Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-14
AREWEW OF SPORTS,
Kr. Abell's Opinion Concerning the
Fixing Of Salaries for
Ball Players.
GENERAL AND LOCAL BASEBALL.
The Few Seals Of Weights for Boxing
and PugilIstic Contests
Discussed.
GENERAL AND LOCAL BASEBALL.
AMATEUR ATHLETES LOOMING Up,
Sullivan and Naher and other Leading fugilistic
Topics Of the Week

wear has again brought to the surface the
ouestion of fixing limit to the salaries o
ball plavers. During the last few days sew
eral baseball authorities have aired their
views on the matter, and it is very singular
20 find that there are still people who be
lieve that salaries can be limited by rule.
saw it is singular, because experience has
proyen TO us that among all results human
1t is about the last to expect.
few seasons ago readers of this paper
will remember that l assailed the rule
adopted at that time by the National League
which had for its object the limitation Of
the plaver's salary. Many very able writers
writer's argued that the rule would be all
right and that it would accomplish its OBJ
iect satisfactorily History now tells us
that it did not such, and that it was not only
a rank failure, but that it stirred up
a feeling among the players that ended in
open revolt Limitation of salary rules are
based on unsound principles and on an I'M
perfect knowledge OF human nature. As
ex-NanaCer Hanlon some time ago re-
marked. The turnstile fixes the salaries and
rules that are not founded on this notbn
will have poor chance OF giving satisfaction.
1t is interesting 10 me to find that Mr.
Abel. one of the principal directors OF the
BROOKLYN club, has come to the front with
opiuions which fully indorse those that have
been expressed in this paper on the subject
from time to time
what Mr.. Abel Saws
Here is what the Brooklyn magnatc said
few days ago:
"How' different is the baseball business
conducted from that of any ordinary enter
prise. Now. if l was to go down to Mr..
Spalding and ask him for an option on ,0G0
bicvcles for a wear at q certain price, and
he gave it, 1 wouldn't ask him for scratch
of ren. because 1 know his word would
stand Ba; if l went to talk TO him about
PLAYER, and he accepted my terms, would
want everything down in black and white;
not that 1 believe he would lie, but because
In baseball nothing goes unless it is signed,
sealed. and delivered 1t seems strange to
me, being accustomed 10 saying what L
mean and doing Just what I saw l will do,
TO find men who, collectively, have invested
nearly three millions of hard dollars in the
business. induiging in all sorts of queer
methods The sport is an honest one, and
the games are always played Oh their
merits. That is the charm about 1t Tor
those who pay to witness the contests.
But having invested their money and taken
ayers deliberately injure their own interests
BY queer dealings
1T is this fact that gives the PLAYER his
advantage. 1 sign a man for $4,000, anu
along comes the manager of another club
and offers him $500 more and encourages
him to break his contract with me or tells
him to sulk. What's the consequence? The
plaver's sense of honor is blunted and in the
end the game is injured. Here is class OF
men who undoubtedly at their trade, if they
have any, could probably earn from $500 to
s. 900 a wear, and some of them / know did
not earn 5000, expec: from So, 900 TO
S., 900 for a single season, to live at the best
hotels and to be carried al over the country
without expense. How few men of real
talent are able to command such salaries.
Baseball. to endure, must be carried on at a
lower scale of salaries. l do not advocate
|. fixed price or limit. l would pay man
according 10 his merit, but to pay man at
the rate of $50 game is a little too much.
Therefore I say the scale OF salaries must
come down to a reasonable limit, or capi-
talistS viii allow some other set of fools TO
pay the shot.
Common Sense Notions.
TIE foregoing are certainly sensible
notions concerning very important matter.
Doubtless, the League magnates are all in
question whenever thev meet, and now that
they are in almost absolute power, their
desires NAV prompt them to some very con-
Eervative conclusion. But it cannot be that
thev Will ever think again of trying to
establish a system OF uniform salaries by
forced rule, or that they even contemplate
making a limit TO salaries by rule. E1-
perience with them must indeed have been
very poor schoolmaster if they dream of
doing such thing again.
or course, no more can be made in the
salary matter this year in the new League,
but what 1 mean, is that there should be no
thought of entertaining such a question
now or at the end of the year. Baseball,
like other business, will regulate ITSELF and
PLAYERS should know the very significant
truth. If outrageous salaries are demanded
the game viii not continue, and those who
will suffer most are the players. Almost to
a man they are in the business for "bread
and butter" The magnates are not. The
players should be the most careful
\ Few Words About the Home Club.
Whatever the results of the coming ball
season NAV be it is worthy of note that a
few of the stockholders of the local club are
extremely sanguine as TO the successful end
ing of it, President Temple, though yery
young in the business, is apparently very
certain OF the clubs financial success judg-
ing from the money he Is investing in its
stock and the responsibility he is shoulder
ing. A few other stockholders are Just as
confident, and all this confidence cannot
but have good effect to start with. Conf
dence begets enthusiasm and the latter
makes the success. Just so soon as our
hopes begin to die Just soon viii our un-
dertakings become less successful 1t is
well then that there is this hope and this
confidence among the stockholders of the
local club at present because they have
very rocky road to travel this year.
We can nOw, with some kind of safety,
state who our team will be. 1t seems GER
tain that Kelly viii not be here, and it NAV
be that it was never intended to release
him from Boston. There seems to be some-
thing Of the Spinlow and Jorkins methods
about those Boston magnates. One of them
would like to make this or that deal, but
''my partners, you see, may be opposed to
it, and when spoken to these partners are
very afable, but are afraid that this deal or
that deal will not suit "our partners"
This has been exactly the way the Boston
club has succeeded in getting Kelly adyer-
tised; in fact, Tesurrected. Now that he is
prominently before the public again, it is
not very likely that the Boston triumvirate |
will let him ga
I still hold tltat Kelly would make great |
card in Pittsbtrg, but as other teams want |
great cards, 1t is not probable that We will |
get him here If il is true that he has been |
offered 81, 500, it only'proves what has been |
contended above, that TO secure a winning |
card, or what promises to be one, a club will |
not be regulated by any rule in fixing sal |
ary.
The players of the home club are also do |