The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-17
MONEY IN BASE BALL.
Some Of the Men Who Have Grown Rici
on the National Game.
[St, Louis CriticI

[St, Louis Critic.I
The salary Of the professional base bal
player Is something often talked about
and the figures are generally placed to
high, but for an actual fact she.profes
sional player Of to-day, providing b
possesses ability Of the right order, fare
better than the ordinary membsr Of an
other profession. AL. Spalding, Presiden
of the Chicago Club, is perhaps the. rich
est man in the business to-day, and Al
Beach, the organizer of the Philadelphin
Club, is another who has laid away some.
thing for rainy day. Spalding's vealtl
is estimated at between $2O0, 900 and $500,
900, and Beach's possessions are placed Al
the same figures. Big-hearted Jim Mutri
organized the Metropolitan Club Of Ne, ,
York. and cleared nearly $l0O, 900 the firs
season, but none Of thu money went
Jim, and he Is as poor to-day as when h
started out. Billy Barnie played in bette
luck than Mutrie. He and Hauck, .,
Baltimore bill-poster, placed the Baltimor .
American team in the deld last year, an.
scored great hit, the club making nearl
$65,0OO its first year, with the prospect o
nearly doubling that amount this. Fou
years ago Barnie came here with the Al
lantics and hadn't $50 to his name. To-da'
he can draw his check for $4,000, or some
thing not much less than that amount, an
this is doing pretty we'll for one who start
ed out with the reputation of being I.
broken.down catcher. Emil Gross, win
catches for the Chicago Unions In theii
coming games here, owns $50, 900 worth
real estate In Chicago, but this does no
represent his earnings, he having fallel
heir to the property. Mike McGeary ha
made enough money out of base ball (.
build several houses in Philadelphia, an,
Anson Of the Chicago's has bought farr'
with the proceeds OF his earnings, and ais
owns stock in the Chicago Club.
George Wright owns quite an establisl
ment in Boston, and Harry Wright, no,
managing the Philadelphia Club, is ais
doing well, but neither have more wealt
than they know what to do with. or tb.
st. Louis players, Dunlap, Of the Unions
is the most solid man, while Gleason,
the American team, owns the house b,
lives in, and Is pretty we'll fixed financial
lY. George Strict owns a neat home II;
Cleveland, and Latham is another thrift,
and well-to-do player. But these men ar
about all there are OF the present and
the old rank and file who are even well.to
do. or course others have made money II
the business, but they did not belong e..
the old ranks. Lew Simmons, for exam
pie, knew but little about base ball unit
about three years ago, when he, Sharsi,
and Mason organized the Athletic Club.
and the trio since that time have cleare,
between S9OO, 900 and 100000 on the ven
ture. Theirs was the greatest success
financially, ever scored In the base bal
world.
The poorest paid club In the American.
Association to-day Is the Louisville. Near
ly all its players were reserved men, anc
nearly all were frightened into signinr
$1,000 contracts. This gave the players nt,
money to spend for whisky, or somethinl
worse, and as result they are In first
class fix and playing flrst-class ball, Th,-
New York League team Of last year, whic
was called "The $4,000 Gilt.edge Nine,'
made the poorest kind Of a record for IL
self, the time Of tlse players being mostl,
taken up in spending their salaries insteae
Of training and getting in trim Tor play
The Chicago nine Of this year, perhaps tbs
highest salaried nine in the League, SEEM
to be following in the rut Of last year,
New York Club, and the high-salaried min,
which represents st. Louis In the Ameri
can Association is not doing so well thi,
year as It did last, when its salary was no
40 hiRh,