The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1912-10-30

10, here comes Garry Hermann. Gin
c1nnau magnate and chairman Of the
National Commission. with another
beautiful scheme for increasing thu in
terest In the major league battles. He
does away entirely with the worlds
eer1es. Instead of the present scheme.
Hermann ould have the two major
leagues play H. scheduled games, and
then mingle in sixty-four more inter-
league games, the final winner being
acclaimed the champion.
In order to make this interesting for
the players, of the receipts of the six
ty-four games 10 per cent will be laid
away for the players OF all sixteen
teams. A rough estimate has this
amount come to $4,000. The money
would. therefore, be divided as follows:
First team. 10000; second, $4,000;
third, $4,000; fourth. $4,000; fifth, $4,000:
sixth. $4,000; seventh, sl1,oo0; eighth.
$4,000; ninth, 5000; tenth. $S,oeo;
eleventh. $1,000; twelfth. 5000; thlr-
teenth, $500; fourteenth. 5000; nf-
teenth, $500, and sixteenth, 1900.
The National Commissions rakc-off
would also come from these sixty-tour
games, and would not exceed $4,000:
This scheme, according to well-posted
baseball men, would allow the maSnates
10 cut up $l,SuU,VU, IN nuultlon 10 thcir
profits from the regular n2-same sched-
Start in April.
The big leagues would get under way
about April TO- winding up their short
schedules about the middle of August.
Then the interleague battles would be-
gin, every team playing every other
team at home and abroad, two games
being played in each series. The cham-
pionship club would be determined ny
this interleague season.
Hermann says that this scheme
would tend to make more profitable the
owning Of weak clubs. admitting that
only one In each league can land the
pennant now and that only two or
three make big profits. 1t is known
that in the big leagues the attendance
fell off everywhere but In New York,
Boston, Chicago, and Washington after
the second trip West by the Eastern
clubs Here In Washington there was
q falling-off. but not serious.
Looking ahead. the only teams that
apparently have a chance to get into
the big money next season. under the
present system. are the Red Sox. Ath-
ietios. Nationals. Giants. Pirates, White
Sox. and Tigers. The other clubs face
a sturdy fight to break even financially.
Many Lost Money.
Many clubs really lost money last
year toward the close of the season.
Brooklyn paid Western club last
year $G4 one day and s35 the next. The
Nationals gave little money to the
Highlanders at the end of the year.
st. Louis and Cleveland had pitiably
small crowds out to see the Climbers
on that last trip West. The bat boy
was the chief rooter for tile Boston
Braves at home all year long.
From magnates' viewpoint. this
scheme OF Hermann may be a solu-
ton of the puzzle, but from the play
ers.' Is certainly Is not. Allowing
twenty-five men to a team, each Of
the worlds champions would draw
down approximately $500 There's not
one big league star In She game who
would have anything to fight for. II
he knew at the start that he would get
but $500 or even 5000 for his extra
efforts.
Baseball players are after the money
They are professional players. There
is no glory In playing ball for them
The fans cheer them and, being hui
man. they are pleased. but the old pay