Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-22
BIG LEAGUE PLAYERS
WON'T HAVE WAGE CUT
Only the Smaller Organizations Are
Affected by Legislation at
San Antonio.
TRICKS WHICH WERE
USED TO HELP PLAYERS
Rules Were Avoided in Order to
Give Players More Salary
Without Contract.

Thousands Of base bail players will be
affected by the plans to cut down sala-
ries In the minor base ball leagues. For
years each small organization has had
what Is known as a salary limit-that is.
a club was limited to certain sum per
month for managers and players.
One object Of this rule was to prevent
a club with wealthy stockholders from
putting out large sums of money for
star players, thus giving such a club d
decided advantage over others which had
to depend upon their gate receipts alone.
More than once a championship race
has been decided by a club importing
first-class players from larger leagues
and having them play for a few weeks
OF until the pennant was clinched.
Years ago the Tri-State League was
infected with such an evil. The Williams
port club. for instance, paid regular
major league salaries to a number of star
ball tossers, thus working an injustice to
the other clubs. which did not have
wealthy stockholders to fall back upon to
make I'D the deficit
The Tri-State League adopted rules
providing for severe penalties for break
ing the salary limit rule, but there was
always a way of beating the rule. For
instance a former Wiliiamsport manager
has declared that he never had any diff
ficulty getting around the salary limit.
How the Rule Was Broken.
One of his !. schemes was. to take a.
player who wanted more money than
the rules would allow ami shake dice
with him. The manager would say to
the player. for instances
"Ill bet you $1o0 to 81 that I can throw
three skies"
Of course. the BAH player would take
the bet, The dice would he shaken by
chance in million or so to win he
wouldn't even have to glance at the
dice to know that he had lost. Then he
would hand over the hundred dollars to
the player. Thus the PLAYER would be
satisfied and no base ball rule would be
broken.
Various other schemes were ,sised, all
of which were devised by the men who
were supposed to be eager to- maintain
the salary limit
When the average follower of base ball
reads of the tremendous receipts at the
world series and that thu Pittsburgh
club paid out 200 for Pitcher OToole
last season. he naturally thinks that there
are millions of dollars made annually in
the national game. OF COURSE. many clubs
make money, but scores of minor league
clubs have hard shedding to make both
ends meet AS even the clubs which make
money are anxious To keep their circuits
intact, II is naturally to their interest to
help protect those which have not got tho
big bank rolls.
IT. recent years the salaries of the minor
league players have increased. but the
gate receipts have not grown in proper
ton. For this reason the minor leaguers
have decided to take the bull by the
horns and start the retrenchment plan
before their circuits are ruined.
The era of salary reduction, however.
is not likely to strike the major leagues
just yet. The game has been on too pros
porous footing during the last ten years
for the magnates to get busy with the
pruning knife, SO that it is only the play
ers who are climbing the ladder or those
who have been in the big swim and are
going back that are affected by the new
order of things.