The Washington herald., 1909-01-11

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zone million dollars viii not buy the
West Side ball club when the contem-
plated improvements on the park are
completed
This surprising statement, made by
President Murphy 10 the Chicago Trib-
Une. gives an mixing Of the progress
made IN the last year or two by baseball
as a commercial. enterprise L is not a
wild statement. as II may appear 81 first
glance. Nor viii the Chicago National
League clubs property he the only base
bali plant whose value VIII approach
seven figures when plans now under con
sheraton are carried into effect.
The immense sums Of money already
spent and 70 be spent on the national
pestims give rise 10 the belief that the
game is one Of the most profitable enter
prises in which Americans can invest.
To be sure, franchises in major league
cities are not 10 Be h-i for the asking,
nor are they pTOcurabIe BY any one who
happens 10 he wealthy enough 10 pay the
price In the first place. there are only
sixteen big league clubs There Is not
one Of these clubs that loses money con
SisJently, the big majority OF them earn
ing g0Od sized fortunes every year.
Therefore no club owner is-aaxiOus, and
few are willing. to sell out
Luck Big Factor In Game.
Business sense plays second fiddle 10
luck when II comes 10 landing the rear
gold mines Of baseball There were. at
a most conservative estimate, dozen
welI-to-do business men who would have
been glad Of the chanel 10 secure the
franchise now held By President Muir
ply and his associates But they did not
know il was going 10 be sold The pres
ent owners investment was rfdiculousIy
small when the returns are considered.
To be sure. the dividends would not have
reached their enormous size il the West
Side team had not become such Won
derful aggregation But Chicago fran
chise cannot fail 20 pay. whether the
team be winner or 4 loser. The city IS
large enough to support two teams
royalty. as has been proved. and out
siders are beginning TO look on the own
ers OF both clubs with enviOus eyes
An investment paying 10 per cent is
Tot a thing 10 sneazs al But there Is
not a major league club in existence
which does not pay at least this al pres
ent The owners. as q rule, are putting
their earnings right back into improve
ments on their plants. and they are safe
IN doing this since there Is no immediate
prospect Of basebaHs losing any OF IT'S
popularity. In fact, there seems 70 be no
reason why that popularity should not
increase with the years
II g baseball man asked for a price
on my club and plant continued Pres!-
cent Murphy. and / gave him one OF
s1.990ooo. h might fan over dead II
however. he lived through the shock.
he soon would come 10 q realization o.
the fact thar 7 was not crazy IN naming
that price
In tire first place. when I have car
'ried out my plans. the park alone should
be worth ahoVt Ss00510. The franchise
and club itself surely are worth the
additional S30a09o I an not stating
these figures with any attempt al &C
curacy- The price Of a franchise al
WAYS IS a matter OF opinion Further
more. / don't know how much the in
pTOTeuents are going 10 cost I an
told that Barney Dreyfuss intends 70
spend S71aoo0 on his yard az Pittsburg
ard I surely VIII not De willing 10 fall
behind that"
value in American the Same.
IN the American League the PhlIa-
delphis club practically has completed
SIS new park ar a cost OF S559,0e5, and
President Comiskey has promised Chi
csgO the biggest thing in the world in
Hhe way OF ball grounds, and the total
value must be rated as practically the
same as that Of the older organization
The Detroit was made over last year
but the franchises worth IS cut down
by the size OF the CITY
DetrOits patronage has not Jeen any
thing 10 boast Of. even IN the last two
years. when Jennings provided the fans
with pennant winners. Il IS sure 70 be
still smaller when the club loses its
grip. as Il ultimately must Figuring
Brooklyn in the National as worth 800
GO. the holdings IN TigertOwn might be
rated the same. although the value OF
some OF the individual players. such as
Ty Cobb OF Sam Crawford, brings the
worth Of the club itself above normal
figures
Washington has been patrOnizing tall
end clubs for so long g time that Il IS
hard 20 tel what the Capital fans would
do II a winner came TO town Washing
tons park itself does not come I'D 10 the
level OF the grounds N most cities The
1rancnlse ana property. however. are
almost equal in value 20 those az De-
troit-abOut $4,000
Ben Shibe's Philadelphia plant VIII be
worth all Of $4,000 when he is through
with II President Comiskey is not the
kind OF magnate to do things by halves
and T the West Side property viii be
worth a million the new grounds at
Thi-tv-fitth and Wentworth. with the
American League franchise, VIII not be
valued at any less
President Hedges IS doing things to his
place In St Louis. The Browns were
given great patronage last season. and
The Mound City nagnate IS now Offering
his club az auction. He also has some
high-priced men on the staff, and paltry
$4,000 would not be too much 10 offer
him improvements were made last season
on the Cleveland grounds With Larry
LejOie Addie joss. Bill Bradley, Terry
T-rr-a- E~1r,a- E1fCl- and My Clarra