Evening journal., 1909-05-26
SPORTING JOURNAL
PRINCELY PAY
FOR BALL PLAYERS
Major League TOsSerS Will
Average $4,000 for Six
months Work

The public never has had a very clear
idea Of just what the ball players re-
ceived in their envelopes on the first
and fifteenth of every month from
April until October. Many think that
every well-known player gets at least
$4,000 and that the most famous stars
draw down from $1,000 to $4,000. And
the publics sympathy has all been
with the PLAYER until very lately. There
have been so many phoney holdouts
retirements and threats to jump TO the
outlaw league by players who never in
tend to do anything but jump right
chunk of ito the club owners, who
have outgrown the position of slave
owners and barterers in human chat
tells"
Still others think the players are do
ing pretty we'll to drag down as much
as $1,000 for a season on the diamond.
If all the big league payrolls were
summed up and an average taken 1t
would be found that the players re-
ceived about $4,000 to $4,000 apiece for
the six months work or play. which
ever way one happens to look at it.
Does $4,000 seem like a pretty fair
remuneration for a seasons work? The
public is divided on that, but probably
there are as many who would say that
an average of $1,000 is just.
( JOE TINKER TALKS
Joe Tinker Of the Cubs-and he Is
one of those players whose contract
calls for quite bit more than $1,000
! went to the defense of the magnates
not long ago and said that they were
more than generous in paying salaries.
The surprise given Jack Doyle's
| father when he first saw his son john
ny play a game typifes the light IN
( which, part of the fails view the ball
! players life. Jack had been mighty
/ good to his parents, and every pay
| day sent part of his salary to the old
/ folks at Holyoke, Mass.
They knew he was getting a big sal
ary, and his father thought Jack
must be working like a slave to earn
so much more money than he had IN
the mills around Holyoke. one day
when the Brooklyn club. which Jack
was with at this time. visited Boston
for a series, Jack went down to Holy
olIe to visit his parents and persuaded
his father to return to the city with
him and watch a game.
The old gentleman went His first
shock was at the luxurious quarters
which the players occupied-at no ex-
pense to themselves. Then came the
game. The elder Doyle was disgusted
It wasn't what he thought il was goine
to be- He believed the thousands OF
fans utterly crazy when they got ex.
! cited during the heated moments of the
play.
With the game over-won by a time.
ly hit by Jack-the senior Doyle was
greatly relieved Not at Brooklyn''
victory or his sons fine base hit. bu
at the chance to consult his son on al
important matter
! Jack do you really tell me tha
|, the money you have been sending III
is honestly earned?" asked Mr.. Doyle
senior, in great anxiety.
why. sure" said Jack. surprise,
that he hadn't been congratulated 70
winning hard game. But why d.
you ask?"
'Well just couldn't believe it pos
! sible for you to be getting all tha
money for kicking up didos in thos
. short pants I am glad your Aun
Mary didn't see you" 1t was too cas-.
for the old gentleman.
4. / FIELDER JONES CASE.
How many ball players would be abl
{ TO earn $4,000 I'm other lines of en-
/ deavor? There are some, but might
, few. Fielder Jones is passing up
salary of $4,000 to look after busines
interests. but business interests mad
possible by iudicious investment of tn
-, money he earned as a ball player. MIX
Donlin. with his wife, Mabel Hite, ha
, been making $1,000 a week all winte
but merely on the strength Of his base
ball reputation. Take away the base
ball popularity earned on the ball fel
and few of the players could gathe
;. the shekels, as bountifully as they
0 playing ball.