The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-28
by FREDERIC J. HAsk1N.

| The day of the reign of the horse
hide sphere and the ash stick Is upon
us. Every baseball team in the coun.
try has visions Of a pennant floating
before 1t. and is now laying founda-
lions upon which 1t hopes to rear a
championship superstructure. The
major leagues. with fortunes behind
minor leagues are not SO well pro-
vided with money, so they train at
home. The college fellows do like
wise. But IT all takes money. and II is
take. There are over fifty baseball
leagues in the United States. There
are over 800 clubs in these leagues,
and they employ over 1000 profess
sional players.
Inc ekpeuse of baseball clubs take as
wide range as they do with individuals.
The major league clubs reach the top
notch IN the matter OF expense ac-
count. 1t cost the Chicago Cubs some
S260,000 TO win the pennant and the
championship last year To keep an
effective nine on the field whenever
the ball was in play. cost over $4,000.
Railroad fares, hotel bills and other
Items too numerous TO mention, added
the round sum OF 100000 to the ac-
count. 1t is estimated that the
salaries OF the professional players OF
the United states amount 10 about ST.
100000. If the ratio between salaries
and expenses in the case of the Cubs
follows on down through the minor
leagues, the total outlay of the clubs
for professional baseball in the United
states would aggregate some $4,000
900. Amateur baseball probably adds
as much more.
Baseball probably represents the
most completely united form of amuse-
ment in the United States. Much is
heard in this country about the thea
trica trust, but professional baseball
has outdistanced the theatre in this
particular. The few professionals that
are outside are known as outlaws
and their future has little of promise
in 1t. The man who is not an outlaw
stands chance to get TO the top III
he has the merit to take him there,
but the OUTLAW is communicated
outer darkness. where the dogs may
bark at him. The National Associa
ton OF Professional Baseball Clubs
might be called the United States of
low out the idea of the Federal gov
eminent. August Herman. the pres
ident of the national commission, may
be likencd to the Chief Justice of the
which he heads, to the court itself
Mr.. Herman is also the president of
the American Bowling Congress, and Isl
about the only man who has been the
top notch man of two classes of sport
at the same time.
Training for seasons wor-. is not
the life of idleness and ease one might
think. Neither is 1t SO attractive orr
triple play before applauding thou
sands, or playing the role they hoped
Casey would play when he went to-
bat. 1t is rather the day of doleful
are to be smoothed out. He must bo
chiseled down and polished UP physi-
cally and mentally until he is a gen
eral in thought and action on the base
ball battlefield; 1t Is the day of grind
ing routine. But the work of making
foundation can never be as attrac-
tive as the putting of the finishing
touches on the skyscraper. It was this
decline two $4,000 offers to get into
the game this year. Wagner and
Lajoie are the only two players who
have scored above 300 for ten sue
last season. But still it is not all
drudgcry. When Comiskey took his
White Sox outfit to Los Angeles to
train them. he chartered a special all
the trip. There We're thirty-ive play
ers, and some fifteen others, who went
to Los Angeles. Comisltey plans to go
to Honolulu next year to prepare for
the pennant.
farther every year. In England
cricket has had to bow its head to
baseball on moro than ono occasion. In
lar OIL Fanama there Is an elght-CluD
league In the Canal Zone, and but for
the lack Of good umpires like ODay
and Sheridan, everything would run
perfectly. Last year the Culebra team
Tho Japanese in the West are taking
q lively interest in the game. and
Spokane. WASH, boasts of an all
Japanese team. 1t is said that the
little brown men make good stick
artists. and that the American team
which meets them has to look to its
honors.
But for the baseball fans the Fill
pinos have the rest OF the world back
ed clear off the boards The American
teachers have introduced the game into
schools. and it Is taking like wildfire
The young Filipinos have become so
enthusiastic over the game that they
have forgotten their favorite sport Of
expressed his satisfaction at seeing
this new evidence of a growing civil
iZation among his friends OF the
Orient. In a game played not long
ago in the Philippines, native player
made a rather sensational catch. IT
pleased the spectators so that 5000 of
them overran the grounds to congratu-,
late the player 1t was an hour be-
fore the game could be. resumed. 1t
decision better than the peo-
pie of any other nationality who play
the game.
Not all ball players remain ball
players, Johnny Ward and Dave Fultz
both stars In the baseball world in 4
their day, are now lawyers, and 1t Is Il
said they were never moro successful
in chasing hot grounders than they
are now In chasing good sized fees into