The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-08
BASEBALL IS A
GOOD BUSINESS
PLAYED TEN MONTHS OF YEAR
IN AMERICA AND FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.

New York, Jan. 8.-Baseball as q
business and as a sport has attained
such importance that 1T can no longer
be called a summer pastime. The game
is played in the United States ten
months out of twelve. During the Off
season the traffic in players is mosc
brisk and the interests involved are
vastly greater than ten years ago. That
is demonstrated by Secretary Heydler's
financial report at the last annual
meeting when figures proved that the
gate receipts in the eight National
league cities last season were twice as
much as in 1908, the first year that the
National and American leagues worked
together under the peace agreement.
And 1t was big game six years ago.
Players Under Laws.
One of the things that serves to
demonstrate the development of the
great sport is the recent talk of plac-
ing players under contracts that will
bind them for a year, instead of six or
seven months, as is now the case. Star
ball players are now regarded as prom
inent theatrical headliners. The con-
Germs, that pay them fancy salaries,
DppD0V Tic Wll1lEI DdLl DuElGSQue winch
cheapens the game and the players.
Many prominent Thespians place
themselves under contract to managers
and draw salary whether they work
or not. The twelve months ball con-
tract is bound to come. 1t will sim
ply be a bar to curb players during
the winter months. Players will be
allowed to go anywhere and to put in
the off season as they see fit just so
they do not play any baseball. Sal
aries will be arranged so that an ath-
lete can draw his annual stipend in
twelve monthly payments or get it all
in six months.
Minor league players do not figure
in this scheme for the lesser lights are
not considered valuable enough to- be
hedged with such restrictions. But the
day is not far off when rowing bands
of major leaguers will be denied the
privilege of collecting shekels from the
yoheIs who nowadays always roar
about the lack OF class in such ex-
hibitions.
The risk OF injury in exhibition
games is another thing that is causing
club owners to discuss the twelve
months contract seriously. In Califor-
mia recently Catcher Bliss broke his
right ankle sliding to base and will
hardly be able to play all next sea-
son. Other players who have failed to
take rest between seasons and who
dubbed along in Cuba or Japan have
suffered from their excess of industry.
Cuba Unpopular.
Cuba is rapidly growing in disfavor
with American ball players, and the
Yankees are just as cordially dishked
by the Cubans. The indianapolis team
went to Cuba in October and gathered
the shekels. A team composed prin-
cfpally of Detroit players followed
them. This team was chased out of
Cuba a week before completing It's
schedule Last month a Chicago pro-
moter took good team of National
leaguers to the island. He found that
his predecessors had SKINNED off all
the cream. Although this team was a
classy one. il played only two games
and then quit because of lack of pat
ronage. A row followed and player
was arrested as the team prepared to
return to the states. Cuba will soon
be on the ineligible list.