From L.A. to Statesville to Dallas-Ft. Worth
Steve Hill, the collector who sent along the photos of Statesville Stadium, e-mailed the below scan of a March 1961 letter sent by Angels farm director Roland Hemond.
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George Trautman was the president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues from 1947 until his death in 1963.
The Angels had two minor league affiliates in 1961 — a Triple-A team in Dallas-Ft. Worth, and a Class D team in Statesville.
The letter indicates a $3,000 check was being sent to the NAPBL to cover $1,500 owed D-FW for their working agreement, and another $1,500 owed D-FW for spring training costs.
I can understand the spring training costs, because back then Dallas-Ft. Worth held its own independent spring training. Their 1961 spring training camp was in Riverside, as I documented in December 2008. Any Statesville players under contract probably went to Riverside before reporting to Statesville.
Why Statesville would owe D-FW $1,500 for a working agreement is beyond me. I’ve sent the document to Roland. Perhaps he can explain.
FutureAngels.com 
It looks like the letter is being sent from the D-FW secretary, so isn’t it payments from D-FW to the Statesville club (maybe part of the agreement because Statesville were in effect a feeder team to D-FW?)
The letter is signed by Roland Hemond, who was the Angels’ farm and scouting director that year. That’s why it’s on Angels stationery. But in the signature block he used the title “Assistant Secretary” of the D-FW ballclub.
The $3,000 check was being sent to the NAPBL, which is the formal title for Minor League Baseball, the umbrella organization that controls minor league relations with Major League Baseball.
You raise an interesting point in that maybe the NAPBL viewed Statesville as a farm club for D-FW. The Rangers, technically, were independent. In 1961, they had players from the Angels and Phillies, as well as their own independently signed players.
But I still can’t fathom why Statesville would have to pay the NAPBL $1,500 for the privilege of a working agreement with D-FW.
Hopefully Roland can shed some light. I sent it to him asking for an explanation. He travels a lot as he’s asked to lecture all over the country, so it may be a while before I hear from him.