Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-17
BUSINESS END OF BASE BALL
Money Making Possibilities Of the
Game at the Present Time.
MILIoNs on EAGLE PATRONs
Eatimated Receipts OF Major and
Minor LeaEues--Capital Invested
I'm Teams and GrOunds--
Pay Of Players.

In eight great cities Of the United states
on Thursday afternoon league umpires
stood in their places and shouted' Play
baill" with that shout the professional
base ball season Of 1910 formally opened
Probably never before was there so much
interest in its opening. Every year sees
greater attendance at the games and
greater profits from presentation of the
efforts Of sSiiful players. Last year, for
instance, tho attendance at the games OF
the two major leagues was I,sIS'lOS, while
that at the games OF the minor leagues
has been put roughly at more than 25,OOOOOo.
This meant receipts estimated ct s5,sSS5sl
by the sixteen teams OF the two big leagues
and Of SS75O,OO0 by teams Of the minor
leagues. or a total Of Si4.7SS.5s for organ
lied base ball In one year. The games were
played in 267 cities.
II anyone is looking for additional facts
to support the claim Of base ball to being
the national game, he may find one in the
statement that the number Of paid sdmis-
sons to see the games OF the two major
leagues from 1901 to 1902 inclusive, was
so 1884, 2s5, or we'll over half the estimated
population OF the United States. So-strong
is the hold OF the game on the American
public that it hes become a great business
in which men strive for franchises and give
bonuses OF thousands OF dollars for star
players It Is so profitable an enterprise
that men are willing to spend hundreds OF
thousands of dollars for Nhe provision Of
comfortable and safe accommodations for
the entertainment of the great armies Of
spectators Eho daily. In the season, throng
through the gates of their fields And a
mans ability to coach runners. steal bases
and hit ball with a stick has become
worth sums Of money that, looked at from
q financial point OF view, put base ball
playing in class ahead OF the professions
Of the ministry and Of teaching. Few leg
islators receive the salaries paid the av-
erage player on a mapjor league team.
A Large Industry.
It is only within recent years that the
game has become so characteristically
American as to have real financial value;
yet since the possibility OF substantial
financial returns has become apparent the
game has grown like an infant industry
1t has taken on features like a COM
pletely appointed modern hotel. and some
of these features, incidentally, are kept as
secret as the combination on the hotel
safe For one thing the matter OF play
well paid man tells his salary 1t may mean
that another will find fault because his is
not so large. Again, the small salaried
man wants to have himself considered as
big person as his superior and SO II he
talks at all 1t is to put the figure IN the
realm OF stage money" The managers
don't TELL because It is poor business policy
to do SO, and so II one desires to get any
where near the almost figures he must
do some careful calculating with what fig
tres he can obtain
The fields or parks in the different cities
where the major league games arr played
have been valued at ss,Ooo.OOo for each Of
the leagues, or Ss.OoOOOO for the two. This
is probably an underestimate, for the
ground value Of the home of the Yankees.
at One hundred and sixty-eighth street and
Broadway, alone has recently been placed
at 81 100000. The valuation of the Polo
Grounds, the home of the Giants, is prob
ably in, excess OF $4,000. 1t is said that
the owners Of this famous ground have re-
ceived more than $4,000 in rentals since
1890 Shibe park, the home Of the Phila-
delphia American league team, represents
an investment OF 100000 to be carried by
the profits OF base ball. while Forbes field.
in Pittsburg. the home OF the Pirates. is
valued at 100000. In addition. the value
OF the grounds used by the minor leagues
has been placed at Se.OOO,OOO This makes
total investment to be carried in the name
of professional base ball Of approximately
SO, ,OOO. .OOO
Cost of Ball Perks.
The profitable nature Of the game in the
last two or three years has led to great
expenditures for improved ball parks. Ad-
vantage has been taken OF this necessity
a.. ay,la rOa,,naut ~ the anace for snectators