The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-02-09

piopiicaole vi tcamb III uttit leagues
md their mails over-crowded with
letters which cause sharp pains In the
yitals. Players req
lied on as certain ma. ~,.o 4
ties for the comine ora nrssI
season are pick:ngl MAGNATE
up good Jobs and
retiring from the game. Other Ie-
pendabie athletes are reporting them
selves In need OF funds after q long
winter OF idleness. Still more are fat
ly stating that the salaries offered
do not suit, Only once In q while does
the magnate receive the long envelope
whose presence Immediately implies
the arrival OF that rare document, a
signed contract.
I'm finding IL harder than ever 20
sign up my team this year." says A.
s. Burkhart, OF Detroit, who is the
owner and hacker of the Saginaw
club in the South Michigan league.
Things have come TO such a pass
that the best sort of protection doesn' I
do me much good when one OF those
cute boys starts out to trim me.
DO you know that there are %
Class ID leagues in the United States
and Canada now? Every one OF them
Is out trying 10 get players and most
OF their teams are backed by home
stockholders TO whom money is only
an incidental object and the salary
limit proposition an absolute stranger.
When | have an argument over
salary with one of my men what does
he do? Why, he merely starts CORE
spending with some league in South
Carolina or Calgary, tells 'em what
he can do and gets the high dollar
out there. Unless I accidentally hear
OF his move, I'm left without a man
for a position had considered filled,
and have to dig something up In the
bushes to take his place.
Here's a letter. just for instance,
from Joe Campbell, my star outfield-
er OF two years ago and the only real
outfelder i had last year. In 1910 he
hit poorer and ran the bases with less
speed than in 1909. have offered him
the same pay he had last year. Back
he comes with a letter demanding a
raise of $50 a month and telling me
that, IL | don't come across, he'll get
the money somewhere else and IL
won't be in amateur ball either.
Probably I'll lose him and, along
in August. I'll hear that he's playing
ball out in New Mexico under the
name of Spoopendyke. My only re-
dress will be to put him under sus-
pension and the National commission
Is kicking because. several weeks
ago, had % men on the blacklist, all
of them for just such offenses as this,
or worse.
"A magnate is surely between the
devil and the deep sea when he Ia try
ing to reconcile his players with their
pay and the league authorities with
his salary limit And the cause Is
the absence Of business principles on
SO many league ball teams. The
gangs OF citizen stockholders, out to
get a winner regardless OF expense or
financial loss. makes baseball a
mighty poor game for the individual
owner Of club who hopes to make
his profits a little larger than his ex-
penses. And the enormous growth OF
baseball of the minor league character
In the past five years, Ia what makes
the protection proposition so difficult
to enforce"
Incidentally, II recollection serves.
Mr.. Wolgast-who, Mr.. Moran COM
plains. seldom fights--has had two
lively battles since Mr.. Moran himself
responded to the call of the gong.
There Is a consistency about these
pugs that is sometimes delightfully."-
refreshing.
Somebody asked Eddie Glassco,
windsor's affable provider OF athletic
sports, if Joe Phillips. the Italian won
der, could talk good English. Mr..
Glassco said:
"Oh, yes, He talks perfectly ele-
CANT. The only trouble 10 that he
doesn't understand what he says"
Cadillac il one of the most widely
advertised towns in the United today.