.

"I asked for a little more than they offered," Mungo told reporters from his home in Pageland, South Carolina.

Players Had No Leverage

Players had no leverage before free agency. They played for the team that owned their services or they didn't play.

Late in February, just as spring training was about to start, Mungo returned his signed contract. He was the last Dodger to sign, and it marked the first time in years that the entire Brooklyn squad was signed at the beginning of spring training.

Joe Gilleaudeau, the Dodgers' treasurer, emphatically stated that Mungo signed the original contract.

"He signed the original contract we sent him. We gave him what we considered a fair raise and that's as far as we went."

There were conflicting reports. Some claimed that Mungo signed for $10,000 and had demanded $12,000, while others insisted that he did receive $12,000. No matter what, the team called the shots.

Brooklyn Tears Up Casey Stengel's Contract

A few days before Mungo signed, Brooklyn tore up Casey Stengel's contract and signed him to a new three-year deal.

Brooklyn Dodgers' President Steven W. McKeever, with the approval of other Dodgers' officials, said they recognized Stengel's managerial ability and great popularity in Brooklyn.

"We want Casey here to stay. I wanted him because he was one of our boys, and still is, and because I think he is a great manager."

Build a Contender

Stengel's job was to build the team into a pennant contender, and although Brooklyn made only minor player moves as spring training approached, Stengel hoped to make some significant player moves before the June 15 trading deadline.

"It sort of looks as if I've got to deliver the goods now," Casey grinned at reporters.

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