Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-06-05
SPALDING is FOR WAR.
THE LEAGUE MAGNATE PREDICTS
THE PLAYERS DOWNFALL.

He Declares that the Old Organization
VIII Fight Them to the Death-An I'm
pleasant Prospect for the National Game
Around the Bases.
[Chicago spociaLl
The season of 1890 promises to be the
most disastrous in tho history of base
ball. The minor leagues have COM
menced TO feel the effects of the base
ball war, and some of them arc about to
60 to the wall. The International League
is standing on the brink, and several other
minor leagues are not any too strong
The American Association, too, is losing
money. Brooklyn has already Haunted
the distress signal. This is not surpris-
ing. The club was organized there on
the Sunday games ana beer privilege
basis, and had no place in reputable
base ball. IL has been a losing venture
from the first, and the sooner it is out of
the way the better. IL the war of exter-
mination continues, and either the Ma
tional or Players League go to the wall,
then the year of 1890 will always be
looked back to as a year of disaster. At
all events il will take years for some to
get back their losses of the season.
i remarked some time ago" said Pres
ident A. G.. Spalding, of the Chicago
League Club. in an interview the other
day, that the interest in profession Il
baseball in leading cities was dying out.
l have seen nothing since to change my
views. Let us analyze the attendance Of
both leagues during the past few days.
The total attendance of the four National
League games Monday aggregated, ac-
cording to newspaper accounts, 4,65l
Ieople, and the Players League 3,4l3.
Tuesday the one National League game
attracted 500 people and the two Brother
hood games drew All. On Wednesday, o
beautiful day, the four National League
games drew 1929 and the Players
League 5,O74. Yesterday the National
] eague drew 4,s45 people and the
players 4, 1863. Thus we have total at
tendance for four days at thirteen of the
National League games of Is, l26 people.
while the Players League drew 1927
People for fourteen games. The average,
on this basis, for the National League is
], 1863, against 937 for the Players League,
or a Grand average of l,0I0 people TO,
9th leagues. Taking the last two or
three years as a hasis, the National
League, without opposition land no fall
ing off in inteIest), would average about
$3.50 people per game. This shows that
the grand average of attendance this year
is Gao, against 8, 800 for the National
League without opposition.
Without allowing for the large compli-
mentary list and the 25-cent admission,
and estimating it at so cents per head.
the total receipts of the last thirteen Ma
tional League games in the four best
cities In the country amounted to $7,363,
or 1882 per game, or 1921 per club, as
against 6,563 for the fourteen Players
Il q
per club. These receipts barely pay the
expenses Of the home Cl2b in advertising
'no esn9tei oAPensss - p.s.nS .ne
travelling exI enses OF the visiting club.
We'll, on these figures where are the
Players League salaries to come from
The salaries of the National League play
ers will come from the treasures Of the
cluts and the Players League salaries
must come from the receipts after the ex-
penses have been paid. If the truth were
known, it is doubtful if many of the
players in the Brotherhood have received
much pay since the season has opened
excepting the advances they got during
the winter. How long can this sort Of
thing continue? AS long as the National
League clubs can supply sufficient money
and pay salaries, and as long as the Broth
erhood leaders can keep the rank and fl
of their players sat SIZED with glitter ng
promises instead of cash.
Now as to the inducements to main
tain the fight presented to the hackers.
The players have SIGNED contracts with
them agreeing 10 take their salaries out or
the gate receipts. Furthermore, what in
ducement is there for their hackers to
put out money on losing venture when,
even should they win. they can receive
only one-half the profits end take all the
risks. Without reference as to what may
happen to the National League it is sim
ply question of time when tho Brother
hood bubble must burst. 1t is organized
on q misrepresentation and n misappre-
hension of facts. The hackers were led
into it by the players on promises of big
profits aud in turn they tied the playt rs
up for three years on q gate receipt larry
contract. All this means that the hackers,
with the possible exception of one club,
have hopelessly lost all the money tn "
put into the scheme, with no chance of
getting it out. and the players will not
get one-h0lf the salaries promised them
am for war, uncompromising and
without quarter. was opposed to it at
first, but now l want to fight until one of
us drops dead. Mind you, the work has
not yet begun. The National League
was built up by fourteen years of the
most assiduous labor. We had one grand
enemy to fight. That enemy was de-
moralization. 1t faced us in many guises
-crooke baseball, dirty work on the
field, rough elements, want of discipline,
lack of confidence. We met them all,
cut our hands little, but we won. Now
We have to face the old problem again.
But ns yet only the opening guns have
been fred. The slaughter is yet to come.
And the league is prepared for the
slaughter.
Il can see clearly the outlines of the
future. II the Players League lasts
there will le 25-cent baseball, Sunday
games, beer will flow in the grand stands,
and the industry will be ruined by utter
destruction as the grand finale of the
play. The league, / promise you, will
hold on until it is dashed to pieces
against the rocks of rebellion and demor-
alization. / stand really 10 go out of the
business and wash my hands clean Of il
all when the hour comes"
Nnfoa