The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-10
NOW is TIME FOR
NEW BIG LEAGUE
More Room for Another Big League Now Than
1t Was When the American Butted Into the
Limelight-Why the Demand.

\ y :
Chicago, ILL.,, October s.-whethe II
be for the good OF professional baseball
Il or whether 1t be not for the good OF
professional baseball whether 1t will
come or whether 1t will not come, times
are much more propitious to baseball
"A war than they were when the Amer.
y lean League declared war upon and
i Whipped the National into submission
A nine years ago.
4 UP to 1901. when horse racing re-.
! ceived its duietus in ST. Louis, and
4 Chicago and Cincinnati baseball was
not SO profitable an investment as It
has become since horse racing was
killed.
The race track was terrible thorn
In the side of the diamond. Not only
were the people attracted from tile
athlete to the thoroughbred, the very
| players themselves were bitten by and
poisoned by the betting bug. McGraw.
Lange, Griffith, Kelly, George Davis and
most of the members Of the old New
were seriously affected by their love
| of betting
| Not infrequently players would get
themselves put out of the game or
| simulate accidents and injuries that
they might leave the ball park and
attend the horse races. When in st.
Louis in 1900, McGraw's neglect of his
baseball duties for the pleasures OF
the race track was SO notorious as to
| be scandal.
At various times Lange. Griffith.
Brodie Davis and other betting men
We're OF no value to their clubs. Their
minds were entirely obsessed by their
betting operations. their habits were
corrupted by association with the
dissinated habitues Of tho race truck
and racing became the great evil to
baseball.
The opposition Of thu race track to
the ball park can be conceived when
1t is stated that for two years two
race traces with free gates were ouer-
ating in st. louis in opposition to the
baseball parks In those days the only
good crowds the baseball people got
were on Sunday, when the race tracks
were closed.
Similar conditions obtained in Chi
cago. Detroit, Baltimore. Washington.
New York and other cities.
Now all this serious opposition hes
Death of Rncing Makes baseball.
been killed
While racing was in existence the
chicago National League Club sold for
sl05,00o. You could not buy 1t to-day
or the year after racing was killed
in Illinois for s2.ooo,0Oo
Prior to the day racing was Killed
In st. Louis neither club of this city
was worth more than 100000. Now
you could not buy either for 100000
Then the increase in population In
America naturally means an Increase
Of people at baseball games
OF course, the imminence of further
competition in the way OF third or
more leagues somewhat affects the
value of baseball property. But II
must be remembered that baseball ia
the only business in which company
can absolutely and completely fall, yet
yield tremendous profit. There are in
the major leagues to-day at least eight
miserable failures. yet each one of these
fearful failures will pay huge divi.
deno IN no case less than 80 per cent
on the investment.
what other business for six months
work can fail, yet pay 80 per cent. ON
the capital invested?
Remember that the season is but six
manths work. OF course, the capttal
is In for twelve months. But the op.r.
ators of the clubs can spend half the
working year on vacation in Europe,
anywhere they may elect to go.
Most business men work hard twelve
9
per cent on their Investment, work
twelve hours day, too. while the
baseball people get to the offices at
10, dawdle about awhile, then work for
three hours, and are done.
The tremendous amount of free adj
vertising given baseball is a vast asset.
too. Every metropolitan newspaper
ldevotes $1,000 worth of space a day to
baseball. Considering the manner In
which baseball is written. by the best
descriptive and special writer's in the
country. the value Of the printed mat
ter given to the game cannot be es-
timated.
1t is quite safe to say that the owners
of metropolitan baseball club can
count on 100000 worth of free adj
verttsing every year. II any private
business could count on aything like
as much 1t would rate itself rich to
begin with. The amount OF free adver-
Using given baseball has multiplied
zoo per cent in the last fifteen years.
Baseball Club Mint.
There cannot be any doubt that, as
things stand and as they are likely to
stand for some seasons to come. base
pan In the big cities is sort of |
little mint. For instance, while you can
De sure OF paying off 80 per cent with /
"a losing club. winner will pay itself
out. oftentimes twice over, in the first
season The Chicago Cubs sold for
100000 and made over 100000 in thu
following summer. In one good sea-.
son-lsoS-the Browns made over $780,
ouo. enough to erect a great concrete
stand and to pay for the park which
shey occupied, One good season-they
hn'shed tourth--put the stockholders
OF the Browns on velvet. They had
their original investment back.
me Chicago Nationals. great team.
pay over zoo per cent. per annum on
me money Invested. Other clubs vary
from 80 to 200 per cent. BOSTON, New
York, Philadelphia and Pittsburg will
az pay over 100 per cent. per annunl
with anything like a good first-divis-
Even in the smaller cities base
o 0an clubs pay huge dividends. Louis
sN'iie made 100 per cent. In 1909. Kan
s 90. lily, minneapolis and many other
CUES =, VIII do as we'll with a good team.
Iets!ng circuit for new league
YOU'D De easy as shooting Ash. New
Ok, boston and ph}1a da1,,bio