The Detroit times., 1910-01-14
TIGERS TOP LEAGUE
IN v|CT0 RIES
AND SALARIES
Team of 1910 Will Start Year Cost
ing It's Owners at the Rate
of $4,000 Which Is
League Record a.
President Navin Leaves for Vacation
in South After Rounding His Team
Up Almost To a Man.
BY PAUL HALE aRuskE

Hnving succeeded In enticing into
captivity the most expensive eoteric
of baseball players on record In the
American league, President Frank j.
Navin OF the Tigers. Is going To take
a rest from the strenuous labors OF his
negotiations, with trip To Florida.
where he hopes that the balmy breezes
from the gulf will enable him to for.
get for time at least, the worries or
"a magnate who has just arranged a
payroll aggregating around $4,000
for six months.
Mr.. Navin's annual period OF cor
respondence and conference with his
men Is virtually finished. With few
exceptions. the members of his club
have been signed or have accepted
terms OF last year veterans, only
Bush. Tom Jones and Moriarty remain
unsigned and all but one OF these has
virtually accepted terms. with the un-
derstanding that he will sign when he
reports here for the start OF the south.
ern training trip.
Only One Reat-Rebei.
or the IA youngsters who are
eligible 10 the southern trip. only a
few are outside the breastworks and
only one Of these--Delos Drake--has
shown any signs OF real rebellion The
condition exemplified by the Detroit
club is excelled In no city in the
big leagues and only Boston can ap-
proach IT, The Redsox are also said
to be virtually complete.
The signing OF the Tigers has been
feat which has called for no small
degree OF diplomacy and cash. Presi-
dent Navin admits that his three-time
pennant- winners are now unquestioE.
ably the highest priced team In the
American league In fact. there Is
but one aggregation In the National
which comes close TO the Tigers in
salary aggregate. this being the Pitts
burg worlds champion.
Jennings at $4,000. Cobb at $1,000
and other stars from $4,000 down. set
clip that would turn about any
other magnate In the business pallid.
Most of them have high-salaried
man or two on their rolls, but the De-
troit club has more men between 3d..
| and $4,000 than any In the business.
even the Pittsburg club not barred.
! In some cases the increae In sal
airy OF 1910 has been enormous. Bush
| the only player with whom Navin
conferred personally and failed TO
land. was offered sl.100 increase right
on the reel and wasn't cheap man in
the first place. by any means. Nor
was the increase offered the plucky
little short-stopper the largest, by any
mean.
Will Keep Big Club.
or course. large share Of the in
fation Of the Tiger payroll is due TO
the fact that the club has sent con
tracts to no less than IA youngsters
who are new TO the game in the big
leagues. While II is doubtful IL any
OF these will receive more than the
81 200. which is usually considered
about the maximum for players who
have still TO make good, enough or
those loo men makes figure
mount up rapidly. OF course. few OF
these will draw salary for more than
month of the league season and
some may not last that long. That
the club will be kept close TO the
limit set by the league Is. however,
certain. as Ii has always been policy
of the Navin-Yawkey combination
since it entered the arena of profes-
sional baseball.
During M. Navin's absence from
the city the affairs OF the local club
will be conducted by the presidents
brother. Charles Navin. IN conjunction
with Charlie Schumm. the secretary
of the club Either Navin or Schumm
will also be with the team In the
south. the decision on this point not
having been as yet announced.