Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-28
WALSH ASKS HIGH
PRICE FOR WORK
DebatabIe Question Whether
Edward Is Worth
$500.


tract yet. During breathing spells whls
coaching the Yale pitchers tire Whsle
Sox star announced the other DAY that
IL would take $500 10 lure him back 10
the box for the Chicago club. The chances
are that Walsh's ability 10 win ball games
meant several times 81 500 10 the owner
CT the White SoX team last year. but
does ii follow that Walsh should he paid
$500?
What is a topnotcher like Walsh really
worth when it comes right down TO brass
tacks' What percentage OF the money
that his name and prestige draw through
the turnstiles should "A player receive a.
compensation: That depends The PLAY
ere thinks he should get at least half
The club owner must view the situation
from another angle. Without taking awav
from the base ball stars glory, the owaer
of big league club could very easily
explain why he would have to turn down
a demand fer a salary OF S1..tn in the
case of Ed Walsh or $1,000 in the case
OF Mike Donlin.
In the first place. il would wreck tho
ball CLUB. for every other player would
so on strike in a holy minute. one play
er has TO be paid I'M certain proportion
tn what his team mates get. BY paying
the men like La ioie. Cobb. Walsh ami
Donlin in proportion TO the amount ~
money they draw through the gates the
salary list of the ball club would soon
be away above any reasonable limit and 4
club owner wouldn't be able to get
just return on the money invested. in
fact. he would go broke.
Public in the Dark.
The public never has had a very clear
idea OF just what the ball players
ceived in their envelopes on the LIST and
18th of every month from April until
October. Many think that every Well
known PLAYER gets at least St."o and
that the most famous stars draw down
from $4,000 Id $4,000. And the public's
sympathy has all been with the player
until very lately. There have been
many phoney loid-outs retirements and
threats 10 jump to the outlaw league by
players who never intended to do any
thing but jump right into the band wagon
when the proper time. came that the dear
cid public has switched its sympathy
or quite chunk Of Ito tie club own
: ers, who have ou;groWn the position of
slave owners and barterers in human
. | chattels'
Still others think the players are doing
. pretty we'll to drag down much as
; $500 for a season on the diamond If
. all the big league pay rolls We're summed
up and average taken il would he
. found that the players received about
5000 to $500 an.ece for the six months
work or play. whichever way one hap
, pens to look al IT,
> Does $1,000 seem like pretty fair re-
! Enumeration for a seasons work? The
, public is divided on that but probably
there are as many who would say that
an average Of So 600 is just.
/ Wise Joe Tinker.
Joe Tinker of the Cubs-and he IL one
. of those players whose contracts call
for quite bi. more than S. .O00-went TO
the defense of the magnates not long ago
and said that they were more than gener-
Gus I'm paying salaries.
when / think" said Tinker "of the
way ] used to work lather for SIS a
week before became a professional base
ball player, 1 have to stop and shake
hands with myself for my luck in being
able to draw major league money. 1
couldn't earn the money the Chicago club
pays me doing anything else IL l didn't
have my base ball reputation to fall back
on. And / want to say that the ball
player has a pretty good time earning
that salary At least I do. for / love
to play ball. Being paid a good salary
for doing the pleasantest task on earth
is what I call a pretty fine arrangement.
am satisfied. and 1 think right down In
their hearts all the players have a good
deal to be thankful for"
The surprise given Jack Doyle's father
when he first aw his son Johnny play a
game typifies the light In which part
OF the fans view the ball players life.
Jack had been mighty good to his parents.
and every pay day sent part OF his SAL
airy to the old folks at Holyoke. Mass.
They knew he was getting big salary.
and his father thought Jack must be
working like slave to earn 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 Holyoke 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 Disguised.
1t wasn't what he thought it was going
to be. He believed the thousands OF
fans utterly crazy when rhey got excited
during the heated moments of the play.
! With the game over-won by a timely
hit by Jack-the senior Doyle was great
ly relieved Not at Brooklyn's victory
of his sons fine base hit, but at the
chance to consult his son an impor-
tant matter
Came Too Easy.
Jack. do you really tell me that the
! money you have been sending us is
honestly earned?" asked Mr.. Doyle,
senior. in great anxiety.
why. sure" said Jack. surprised that
he hadn't been congratulated for winning
a hard game But why do you-ask:"
| well. | just couldn't believe il was
possible for YOU to he getting all that
money for kicking up didos in those short
pants. / am glad your Aunt Mary didn't
see you" 1t was too easy for the old
! gentleman.
How many ball players would be able
| to earn $1,000 in other lines of endeavorr
There are some, but mighty few. Fielder
Jones is passing up a salary of $1,000
TO look after business interests. but bust
ness interests made possible by judicious
| investment of the money he earned as a
ball player. Mike Donlin. with his wife
Mabel Hite. has been making $1,000 a
week all winter, but merely the
strength of his base ball reputation.
| Take away the base ball popularity
earned on the ball field and few OF the
players could gather the shekels
bountifully they do by playing ball.
! The ball player OF today is a business
man in the strictest sense Is far as SAY
| ing his money is concerned With only
a rare exception here and there. the boys
all save as much Of their salaries as
possible. That is il should be. and
/ highly pleasing to the club owners, who
encourage thrift. The ball PLAYERS who
| save the ores who stay in nights
and the ones who have a clear eye the
next day That is what pleases the
manager.
Middies to Row Harvard.