The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-11-12
THE CASH In BASEBALL
HOW THE BUSINESS is CONDUCTED
Salaries OF the Early Professional Players
Tho Present style Of Pitching
and Why Experts Demand
5000 Year.
[Boston G.obe.l

lbOoOOh 0soDOsl
For some years base ball has been con.
Quoted on regular business principles, but
not until recently have such high salaries
been paid. The present style Of pitching
Is responsible for the enormous salaries
which the "kings Of tho profession" de-
mand. The best pitchers get as much
money for working a few hours each day
during seven months as many college pro.
fessors receive for their entire years serv-
ice. This has not always been the case.
The first real professional nine was the
famous Cincinnati Red Stockings, which
were established In 1860. There had been
many clubs throughout the country which,
previous to this time, had paid two or
three players for their services, just as
many of our alleged "strictly amateur"
mines do at present. The Red Stockings
were the first club, however, to take men
on contrac 8 and TO pay every one on the
team. Harry and George Wright received
/ the highest salaries paid in the club, and
neither was the regular pitcher. Said
George Wright: "The money paid the
entire team would put poor nine in the
field to-day. My brother Harry was the
most expensive man in tue team, and he
got 5000 for being captain and playing
cenuer field. / was In my regular position
az short, and drew $500. The catcher
came next in order, and the other meI
ranged from that sum down. Several came
under 81 ,0O0."
"lt would seem that folders were con
sidered TO be worth as much ~ pitcher
and ca chers in those daysY'
"Thaps l. exactly. A club without Z
strong outfeld was as weak then as ont
would be now without battery. Every mar
had TO be player, and the pitcher was Of
no more Importance than any other man IL
the team. Why, almost any one who pre-
tended 10 be good player could 20 into
the box with little practice and do we'll
And, then, Of course, the catching was
quite different from what 1t is now. A
man who held thrown ball we'll would &c
behind the bat in an emergency and acquii
himself very creditably. Now II your
pitcher gives out you might as well stor
playing; and 1t Is Just the same with the
catcher. 1t makes no difference how good
your other seven men are, you are no.
where II the battery is weak"
"Were the Cincinnati Red Stockings
ever troubled this wayp
"Well, we went through our first sea.
son with ten men, and you can judge for
yourself how many extra batteries we
could havs had. The pitcher did not try
to sec how many he could strike out,
but used his head, and showed his skin
by changing his speed so that the bats.
men would be deceived and not hit
the ball hard. Even II he was batted
hard 1t was nothing against him, and no
one said he had lost the game. Why, II
one side made six or seven runs in an
inning the other nine was not by any
means defeated, and thought nothing Of
this lead"
With the changes In the style OF pitch
ing have come higher wages for tho
players, until now a base ball team
is an expensive institution. New York
has the two men who are paid more
for playing ball than any others in the
world. They are Ward and Ewing.
and each receives a littlel over $3,00l
for the present season. The New Y ork
ers are called the "high-priced team"
but several OF the men are hired at low
figures, which brings down the total
OF the salary list, and the Chicagos
will have TO be acknowledged the
most expensive club in the League. There
is not cheap player In tho nine, and
while the highest salary Is not over IA, 900,
every man Is we'll remunerated for his
services. Corcoran is q valuable player.
He is well aware OF II himself, and his
skill In curYlng the ball brings him in g..
800 this year. Radbourne and Calvin ara
other "gilt-edged" players, both In the
work they do and the reward they re-
ceive.
The salary list Of the Boston League
Club amounts to $4,000 In round numbers.
The most valuable man, and deservedly
the bestspaid one, is Captain Morrill,. He
also holds the position Of manager, and
he has earned every cent Of his $500.
Whitney comes next, and Is certainly roy
ally paid for the amount OF work he has
done this season, for which he receives
$500 Burdock and Hornung Just turn
5000, and all the others come below this
figure. The value of several is set at
about 81 800, but the season has made
great changes In the playing OF some, and
the prices will DO different another year.
It is impossible TO estimate how much
has been paid In salaries TO ball. players
throughout the country. The eight League
, clubs will certainly average as much as
Boston's total, as they have tried more
mer IL they have not had quite such ex-
pensive players In the Union Associa-
lion are eight more clubs. st. Louis and
, Cincinnati pay more than the Boston
League, and every one Of the other mines
has some low-priced players There is moi
, much doubt viat the eight clubs pay ct
1 least $4,000 In salaries. The American
3 Association has twelve clubs, and must
certainly pay for this number as much as,
. II not more than, the League does for
. eight Ia fact, few OF the dearest ball.
tossers In the world arc claimed by the
/, American Association. Thus the salary
. list OF those three largest base ball asso.
A Citations in the country aggregate between
Q t5oO, 900 and 20 0,0)0 This does not begin
] TO covor the amount. that has been earned
this season by bail.tossers. etIa