Evening journal., 1892-11-05

nuLu hluto anu dl /
each end. Ergo there will be several hun
dred new operators in the commercial |
field in the Worlds fair year, or about |
that many liars. 1 am inclined to take
hold Of the last named end of the alterna- |
tive.
In an experience Of seventeen years as an |
observer of and writer on baseball have |
heard this song Of "going into business" |
sung every fall and spring by players who |
rebel against what the gods (magnates) |
provide in the way Of salaries, but only
about 10 per cent. Of the songsters everput
into practice what they sing, and Of these
probably per cent. "shoot their bolt" the
first year and return to their old calling.
Baseball players as rule never make
good business men. In the first place most
of them begin playing ball young-before
they have had any opportunity to learn
commercial ways and means-very sud
denly jump from a state of no income what
ever into the possession Of salaries equal
to those which are drawn by judges or
earned by bank officials. Like all men
who fall into fortunes, or who suddenly
find themselves in possession Of a great
deal Of money, these ball players show that
they have no idea Of moneys worth. II
comes easy and it goes easy.
No business on earth is so demoraliZing
TO a young mans future as professional
baseball playing. He enters the profes
sion without any education in business
ways, and once he has tasted of the luxuries
and extravagancies of a baseball life he
can never afterward bring himself to a tie
down; to the exactions of an instruction in
business at moderate salary. The lazy.
idle life he leads as professional, as well
as the possession Of immense salaries,
wholly disarms him for the real battle of
| life, which so often comes after his brief
meteoric fame on the ball field has flashed
and died away.
Another reason why so few ex-ball play
| ers ever make themselves felt in business
circles is the lamentable fact that the vast
majority are poorly educated and are
wholly unfit for positions which require any
reasonable amount Of trained intelligence.
For this reason probably 80 per cent of ali
| ball players who ''go into business do il
by opening a saloon or by putting money
in that particular field with a belief that
their supposed great popularity will draw
| them fortune making patronage. This
belief in the great personal paying popu.
larity of the baseball star some few years
ago was entertained also by the nonprofes
sionals in the saloon business, and caused
many fattering offers of partnership to be
made to notable ball players. Among in
stances Of this kind are the cases of Kelly,
Gore Flint, Calvin, Mullane, Latham.
O'Brien, Lynch, Gerhardt and Pfeffer
More could be named, and every one Of
them met with bitter failure. Their popu
larity on the diamond seemed to be con
fined to the Enclosures Of the ball fields
A very small percentage of ex-baseball
players have made a success in business
e.T. 1. N..l.H A
G. Spalding, Albert Reach and George
Wright. Several have reached fame and
fortune in the learned professions after a
few years on the diamond, but they came
from the college class.
If baseball players could be taught the
value of money and could be induced 70
save largely Of their incomes there would
be a much greater percentage Of them
heard from in business circles in after
years.
The above thoughts and facts have been
. drawn out by the "chestnutishn threats
Of men like Pfeffer, Beckley, Baldwin and
Bierbauer that they will next year retire
from baseball playing and go into busi
ness rather than submit to a cut in salary.
The threat is an innocent one. The winter
will be of the usual length, the weather
may be a little colder than the average
! while the smell of violets and the demands
, of creditors next spring will be quite as
strong as ever. Therefore we need not
! worry for fear that a sudden rush Of base
, ball players into the whirligig Of trade
, | may upset the commercial equilibrium.
BY the way. the Pittsburgs are the very
first of the twelve League clubs TO set up
! salary measure for next season. They ar,
signing all their "a i" men of this year.
team at n regular salary of 2,40O for nexi
year. This is a cut of from 30 to 40 pei
p cent. The second and third class players
will receive from 81 500 to s., 900. Thes'
figures may be taken as about the regular
rates to be paid next year. 1t is pretty
, hard for a star who drew $1,000 or s., ,00
+ this year to bring himself down to 8, 40
+ next year. Yet there viii be about 10000
a men in the United States next year strug
o Cling for $4,000 federal appointments, aver
. aging salaries much less in size and cover
e ing twice the amount Of time shoul'
{ there possibly be change in the admins
> tration of government at Washington.
The Pittsburgs are the first to max
the cut in reality, although they are tn
first to report gain or profit on the re
Q cent seasons play.
n 1t is announced by President Young tina
+ there will be but one set of official average
]
s The decision is wise one. It will avoi
confusion and will give far the better sati:
faction. And, by the way, people shoul
bear in mind that all so called average
3 compiled from newspaper scores are a
n worthless as wildcat money This fact
IS made plain by comparing the various "a
bles recently published, which show tn
IS widest kind Of discrepancies. Scoring III
der the present rules is TO a great eXten
a matter of personal opinion, and score
have differed this year more radically tina
y. ever before. Therefore as records none
Id of any value whatever save those whic
will be compiled officially by Presider
> Young from his official scores receive
: from every League city. As he alone hs
all of these scores, he alone can give us th
ne official averages. They will be out in
III few weeks O. p. CAYLoR.