Evening star., 1901-03-19
IMPORTANT MEETING
American Leagues Gathering at
Philadelphia Awaited With Interest.
PLAYERS SECURED MAY Be NAMED
President johnson Well Satisfied
With Present Outlook.
SPORTS IN GEN ERAL


League in Philadelphia is expected to
bring base ball matters to a crisis. In ad-
dition to giving out the schedule, President
johnson has promised to make known all
the National League and other players who
will make up the teams in his organization.
These names are expected to create un-
usual excitement II not CONSERVATION In
the major rank of magnates Many play
ers have been placed to the credit Of the
younger organization who have not signed
contracts, but who are using the American
League as a club with which to hammer
more money out Of the National League In
the way of increased salaries Nothing is
known yet as to the schedule. but 1t would
indeed be radical change to start the
season on the lines laid down in the dis
patch from Chicago yesterday. A home
and home series has always been interest
Ing to the admirers Of clubs from the
different sections, and to shift them to
foreign territory at the start looks like a
Dig mistake With the exception Of Bos-
ton all the American League grounds in
the east will be in readiness by the oath of
April, and to let them remain idle for al
most month looks like a money-losing
proposition.
AL the western American League mag
mates have started east and the first ar
rivals are due in Philadelphia tonight.
Manager Manning will go over tomorrow
morning.
The present fine weather has enabled
Contractor Tally to do great deal of
work on the new grounds, but there is
still considerable filling-in to be done be-
fore the rolling process starts. 1t is ex-
pected that the permit for the erection of
the stands will be given out late this after
noon at the District building SO that the
carpenters can begin work tomorrow morn
ing.
Han1On Expects American to Lose.
Manager Hanlon, in an interview with a
New York Sun reporter recently said:
"All Of the National League clubs expect
to lose money this year, but we will win in
the long run. How can the promoters of
the American League expect to win out?
If they had known more of the base ball
business they never would have entered it.
1t was easy enough to figure out the profits
on paper, but they will know better soon.
Take McGraw's Baltimore club for in
stance. 1t Is one Of the best and cheapest
in the new league. His salary list will be
about $4,000 and his running expenses
about $4,000. If the Boston American
League clubs salary list is based on the
figures Somers says he is paying, the pay
roll will amount to $4,000 and Philadelphia
about the same.
This means for the four eastern clubs of
the American League an average expense
Of $4,000 for the season. The campaign
lasts five months and one week Adding
Sunday games in the west, and deducting
games postponed because Of rain or other
causes. and they have at best 13O playing
days. With 25-cent rate of admission, 1t
will require an average of 1000 persons per
game to pay expenses. 1t will cost the
Boston or Philadelphia American League
clubs $500 day to keep above water. The
expenses OF the Brooklyn club last year
were $4,000. and we made no money
Johnson's Opposite View.
Here is what President johnson is quoted
as saying when shown the above interview:
''Hanlon has become something of pes
simist since his great disappointment in
Brooklyn as ball town. Even admitting
that Hanlon's figures of SOC, 900 as to Brook
lyn are correct, 1t must be remembered that
the Brooklyn club owners get salaries ag-
gregating about $4,000. Hanlon paid out
about $4,000 for players and had twenty
men on the pay roll The Brooklyn club,
therefore. had about $4,000 in expenses
that the Boston and Philadelphia American
League clubs will not have at all.
1T is true that these latter clubs will pay
few star men big salaries but with Only
fourteen players each and with playing
managers their salary lists will doubtless
be much lower than Brooklyns But ad-
mitting that their expenses will be heavy,
does Hanlon forget the old days in Balti-
more, when with an expensive club and 25-
cent ball his champion Orioles used to have
d CoihIoIldDle pdiduCt dt tHc Slu VI eetCu
season? OF course, there will be two clubs
in Boston and in Philadelphia, but with
their suburban towns each of those cities
has tributary population of nearly double
that of Baltimore If the American League
clubs get the larger crowds, as they ex-
pect to do, they need have no fear. Nor Will
they have to have 1000 persons at each
game. Hanlon places running expenses too
high and does not count the reserved seats
and other privileges of value on he side.
His estimate Of McGraws salary list is en-
tirely too high, as well as his estimate of
the other expenses McGraw's salary list
will not exceed $4,000. Hanlon never was
q prophet"