Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-12

NTE W YORK, oct 11.-Box office
" receipts barometer Of interest
in the Worlds Series games.
have scared to dizzy heights since
the Providence and Metropolitan clubs
battled for the first worlds cham
pionship in 1854 Staged in New
York the premier fight aroused little
more than passing interest, was light
ly attended and reaped so scant a
harvest Of receipts that the clubs
never even published the figures
Some idea OF what they may have
been is CLEANED from the contest the
next year between the Chicago club OF
the National League and st. Louis OF
the American Association.
Seven games were played in four
cities, Chicago. ST. Louis, Plttsburg
and Cincinnati. The fight was hot.
Yet the entire seven games in 1888
yielded but $4,000.
Seats Sold for IS Cents.
Those were the days when a seat IN
the bleachers cost a quarter and so
cents provided the best seats in the
grandstand. Even this modest ad-
mission seems TO have kept many en-
thusiasts away from the games Not
only this, widespread enthusiasm was
negligible in the contests. From their
humble origin admission prices have
grown to the dignity OF S25 for n box
seating four down at the edge Of the
diamond in 1913. And a dollar is the
least OF bills that win admit one to
the contest. This buys a seat in the
bleachers stand.
Back In the infancy Of the Worlds
Series the man who attended a game
left his office at the usual hour for
the ball game, sauntered leisurely
through the runways to the field and
picked out the most advantageous
seat he could find. Generally there
was plenty Of picking, Nowadays he
who must go begins to worry the mo-
ment that the day for the series is
announced. He knows that he must
be early on the spot on the morning
OF the game-else someone less tardy
win crowd him out, The line forms
the night before and surges into the
field hours before the time set for the
game. n he Is late the game il not
for him to see.
"a Games in This Series.
But the evolution from the days Of
empty seats TO the roaring bleaChers
and the laundering grandstand, pack
ed to capacity has been gradual In
1887, when ST. Louis and Detroit
fought - games over the principal
part Of the United States-playing in
nearly a dozen cities-the box office
receipts climbed up to $4,000. Three
thousand dollars a game was consid-
cred big money. The next year the
ten games played between New York
and St Louis brought s24,362 to the
box Office In 1894, first year of the
Temple Cup series, the average had
risen 10 $4,000 game. only four
games were played that year, two at
Baltimore and two at New York and
the total receipts for the series We're
$4,000. In 1895 five games were play
ed and the receipts fell TO Sl4,750.
There was no battle for the world =
championship pennant between 1898
and 1909. In 1903 the National League
and American League pennant win
ners began the worlds series games
as they are now played. One hundred
thousand persons colossal figures
ten years ago-saw the eight games
and paid more than $4,000 for the
privilege. There was no contest In
1904 In 1905, 9l,72S persons saw the
games; the price Of tickets went up
and 1854 was taken in, The low
level came in 1908. when Chicago and
Detroit fought for the flag Sixty
three thousand persons saw the FIVE
games. However they paid S94,976.
1912 Was Banner Year.
In 1909, 1926 persons paid slsS.-
500 to see the games; in 1910, 124,222
persons paid $l7S,9S0; in 1911 the con-
test between New York and Philadel-
phia was seen by 1881 spectators,
who left $S42, o. at the box office.
The banner year was 1912. More than
a quarter Of a million persons saw
the New York Nationals and the
Boston American League club in the
eight games and nearly half a million
dollars-$49O 449-was taken in at the
box Office
With the rising cost Of baseball
came a corresponding increase in the
prize money OF the players. The first
game Of the worlds series, as now
played, in 1908 Melted the losing play
eTs Sl,lS2 each and the winners ST.
3l625. Last years fight Of course,
was high-water mark in players prize
money. The players of the Boston
and New Ork teams divided between
them $l475GZ so per cent to the win
ming team and 40 per cent to the los
ing
Details Of financial matters in the
games since 1903 are given in the fol-
lowing table,
National
Attend clubs Players Com