Heading to Cleveland? Um, thanks, no

Billy Cox, the magician of a third baseman from Newport, Pa., says enough is enough 69 years ago today as the Baltimore Orioles trade him to Cleveland.

Rather than report to the Indians, Cox walks away from baseball, ending a pro career that starts in 1940 as a minor league shortstop with the Class B Harrisburg Senators.

Cox ends up playing 11 seasons in the majors, including seven with the fabled Brooklyn Dodgers of the late 1940s and early ’50s.

Cox joins Baltimore prior to the 1955 season and is batting .211 in 53 games for the Orioles before they package him with outfielder Gene Woodling to Cleveland for outfielders Dave Pope and Wally Westlake.

With Cox going home instead of to Cleveland, the Orioles send $15,000 to the Indians to complete the deal.