The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-09
IT'S RIGHT
IF IT'S HERE
BASEBALL IS A
BIG INDUSTRY
Business End of National Game
Represents Millions Every
Year.

New York, Aug. statistics just pre-
pared here prove that baseball is a So
O0O, 900 business proposition.
The national sport is certainly a lusty
infant. And baseball is an infant Despite
the phenomenal development Of the past
ten years. the game is just getting start.
Last year 30,GG000 paid to see games IN
organized leagues. While the statement
may appear radical, 1t seems certain that
within the next decade this viii be multi
piled by five.
have a population of 100000. Estimat-
ing upon twenty games season Tor every
fan. il is easy to see the total multiplied
not by five, but by ten.
The organized baseball situation today
is this. Fifty-tWO leagues, 4l6 teams ana
$500 players.
At Forbes field the other day, o,SSS paid
to watch a game. Conservatives believe
the total baseball attendance this year
From the dollar side, baseball is one Of
the worlds greatest industries The estl-
mated value of the major leagues sixteen
clubs is 100000. Big league parks aver
age 10000. Their franchises represent
an equal value. Pittsburg's plant repre-
sents an outlay Of 100000 alone.
What causes this tremendous increase
in values, when ten or twelve years ago
leagues were near dissolution and fought
with a bitterness that would have made
Marion, the Swamp Fox" weep.
The answer is, system
Business men have systematlzed baSe-
ball until the organization compares with
a Hartman railroad. Where fifteen years
ago loose policy kept all but dozen or
so clubs from making money. today II is
hard to find q team not on paying OASIS.
Instead of being looked upon with SuS-
picion as a man who attends d ball game,
as was once the case, we now hear or
baseball as a pulpit theme, and some of
the most partisan of fans are found
among divines.
Baseball attracts clean-minded. clean
Iimbed athletes and hard-headed business
men. In it's march to the front the rough
edges have been knocked away
Tennis. golf hockey, lacrosse, football.
basketball all have class fOllOwing-base-
ball has class following
What System Has Done.
The game has been developed by three
organizations-the National and American
leagues and the American association
The organizations bearing these names
represent what is left Of organizations
that have struggled, flouTished ana OFTEN
died. They have led the way because
they have systematized and combined as
the big trusts have.
Success demands organization, for the
major leagues do a $4,000 business every
month. Last year the attendance in the
majors was 1883 .122, and the weekly dis
bursements 10000, which IN six months
means an expenditure of S2,60GO. And
so it is all down the line in lessening hg-
ures.
Here is a business unique in itself. A
business conducted upon a cash basis,
that is paid for what it sells at the time
of sale, and pays for what It buys at the
time of buying.
Baseball expenses are many and high.
Salaries range from Hans Wagner's SiZOJ0
a season down to the $500 of the recruit.
Were one team to secure the men recog-
nized as leaders in their positions, the
I 60 q 1fcf the nine would be @a.ilt a
week, while necessary substitutes would
run the sum up to $4,000.
Every day during the season 800 balls
are used. This means 5000 a season, and
at SIS a dozen they cost 5000 a. week.
Bats average $1.5G and the 416 teams
manage to buy 1920 every year. an item
of $4,000
Uniforms. average so. and every player
must have two. which means $l56,O00.
| Gloves average from 81 to s. a pair. and
two for every player runs the glove bill
up to $4,000
Shoes cost s. pair, and two or three
pairs are worn out every season. The
shoe bill nears 100000.
Protectors, masks and other incidentals
cost $4,000, while salaries are estimated
at 100000.
a day in the minors to 81 q day IN the
majors for $500 men while the teams are
I on the road, and at the end OF the sea-
son 100000 to $l,5O0,O00 has been spent.
hdllIOuu 4dIS9 ave. ea5S 90 d wen Aol
each man, the total running between
| $4,000 and $4,000
With all this going out, where does the
profit come in?
In 1903 the attendance of 100000 at
| from . cents to $50, meant that the fans
paid S1O.O00O00 to see the game. Added
to this the peanut, pop and cigar privi-
! leges, the return from score card adver-
Using and the fence advertising which
prevails in some parts. of the country,
mean 100000 more.
The balance at the end of the season
shows on the right side of the ledger This
does not appear as big as some think it
is. but it is enough to keep the club-Own-
ers from the free lunch during the cold
weather