Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-31
BIC SALARIES EXAGGERATED
Club Owners Quiet About Pay to Pre-
vent JEALOUSY.
CHANCE EARNS MOST MONEY
Cub Manager Gets BfE salary and
Owns stock I'm Club, Drawing
Good Dividends for work
I'm Game.
CHANCE EARNS MOST MONEY

The fan is always deeply interested in
the salaries paid base ball players. and the
estimates made usually are above the
actual figures. The higher figures sound
better.
As matter of fact club owners are loath
to mention the actual amountA paid, not
so much because they do not wish the
public to know, unless perchance the fig
ures are niggardly but because OF the dis
satisfaction that might follow among the
other members of the team.
or all the men actually playing the game.
eliminating Connie Mack, manager OF the
Athletics, who owns stock in the club,
Frank Chance. manager OF the Cubs, is
considered to be far and away above all
other active players in his earnings from
base ball This too, is because Chance
also is stakeholder In the Chicago club,
owning one-tenth interest
Prior to the season of 1909, Chance re-
ceived salary of $500 year. which was
augmented by his dividends and the share
of one player in post-season and exhibition
game receipts. Chance then signed a four
year contract at $500 year. but a dis
pute arose between him and Charlie Muir
ply president Of the club, and he an
nounced that he would not play with the
Cubs.
A Chicago man was sent to California to
arrange a truce between Chance and Muir
ply. One of the conditions Of the truce
was that no party to It should ever reveal
the salary part of the deal, whether raised
or continued the same. But, with his divi-
dends on his one-tenth interest, Chance
earns between $4,000 and $4,000 year,
/ probably S25 1000 year on the average.
| This one-tenth interest was obtained for
Chance in the same manner In which Muir
ply obtained a majority Of the stock.
Charles p. Taft. brother Of President Taft,
loaned money to Murphy and Chance to
buy the club, which was sold at the bargain
price of s1O5,OOO in 1905, figure so small
that several persons to whom the franchise
was offered thought something was wrong
and refused to consider 1t.
Because of the national commission de-
cision in his case sentencing him to play for
his contract salary, 1t is known that Johnny
| Killing signed a threayear contract for
| 1880. To this, of course, must be added
what the players get from the post-season
series, which, when worlds championship
games are played, run up to $500 and
J 5000 extra. Brown, Overall, Tinker and
Evers probably receive amounts varying
from 1900 to 5000.
| Fred ClaTks Oh the WOIlu ShdmpiOh
rates, is reputed to receive s12,5OO annually
for services as player and manager, while
Wagner is called $4,000 beauty" al
though 1t is not likely that figure is COR
rect. Ty Cobb Of Detroit, whom Charles A.
Comiskey recently picked as the greatest
ball player of all time, was reported to re-
ceive 5000 year. Probably some salt can
be placed on this estimate also.
| THE averaga player of experience on a
winning, club considers himself worth from
$500 to 5000, while one with pretensions
to being a star estimates himself as worth
from 5000 to 5000, depending on the club
and his ability. This is good money for
seven months work. including the training
season; more, probably. than the same
players could average in other lines OF en-
deavor But the life of a ball player is
short, club owners with winning teams are
raklng in enormous profits, and of senti-
ment there is little