Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-09

" association fights. The
reports from the va
rious clubs indicate that the attendance is in.
creasing all the time and every club in the
league this year will make some money and be
IN condition next season to reap some OF the
profits to which they, and not the players, are
entitled
The reduction of the number of men to
thirteen per club viii help US immensely IN q
financial sense It will throw about eighteen
men out of employment. who will have to seek
places in the minor leagues. The saving In
salaries. supplemented by the saving in railroad
fare and hotel bills for the remainder of the
season. means a saving to the league of nearly
elOO. 600 This will be nearly enough to dis
charge our indie btedness to tine old association
clubs. and will make US practically free of debt
vhen the season OF 1898 opens.
while there has been a disposition in some
quarters to criticise for this step, / think
when viewed from q business standpoint we will
hardly be blamed. We concluded after a long
discussion that il was about time the men who
have been putting their money into the game
reaped some of the benefit. Year after year the
balance has been against them and no business
organization can stand that We are through
with the hurrah business and having achieved a
share of the glory of the game We propose now
to get a share of the money
thereafter the league is going to be run on
strictly business principles. Salaries have got
to be reduced all along the line in order for us
to make ANYTHING. The present high salaries
are preposterOus. Take the Boston club. for
instance. Ii has a salary list of Sos, 600 Does
any one suppose that it received a fair rate of
interest on the amount invested as matters now
stand? And SO 1t il with every club. Next
season You are going to see such a cutin salaries
rs will raise a howl from the PLAYERS, but il will
not avail them anything.
II have received notices Of the release of
sufficient number os PLAYERS from each club to
bring each within the limit. although il will be
some DAYS before the men who to go sbso-
lutely will be determined upon. as q number of
clubs viii strengthen themselves with players
released by other clubs and will in time be
obliged 10 let some of their men go. The new
rule is going TO benefit the game both finan-
eially and from playing standpoint"
This highwaymGn style OF doing things has lost
the great base ball league many friends. II is
all very well 20 say that the PLAYERS have been
getting all the plums for the past few wears and
that the ''magnates' have been getting nothing
but bills to paw. bat the fact remains that the
PLAYERS earned their salaries or they very speed
iy had to get out The PLAYER has no rights
that any maSnate must respect. The latter is
influenced through his pocket. He would re-
place every one of his hiSh-priced men with
cheap men, No one doubts ii. As President
Temple of Pittsburg saws: THE DAYS of senti-
mental base ball played out" Or as Mr.
Young SAYS: Hereafter the league is to be run
on strictly business principles" All that sickly
stuff abo3t the welfare of the national game"
about which some writer's like to pirate so much
simply means the fairness of the magnates
pocket books. In turf slang. They re out for
the stuff. They're not engaging this man or
that because Of friendship or because of what
be has done for base ball. or that he has given
glory TO the national sport. Not muchee.
They engage a player because they need him.
AMI they him than they have To
From the talk of some base ball magnates one
would suppose they had been conducting a
home for the friendless. That the owners Of base
ball clubs have lost money in the past wears is
largely their own fault. They adopted an lib
erai policy toward their men-not even busi-
ness Ike, for no such practice obtains in any
bu7iness-and they had revolt on their hands
that cost them. it is said. $500 900.
Then they lost more money through their
own treaehery TO one another. No one knows
this better than MIR. Young. The league adopted
classification system. Players were graded iii
certain classes and a maximum limit Of salaries
was fixed Every one knows that the thing was
all farce. Side contracts were drawn up
PLAYERS sold jack knives and such things to
their employers. and received consideration
Sl.5OO or $4,000. In many ways was the rule
eEaded- The consequence was that salary lists
grew as high a. ever. The very dishonesty of
the clubs brought about what they were irving
10 prevent. And so IT has been right along
~ NiNDH AhfC one hllOlD.T anu tlen
took it out Of the players. They would ou:bid
one another for star PLAYERS until each club had
a salary list abSurdiy large. OF course having
reached such state Of affairs no club could un-
load and weaken itself. That would mean with
drasal OF popular support. Players never COM
blned 70 force the club owners TO paw them
higher salaries. Individual PLAYERS have held
out for larger offers. as they had perfect right
10 do. but the players have not combined
against the magnates a. the magnates have
against the play ers. What q club paid PLAYER
IL paid yolun .ariiy and because. the PLAYER was
worth that much 10 the club.
The ball ilayers who signed contracts early
IN the spring did 20 with the understanding that
the contracts meant something. But the club
owners have agreed to cut down not only the
number of PLAYERS ON a team. but their salaries.
and have agreed not TO engage any player who
resigns on account of a cut in his salary There
l. prObabls not another business or profession
In existence where such thing could or would
be tried Yet this Is called ''business-like priu-
ciples- l. the PLAYERS combined and said tina,
they would not play after July Is except at
their own figures IL would be merely reversing
things. They would be turning on the screws
then
Mullane Of Cincinnatiis one Of the faithful men
who haze worked hard and who had 10 stand a
cut in his salary. He refuses to submit TO the
70 per cent reduction made. All the other Gin
cinnatl players have consented TO the decrease
Mullane's salary - cut from "a. 100 to So 900
He requested his release and was given the
usual ten days notice. He said: II have al
ready nouhei the Cincinnati officials that /
could not stand Tie cut. Had / known this
would have come would never have signed.
feel that am entitled 10 the money nv con-
tract calls fo- AID If there's any way 20 hold the
managers 10 that contract propose to have nv
rights They cant trump up anv charges
against me. have played az good ball as
could and have given them al my time and
attention"
There are rumors OF discomfort on the part
of Holiday. Smith and NcPhee, but Mullane il
the only one who has taken "a decided stand
against the reduction
The official pruning knife that Is swinging
around the league circle Topping off the salaries
OF the ball players came down ON the heads OF
Won der Abe pets. The Browns will fare bet
ter than any other team in the matter Of reduc-
lions. and in regard TO the gu. Won der Abe
saws: "ies. the salaries of the players are to be
cut. ard there is no harm in its being known.
We have found IL necessary TO reduce expenses
r. order 10 break even, il possible. on the sea-
son. A il il. We have made no money TO speak
OF. and will feel satisfied if 1 pull out whole
this season.
Jerry Denny is now on the wav 70 Louisville
from California Manager Prefer accepted his