The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-04-29


as $4,000 for a season on the diamond.
II all the big league pay rolls 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 monthsS work or play. which
ever way ono happens to look at It.
Dose $4,000 seem like a very fair
remuneration for seasons work? The
public Il divided on that, put probably
there are as many who would say that
an everage of $4,000 is just.
Joe Tinker Is Wise Boy.
Joe Tinker of the cubs-and he is
one of those players whose contracts
call for quite a bit more than $1,000
went to the defense Of the magnate
not long ago and said that they were
more than generous in paying salaries.
When l think" said Tinker. "of the
way used to work as lather for
SIS week before 1 became a profess
sional baseball player / have to stop
| and shake hands with myself for my
luck in being able to draw major
league money. / couldn't earn the
money the Chicago club pays me do
| ing anything else IL / didn't have my
baseball reputation to fall back on.
And l want to say that the ball play
er has pretty good time earning that
salary. At least, l do, for l love to
| play ball. Being paid good salary for
J doing the pleasantest task on earth Is
what 1 call pretty fine arrangement.
am satisfied and l 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 saw his son john
ny play game typifes the light in
which a 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 salary to the
old folks in Holyoke, Mass. They knew
he was getting a big salary, and his
father though Jack must be working
| like q slave to earn so much. more
money than he had in the mills around
Holyoke. One day when the Brook
| lyn club, which Jack was with at this
time, visited Boston for q series Jack
went down to Holyoke to visit his
parents and persuaded his father to
return to the city with him and watch
game. e.. 49,.
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.
1t wasn't what he thought 1t was go
| ing to be. He believed the thousands
of fans utterly crazy when they got
excited during the heated moments Of
| the play.
| With the game over-won bv a
timely hit by Jack the senior Doyle
was greatly relieved. Not at Brook
| lyn's victory or his sons fine base hit,
| but at the chance to consult his son
on an important matter.
Came a Little Too Easy.
| Jack, do you really tell me that the
morRey you have been sending US is
honestly earned? ?" asked Mr.. Doyle,
senior, In great anxiety. as#"'.st
@"Why sure." said Jack, surprised
that he hadn't been congratulated for
winning a hard game. "But why do
you ask? "-.~ '@t,
well, just couldn't believe it was
POSSIBLE for you to be getting all that
money for kicking up didos in those
short pants. am glad your Aunt
Mary -dtdnt see you. II was TOO easy
| for the old gentleman.
How many ball players would be
able to earn $4,000 in other lines of
endeavor? There are some, but
mighty few. Fielder Jones is passing
up salary of $4,000 to look after
business interests made possible by ju-
dicious investments 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 on the strength Of his baseball
reputation. Take away the. baseball
popularity earned on the ball field and
few of the players could gather the
shekels as bountifully as they do by
playing ball,
The ball player Of today is a business
man In the strictest sense as far as
saving his money is concerned. With
only a rare exception here and there,
the boys all save as much OF their SAL
aries as possible. That is as it should
be, and highly pleasing to the club
owners, who encourage thrift. The ball
players who save are the ones who
stay in nights and the ones who have
clear eye the next day. That is what
pleases the manager.