The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
BASEBALL Is COSTLY
MajOr League Club Requires
an Enormous Outlay.
SALARIES BUT a SMALL ITEM
Three Theatrical Companies Could
BE Put on Road for Less Money
Than Is Necessary 10 Maintain "A
Firsf-cIass Bali Team-A Large
Corps of Assistants Necessary.

Corps of Assistants Necessary.
Few pcrsCsS realize the cost of running /
a baseball team in either OF the big
leagues. Figures are never made public,
but it is safe 70 say that in one season it |
mounts up into hundreds of thousands OF
dollars.
To own baseball club in one OF the
major leagues a man must have fat
purse Without a doubt three theatrical
companies could be put on the road
cheaper than one big league team. But
on the other hand, the receipts are in
finitely greater, or the baseball loving
public would be unable to enthIse over
its great national game.
The closed season does not mean that
the baseball machinery has shut down
for the winter There is almost as much
activity in the winter months as when
the fans are pouring through the turn
stiles Just as soon as the playing season
ends preparations are begun for the next
year The players retire to their homes
in various parts of the country and take
up their winter occupations, but the club
office staff does not disband. Owner and
manager put their heads together and plot
and plan how they can strengthen their
club. They discuss the new players. how
they can benefit by trades and a hundred
and one things which the fans never
know and don't care about. so long as
they have q winning team in their home
town.
The burdens Of the club secretary are
many and varied. During the early win
ter months he arranges for the training
trip. making schedules and throwing them
away because they don't suit the mana
ger. Lots of things have to be taken into
consideration in planning for these pre-
liminary games. Some Southern baseball
towns would not furnish gate receipts
large enough to pay for the players rub
down. These towns are to be stunned
in making the schedule. In other places
the teams are not strong enough 10 give
the team worthy battle.
On Training Trip.
Before the players assemble at the train
ing headquarters somewhere in the South
the secretary and the ground keeper have
gone on ahead To look after the playing
field the hotel accommodations. the ad-
vertising arrangements. and the innumer-
able other minor details. With the team
finally gathered together the work comes
thick and fast. 1t costs a nice little figure
10 feed and house some forty healthy ath-
letes not including a trainer. rubbers.
and other camp followers. Then there are
good big transportation bills. fair-slzed
items for playing paraphernalia which
includes suits for home and OUt-of-tOwn
games, gloves, hats. and balls, and numer-
ous sundries. The training trip Is an ex-
pensiye necessity, and the club is lucky
if the preliminary games have paid half
Of the cost Of the sojourn in the South.
The actual playing season IS about six
months long. from the middle of April
10 the first or second week in October.
When a manager has weeded out the
men whom he thinks OF no value to his
team there will probably be about tWen-
ty-five players on the salary list Their
careers on the diamond are short. but
they make money fast while they last,
always provided they help fill the Golfers
of the club. Thousands of fans will go
TO see a game just because of the chance
10 watch one player cavort about the
diamond.
Here again IL is impossible to quote fig
ures, but II is pretty safe to say they
earn about 1000 each for playing through
the season. OF course. the majority OF
men get considerably less, but an aver
age OF $3.50 would not be far wide of the
mark. Twenty-Five times $500 is S62. 800.
The manager draws a large salary and
then there are others who will be on
the pay roll for short periods. The two
New York clubs, for instance, will un-
doubtedly pay out more than 100000 each
for salaries alone the coming season.
Corps of Assistants.
Then there are other ltems-smaller, II
is true, but still worth mentioning-to
show what an expensive thing IL is TO
own a club. The management must pro-
vide special policemen. The number
varies with the Importance OF the game
and the size of the crowd. They are there
for every home game. Besides the special
policemen, there are cashiers, ticket col
lectors. and laborers to keep the grounds
and stands in condition
The teams travel as far West as St
Louis and as far East as Boston. While
they are on the road they stay at first
class hotels. 1t is a hard life jumping
from one city to another. one day in ST.
Louis the next in Chicago. To keep the
men in good condition the management
must supply the best Of everything. for
the players are always on edge and easily
grow peevish. Three months and a half
or travelling costs small fortune.
Every owner and manager is always on
the lookout for stars, and you can't get
star in these days unless you pay for
him. Some Of these glittering lights have
brought as much rs $4,000
With the expenses running into the
hundreds OF thousands, what must be the
receipts? This is an open question. but
they are quite few thousand more than
the expenses. The owners may be good
sp0rtsmen. but they are also interested in
the dividends. and, after all. the fans
pay for their amusement by footing the
bills. With one or two exceptions. per
haps, all the clubs in the two major
leagues made money last year and are
counting on another prosperous season
as the sport is more popular than ever
JOCKEY CLUB FORFEITS SMALL.