The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-17
MAPS COST FORTUNE
Cleveland Has Spent $4,000
to Strengthen Team.
MANY RECRUITS PURCHASED
OF the Twenty-Five Minor League
Players Drafted and Bought by
Lnjoie Was Purchased During the
Baseball War at "a Large Price.


Baseball War at "a Large Price.
The cost Of operating a major league
ball club has been figured ont and the
results presented to the public by vagi-
Gus writer's until followers Of the sport
are all pretty well acquainted with the
fact that It costs a wonderful lot OF
money and, more than this, that It costs
just about as much TO run a second
division major league club as it does a
first division proposition And this latter
fact is one that the average club owner
would like 10 forget, If he dared.
But no one has ever attempted to fig
ure out what # costs to get together
major league pennant winner, besides
what ii costs to run one after you get
it-or before you get it, also. for that
matter This is easily explained by the
fact that history teaches that this cost
Of getting a pennaut winner is huctuat-
ing and is never the same for any two
clubs. Owing to the opportunity which
the baseball war gave for the securing
Of a lot Of good players without having
to make any outlay for their releases.
the three pennant winners in the Ameri-
can League during the past FIVE years
We're actually gotten together At less eX-
pense than any other Of the five clubs
in the league.
Athletics Winning Team.
Philadelphia won the pennant in 1900
with team which had been crippled by
the loss of Lajoie. Bernhard, and Flick,
and with very little outlay of capital 10
replace these players. Boston, the win
ner in 1893 and 1891. was composed al
most exclusively. OF players who were
secured in war times and for whose re-
leases no money was spent. philadelphia
won out again in 1898 win a small
amount spent for players 10 be added 10
tile champions of 1882 And last season
Comiskey won the hOnOrs with a club on
which he has spent probably less than
S21.G9 for releases of players during the
past FIVE wears, in addition 20 those he
had M the time the peace agreement was
signed.
In contrast q these facts about the
American League peHnant winners for
The past five years the history OF the
efforts Of the Cleveland owners 10 win
the American League championship reads
like a Corner in Players" or some such
work Of fiction with a similar Wall street
title.
LnjOfe Came High.
The famous -Laioic deal" which landed
Manager Lljoie and Bill Bernhard for
Cleveland in 1902, and the later addition
Of Flick and Charley Hickman. did not
cost the Cleveland club any actual outlay
Of q large amount of capitol. but the
coup which secured Lajoie amounted TO
The same thing in the end indsmuch as
the Cleveland owners were compelled TO
assume the largest baseball obligation
that was ever entered into with one play
er ia the entire history Of the game. and
tney 6r, his without the positive kuowi-
edge that the courts would permit La
joic To play ball IN Cleveland for the
large amount which they obligated them
selves 60 pay him, whether he should be
permitted % play or not. In addition 20
this cOntracr they agreed 10 fight the
case To the bitter end IN the courts and
defray all the expense Of the action This
expense ran up into the thousands Of
dollars.
The coming OF Lajoie and Bernhard
and the addition Of Flick and Hickman
who followed at about the same time,
turned hopeless tail end team into a
decided factor in the race and gave the
Cleveland owners their first insight into
the appreciation Of a winning team in "A
major league. The practical demonstra-
ton which Cleveland patrons Of the sport
gave during the latter half Of the sea-
son of 1902 started the most relentless
battle of dollars that has ever been
waged by any BAH club in an effort 10
float q pennant above its park
Bought Twenty-Five Players.
During the seasons Of 1902. 1903, 1905, and
1905 twenty-five players were purchased
and drafted by the Cleveland club at an
expense Of $4,000. Most of these players
wse tried and found wanting OF the
twenty-five players involved in this out
lay OF money. only five will wear d
Cleveland uniform in 1877. These FIVE
men are Turner. StovalI, Clarke. Wake
field, and Congalton and they are all that
the Cleveland club has to show for its
, investment Of $1,000, 50 that each of
these men represents an average cost Of
S6.aJ0 to the club.
UndaUnted by four years Of misfortune
and disappointment that would have dis
cOUraged Col. Mulberry Sellers himself,
the Cleveland owners plunged into the
minor league market harder than ever
last fall and handed out $3.50 for the
releases Of seven more players who looked
/ like they might add some strength to the
/ local team. Thus in five years over $4,000
has been paid over the minor league bar
gain counter for the release Of players
who il was thought might add Just that
/ little additional strength which seems
necessary to make a pennant winner out
OF the Cleveland club instead of just an
ordinary first division club. 1t is not
likely that more than ten of these twelve
players will be carried by Cleveland this
/ season. Ten players to show for an aver
/ age outlay of 5000 each. and only three
/ of them-Turner. Stovall, and Clarke
among the regulars.
In the face of these figures the average
fan viii stand aghast and wonder how
much il would have cost to secure the
| great array of playing talent for which
the Cleveland team is famous, If there
had been no baseball war and the local
owners had been compelled TO purchase
| the releases Of such men as Lajoie Flick.
Bradley. Bay, Joss. Rhoades, Bernhard.
Hess. Moore, and Bemis. whose names do
not appear in the list Of the ten referred
BASEBALL NOTES