The Washington herald., 1907-10-27

IS nothing else TO do.
In some respects the baseball busi-
ness is a huge partnership In the va
rious leagues the club owners practically
agree to divide the seasons profits. The
visiting team. under this arrangement,
gets nearly half of each days receipts.
receiving 12lz cents out OF each 25-cent
admission, and % cents out Of each 90
cent, 75-cent. and 81 admission. As near
~ 30 per cent Of the total admissions are
50 cents or under. the visitors fare well,
indeed. leaving the home team the ad-
vantage Of grand stand and box seats.
Majors Get Money.
''The bulk Of the money spent in the
baseball business goes to the two major
league clubs and TO the principal minors
the American Association. the West
ern. Central. Southern, Eastern, New
England, Three-Eyc. and Pacihc Coast
leagues. When these are passed there
are the various State. interstate. district
and even county leagues Last of all are
the city and semi-professional teams, and
for part Of the season the college
teams. With all Of these clubs, the one
object is to get a winning team. Regard
less Of what baseball may mean to the
losing clubs, there is no doubt Of its sue
cess as a business proposition when the
club is a winner
In the major leagues the struggle for
supremacy is keenest and the owners Of
some of the clubs spend fortune after
fortune in the effort to land first place
with their teams Good baseball players
are the scarcest commercial commodity
on earth In any other business it is
comparatively easy Tor rivals 10 lure
away the successful employe Of compet-
ing concerns. All they have TO do is TO
offer the employe in question a little more
money than he is getting where he is.
But ball players cannot be secured in
that way. Every club owner is under
contractual obligations 20 every other
club owner IN the national agreement,
and by these ne is restrained from taking
the other fellows good players by simply
Offering them more money. Baseball could
not be played under any other agreement.
/ II managers We're allowed % go after
| the good players in this fashion the
wealthy club owners would soon have all
/ the good players and there would be no
/ evenness in the race for the pennant In
/ baseball there Is a huge sentimental .u-
/ terest and the best baseball team in the
world may lack support from the base
/ ball public If the other teams IN the
/ league are not strong enough 20 make
! the pennant fight interesting. In other
/ lines Of business the rule works just
I the other way. apparently. It is the
1 largest and most successful concern that
/ has the best patronage, and, regardless
/ of the fact that such a concern may be
/ making all the money and crowding It's
\ competitors to the wall. il seldom lacks
support from the buying public
Under an Agreement.
1T is necessary, then, to make the eX-
change Of players among the clubs sub
/ ject to certain mutual agreements 4
! great baseball player has 20 be devel-
/ oped, and this process takes years with
| some players Mauifestly it would b'
wrong for one manager, simply by the
offer OF m0s1 salary. 10 lure away
player that another manager had spen
years Of time and thousands Of dollars ir
develoring Il would be wrong TO III,
manager and wrong 70 the player, for th'
reason that such "A wholesale competition
in time would result in salaries that I'd
club could afford TO pay. That would
make il necessary to employ many play
ers Of less ability. ana these, disgruntle,
by the high salaries given the stars
would cause strife and dissension {,
spring up in the club
a good ball player cannot be bough
for money. No amount Of money woul,
induce the club owners OF the big leagues
to part with certain Of their players
have men on my team that I would no
sell for an amount equal % the anuua
salary OF the President of the UuireC
States. Whenever q good player is sold
one who is good in every department o.
the game-there is some reason Of per
sonal nature back Of the sale. Some O
the most brilliant baseball players th
country ever knew were absolutely worth
less 10 the team employing them. Their
have been men and there are Yet SOM
men playing pail who are stars in ever,
sense Of the word. but who. because q
some personal characteristic. proved
drawback 10 their team. A great pItche
may have the habit Cf going of on q fish
! ing trip just at the time when his ciu
needs him most. An outnefder who cal
bat well over 300 may keep the entir
club dis0rganized and dissatisfied
Player an Artist.
The baseball business resembles +
many ways the theatrical profession. Is
: pecially with reference TO grand oper
stars. The baseball player may chew
pound of tobacco during every game, d
, may eat with his knife when he goes int
the ultra-fashionable hotels OF the couu
try; he may insult the English languag
every time he takes Il into his mouth; h
, may have no more education than is rt
) quired 10 sign his monthly pay check. an
! yet he may be an artist Of the first ran
e and with the ability to draw the sam
2 class OF patrons TO watch him work as 3
to the best opera houses to listen 10
|, world-renowned prima donna The bas,
ball player who can bat 800 OF over, q
. who can throw on a line to the plate froi
deep center, or who can leap high in tn
air to pull down screeching liners wiz
r one hand, is an artist. He can send MOI
, thrills through the spectator Of his wor
, than the worlds best tenor could in th
same length of time. Therefore. he is a
artist, and he must be treated as an al
: tist and it is in the handling of h
collection Of artists that the baseba
owner meets his greatest difficulty.
''The average business man. who
accustomed TO handling large numbers
men, would be driven frantic if he WEI
, called upon suddenly to look after IL
fortunes of a big league baseball clul
The baseball manager, knowing, as
does. that every game, possible must
won, must have infhlte' patience and tai
to manage his successful and not mfr,
quently eccentric stars Baseball player
get notions in their heads sometime
Z that almost drive their managers Graz
T 7 reueu7her onre that Rube Waddel