The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-12
BASEBALL FACTS.
| Expenses of Professional Clubs-Cost OF
| Bats, Balls, Bases, Etc.

Expenses OF professional Clubs-Cost OF
Bats, Balls, Bases, Etc.
New York Tribune's Book of Open-Air sports
According to an agreement arrived at between
the club managers a year ago, the maximum
salary for player is 81, 600 year. This rule,
however, has not beer respected; and most of
the larger professional clubs pay double that
amount to some of their players. In the minor
organizations the rule is observed simply be-
cause the managers cannot afford to pay more
than So 900 to each player After securing play
ers the manager of professional club must
select uniform for mis- men. In a seasons play
each man of team will require three suits, one
for travelling, one for home grounds, and gen
eral utility uniform. The uniforms include
shoes, CAPS and stockings, and will cost on an
average $40 each. The three suits, for say ff
teen men. will cost during the season about
5000. The manager now has bis players and his
suits. His grounds will cost him in the vicinity
of So 900 year rental
Now, ne must purchase the paraphernalia for
playing the game In a League season mana
ger will utilize between 400 and 500 bats. These
figures may look large, but when it is known
that to fastidious players there are only one
two suitable bats in dozen, the correctness of
the figures will be seen. Sometimes player has
been known to look over 100 bats before he
could find one to suit him. Many players have
their bats made to order; yet even then the
workmen seldom produce the exact weight and
curve wanted. The cost of the bats used by the
League and American association players run
from so TO Is cents each. OF course, inferior
sticks can be purchased for from 10 to 25
cents each; butts great baseball player of to-day
would disdain to use anything 80 cheap as that.
The professional base ball player is generally an
earnest. conscientious man; and he respects the
law the came as other men; but human nature
is weak, and if ball-player ever does commit
larceny it is for a base ball bat when some 'op-
portunity offers. The ball-player always imag-
ines that some other player owns just the bat
that will suit him; and if he ;oes not steal it and
secrete il in his bat bag, it rs possibly because
he has not had the chance. He may own a bat
that is perfection In every respect vet old, al
most useless bat, that he has earthly use for,
presents to him an almost irresistible tempta-
tion AS general thing the bat raids made
among the ranks of opposing clubs. The bats
are generally made of ash. Many hundreds of
them are broken by sturdy hitters during sea-
sons campaign
The next necessity is to purchase the balls.
The ball of to-day and those of few years ago
are very different articles Then the globe was
rather soft, was full of rubber, and was I'M
usually lively" and a strong player hitting
the ball squarely, would knock it almost out of
sight. Now the ball is hard and dead" that is
to say it has no elasticity. There are several
large factories In the country where balls are
made, and the manufactures are kept running
night and day the year round to supply
the great demand The regulation ball of
the present time could have been used by
David in his sling with as deadly effect as
a smooth, round stone of the same size The
regulation ball costs SIS Dozen Many gross
are used by each club every season Each
League club during the present year has played
sixty-six games on home grounds The home
| club always supplies the balls used in the game;
| from three to seven are generally used during
| match. Each box of balls must be securely
sealed and signed, and must be opened by the
| umpire A ball once taken from the little box
cannot be used in any other game Many balls
are consumed by the clubs in practicing and in
| exhibition games. Over $500 is expended for
ha1lc o1n nv oh Of hoo iph% lbs
| during season.
the way stations for player when he was max
ing the circuit of the bases Now the bases. or
bags as they are called, require considerable at
tention. Each club generally provides itself with
two sets of bases there being three bases in each
set. They cost SIS set. The home base is gen.
| orally plate of hard white rubber or marble,
| and is put Tito the ground. The regular bases
are made of heavy can vas or sail cloth, and the
best ones are filed with hair. Cheaper ones are
also made. but are not in general use They
are filled with sawdust, but this cheaper sub
stance will swell and burst when it gets wet
The travelling disbursements of professional
club are also source of great expense to the
stockholders.
The actual total disbursements of q League
club will not materially differ from the annexed
| figures.
Fifteen players at an average salary of So 500
each, $37 500 travelling expenses, So 000 rent of
| grounds, S0O0 salary of manager, So O0O incl
| dentals, $4,000; total. $69,500. Consequently,
| the total cost of League campaign (supposng
| that the expenses of all the clubs are about
| alikel will not RIM short of 4550 000 in a yaar