The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-28

was out paving big prices for players
ard importing pitchers from the East
ern League to win that flag. SO the
Crew gets to town. plays three days.
stops at best hotel. and the treasurer
comes down and says; Here's your
SIPS Good by" Next we get back
for our final series August 25, the Tars
playing great ball and the Red SoN
making runaway race. Manager
Clarke is slipped the usual s125, MAX
ing total of s40S26 for three series
that cost the club 1880 TO play. 1t
would make jeff and Mutt go into
tragedy IL they only knew what Dan
vile did draw for some of the single
games
What Did Norfolk Do:
Now you will note that while all that
Colonel Consolvo has said sounds
plausible enough, also note that he has
been dreadfully quiet regarding the
drawing capacity of his club when at
home. He fails to realize that 1t is as
far from Roanoke to Norfolk as it IS
from Norfolk to Roanoke. But that
isn't quite what | wanted TO say For
instance, Magnate Consolvo charges
that his team cost $500 for four Sc
ries. or twelve games. This is sup
bills and other expenses. Now, as a
matter of fact, the most expensive trip
he could take would cost him in the
neighborhood of $3.50, including every
thing but salaries. and that would be
to Roanoke.
Taking this into consideration, we
find that he has left approximately
$1,000 for his twelve players, exclu-
sive of manager, for twelve games
or one-half of month. making his
players stand him $4,000 a month, add
ed to which must be the salary of the
manager, certainly as much as $3.50 n
month. making the cost of the team
about s2,25o a month or $3.50 above
the salary limit OF the league. AS a
matter of fact, ] know that the team
cost $4,000 any month. and some months
cost considerably more than that.
Charges la Salaries on Road.
Another thing which Magnate Con-
solve, with his years of experience
should know. No team ever charges as
part of its travelling expenses the sala-
ries of the team. If Magnate Consolvo
doesn't know this, then let him ask
any manager in the league, or any man
ager in any other league, and he will
learn something. Remember. l am
taking his own figures as accurate.
Also remembeG that the $3.50 trip is
absolutely the most expensive trip the
team could take from Norfolk. 1T is a
fact that the cost of carrying the team
around the circuit--that is, each sepa-
arate trip-would not average more
than $500, These figures are for the
round trip, too,
At home the expense of the ball club
Is simply the salary OF the PLAYERS
plus the cost of advertising and the
maintenance OF the park, Tor this
reason il has never been the custom
to charge salaries to the expense OF IA
trip.
But BY his own confession Magnate
Consolvo exceeded the salary limit
last year, II may be charged that the
other teams of the league did the same
thing, Maybe they did, [ certainl>
will not try to defend them. But they
are not kicking, That's where they
ngurcs printed. and even with the un-
toward conditions which SxIsted last
year, / still believe, and beNevc that !
can prove, that had the Norfolk team
been handled in q business-like manner
last year money would have been made.
nnvious of Richmond.
The niger in the woodpie now
seems to be the Weekend games In
Richmond Norfolk wants some week
end games. Well, last season, out OF
twenty-five Saturdays, Norfolk had
thirteen AT home, and when there We're.
no games in Norfolk, there were games
in Portsmouth, What did Norfolk
draw? What were the gate receipts?
III YOU are going TO give figures, give
them all
Everybody in Norfolk knows the cons
ditions. Why Was the management IN
had with the Norfolk newspapers last
yea.9 Why was the management in
bad with tho Police Department.
These are pertinent questions. WHY
didn't The team draw well al home.
Roanoke reported some figures which
a comparison between the
amount collected in Norfolk on Labor
DAY and tire amount collected in Roa
noke on the same day, and the Magic
City had the better Of 1t.
But cut out the argument Next
season, with a reduced salary limit
and with everybody Twins; within that
salary limit, money VIII he made.
could have made money last
year and the year before, Taking the