Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20

The Outline Of Plan Which Will Be Put in
Operation In 1893

The Outline Of Plan which Will Be Put in
Operation In 1893.
The days Of extravagant salaries for base ball
players are drawing to close, says the New
York Sun, and those who now draw fat wads of
greenbacks in exchange for capering around a
green field should enjoy to the utmost the brief
period during which unlimited coin will be
showered upon them. At the close Of the sea-
son of 1892 the present plan of paying base ball
players for their work will have passed away
and a new orderIof things be put in force.
No more will the glossy-looking autocrat Of
the ball field saunter along the avenues of fash
ion the observed of all, and especially of the
small boy, who whispers to his companions:
Hi, cullies, OATS de Duke of Diamonds. He
gifts his little old $500 fer pitchin' tree games
a year for de champeens of de league. Amt
he de stuff In 1893 the autocrat of the dia-
mond will descend from his lofty perch and
mlngle on a footing OF equality with other
mortals.
A plan for the payment Of fair salaries in
1893 has been formed by the magnates and will
surely be put in force The officials of the
twelve clubs are in hearty accord on the ques-
ton, and the negotiations which have been
quietly carried on for some time past, have
come to satisfactory conclusion In substance
the plan is that when club is prosperous Just
In that proportion will the players be benefited
The first move will be to make salary limit
which will be fixed at $4,000. By this means
the salary limit of team could be kept down
to $4,000 At the close of the season, if the
club has made money, the capitalists will in
sist on hrst getting fair return on their in
vestment-say 6 or per cent OF the re-
mainder fair sum will be set aside to be
divided among the players on some equitable
basis and what is left will go to the capitalists
In case the club loses money or fails to do
more than clear expenses the players will get
their salaries inside of %, 500 limit, and the
managers will not be compelled to make good
out OF their own pockets more than trifing
loss. In fact, the aim of the officials is to make
prosperity and protect themselves from heavy
loss In case of an adverse season.
The argument might be made that the ten
dency of such plan would be to fill all play
ers with desire to leave the clubs of small
cities and join the teams Of New York. Boston
or Chicago. where there are prospects Of large
profits. That objection might 60 in former
seasons, but now. with an equal division of
gate receipts, the teams representing the
smaller cities have a chance to make quite as
| much money as the big teams and q profitable
season would yield quite as much to the player.
In support Of the scheme it is set forth that the
prospect of additional compensation will be an
| incentive to team work and an effort to get as
good position in the race as possible, for a
team well up in the pennant fight is a magnet
for the crank and his mighty half dollar.
The magnates feel certain that the bulk of
intelligent ball players will see the justice
once again put the game on q basis where it
will not only prove profitable to the player,
but also give reasonable return for the cap
ital invested.