Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-07-04
MONEYIN BASEBALL.
Some OF the Wen who Have Grown
Rich on the National Game.
From the st. Louis Critic


tFrom the st. Louis Crltic.l
The salary of the professional baseball
player is sometimes often talked about, and
the figures are generally placed too high, but
for an actual fact the professional player oil
to-day, providing he possesses ability OF the
right order, fares better than the ordinary
member of any other profession. Al Spauld-
ing, the president OF the Chicago club, is
perhaps the richest man in the business to-
day, and AL Reach, the organizer OF the
Philadelphia club, is another who has laid
away something for a rainy day. Spauldng's
wealth is estimated at between 5000, 900 and
$500, 900, and Reach's possessions are
placed at the same figures. Big-hearted
Jim Mutre organized the Metropolitan
club of New York, and cleared nearly
800, 900 the first season, but none OF the
money went to jim, and he is as poor to-day
as when he started out Billie Barnie played
in better luck than Mutrie. He and Hauck
Baltimore bill poster, placed the Baltimore
American team in the field last year, and
scored great hit, the club making nearly
$65, 900 its first year, with the prospect OF
years ago Barnie came here with the Allan
tics and hadn't $50 to his name. To-day
he can draw his check for $50, 900 or some
thing not much less than that amount and
this is doing pretty well for one who started
out with the reputation of being broken
down catcher. Emil Gross who
catches for the Chicago Unions in
their coming games here, owns $780,
900 worth of real estate in Chicago, but
this does not represent his earnings, he having
fallen heir TO the property. Mike McGeary
has made enough money out of baseball to
build several houses in Philadelphia, and
Arson Of the Chicakoes has bought farm
with the proceeds of his earnings and also
owns stock in the Chicago club.
George Wright owns quite az establish
ment in Boston, and Harry Wright, now
managing the Philadelphia club, is doing
well, but neither have more wealth than
they know what to do with OF the ST.
is the most solid man, while Gleason
of the American team owns the
house he lives in and is pref
ty well fixed financially. George Strict
owns neat home in Cleveland, and Latham
is another thrifty and well-to-do player. But
these men are about all there are of the pres
ent aud of the old rank and file who are even
well-to-do. or course others have made
money in the business, but they did not be-
long to the old ranks. Lew Simmons, fol
example, knew but little about baseball unit
about three years ago, when he, Sharsig anc
Mason organized the Athletic club, and thu
trio since that time have cleared between
100000 ami 100000 on the venture
Theirs Was the greatest success, financially
Cvet scored IN the baseball world.
The poorest paid club in the American
| association to-day is the Louisville. Nearly
all its players were reserved men, and nearly
| all were frightened into signing $1,000 con-
tracts. This gave the players no money tC
spend for whiskey or something worse, ant
as a result they are in first-class fix ant
playing first. class ball. The New Gorl
League team of last year, which was callet
"The $40 900 Git-edge Nine made thu
poorest kind of record for itself, the tint
of the players being mostly taken up il
spending their salaries, instead Of tranin!
ard getting in trim for play. The Chcag
nine of this year, perhaps the highest salarie'
nine in the League seems to be following il
the rut of last years New York club, ant
the high-salaried nine which represents ST
Louis in the American association is no
doing so well this year as it did last, whe
Its salary was not so high.