The Washington herald., 1913-01-22
McAleer Says They Ought to
Tuck Away $4,000 While
in the Game.
FEW NOTABLE EXAMPLES
At Thirty Men Should Be at Their
Best, the Boston Owner
Declares.

"A baseball player ought to be at his
best between thirty and thirty-hve." said
James r. McAleer, ''and he ought to
save $4,000 while in baseball
The author of the aforesaid ought to
be some authority on the subject. be-
cause he was playing the game about
that age. Moreover. being chief mogul
Of the champions OF the world, his OBJ
servations concerning diamond athletics
ought to carry weight.
If McAleer's remark Is actually true,
then baseball is unquestionably the best
of all outdoor sports. SO far as the
players thereof are concerned. In no
other branch of athletics can a man. as
rule, stand the strain after. say twen-
ty-seven or twenty-eight, and nearly all
Of them begin to go back at about thirty.
And how many men have saved 10000
at the age of thirty-ive?
''Of course a man isn't SO fast after
thirty as he was before" added the Red
Sox president But he has learned to
think by that time, and he should be
more valuable to his club after thirty
than before-always provided he has
taken care Of himself
AS evidence, McAleer might mention
Jimmy Archer. the Cub premier catcher.
who Is regarded as one Of the best there
is, and is thirty this summer; Chief"
Bender. who will be thirty next May.
and who is still some chief" notwith-
standing he hasn't taken such good care
of himself as an athlete should: Al Bird
well, who is thirty-two: Mordecai Brown.
thirty-seven; Hal Chase, thirty; Fred
Clarke, forty-one, and who was playing
manager of the Pirates until after he
was thirty-nine; "Clif' Cravath, thirty
one; Sam Crawford, thirty-two; Birdie"
Cree, thirty-one; Harry Davis, who has
Just gone back TO help put the Athletics
on their feet again at forty; Red Doom.
thirty-three: Pat Dougherty. who was do
ing things at thirty five; kid" Elberfeld,
who is thirty-seven: Johnny Evers. thir-
ty: Russell Ford. thirty; Artie Hoffman,
thirty y-one: Hughie Jennings, forty-three;
Johnny Killing, thirty-eight: Tommy
Leach, thirty-six: Lefty" Leifield, thir-
ty: Larry Lajoie, thirty-eight; Christy
Mathewson, who pitched the best game
in his career last October, when he was
past thirty-two; Matty Mcintyre. thirty
two: Mike Mitchell. thirty: Earl Moore,
thirty-four; Nike Mowrey, thirty; George
MulIin, thirty-three: Eddie Plank, thirty
eight; Ed Reuibach, thirty-one; Lew
Richie. thirty: Frank Schultz, thirty-one:
Jimmie Sheckard, credited with thirty
four years, but who. they say, is two
years older; "Sabby" Street, thirty:
Jake Stahl. thirty-four; Ira Thomas.
Joe Tinker. thirty. and
Honus Wagner. thirty-nine.
McAleer might mention these, but he
would Immediately start a dispute, IL
he did-a dispute as to whether all.
or the most of these. were not better
before thirty than after. and whether.
after thirty they were not going
back" In fact, 1t is very likely that.
without mentioning names, McAleer
has started a winter dispute already.
Let's see what happens now that he
has opened a little argument for the
fans"
rs a baseball player at his best be-
tween thirty and thirty-five?
The Sox president made this remark
during a conversation in which he was
asked how much he thought a big
league baseball player ought to save
during his career on the diamond. Nc
Aleer put the figure at some s30,OOO.
The average life of a ball player who
takes care of himself, in the big league,
is not much more than ten years. Most
of them enter about twenty-five or
A good player ought to
make about $4,000 a year; an exception
ally good one more-up to from $4,000
to $1,000 or sS,000-after he becomes
star. There are many frugal ball play
ers, and McAleers figures must be
based upon the ability of those fellows
to save two-thirds or three-fourths OF
their baseball salaries. earning enough
in winter to make up the balance OF
the cost of living.
A hustling ball player-one Of the
kind who goes into the big leagues and
TO make $4,000 or $4,000
during his career, even IL he never par
ticipates in any worlds series and
never becomes a star. McAleer's belief
that he can save $4,000 is based upon
the fact that a players necessary ex-
penses are slight in the playing sea-
SON, and he ought to be able to make
enough during the six months lay-off
to allow him to save two-thirds or
three -fourths of his salary.