Evening star., 1913-01-20
IS NOT A GOLD MINE
Ball Clubs Not Making Great
Amount of Money.
new YORK IS MOST LUCKY
Circumstances Combined to Give It
Great Profit-Game May Be
at Its Zenith.
new YORK IS MOST LUCKY
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PHILADELPHIA, January 2O.-Have
the major league magnates seen the
handwriting on the wall? Are they be-
ginning to realize that all is not gold that
glitters. and that to make and hold
money in the base ball business they must
have little more care to the expense
end of the game.
For number Of years the owners of
major league franchises have been delud-
ing themselves and the public into think
ing that base ball is gold mine In which
fortunes are quickly and easily made. AS
consequence the salaries Of ball play
ers went sky-high. elaborate training
trips were arranged. big Office forces main-
tanned, and million-dollar ball parks
erected. all this on the presumption that
base ball had only reached the halfway
stage, and that big fortunes were right at
hand ready to be grasped.
Now two American League magnates
have sounded the warning. and others
In both leagues though not publicly ad-
m1tt1ng that they have similar sentiments,
have expressed themselves as feeling the
same, in private. Connie Mack, the astute
manager and half-owner Of the Athletics,
says that instead Of his club. which was
twice in succession a worlds champion
combination. being money-maker, it has
Frank Navin, the president of the De-
troit club. says that the crest of popular
ity in base ball has been passed, and that
it will get no greater as a mOney-mahing
proposition. Navin says that the only
salvation of the major league club owner
is to curtail his expenses, wherever pos
sible. instead of spending money like
water. cut down as much as possible on
the number of players carried, and In all
ways conduct the club as an ordinary
business prOpOSitiOn
Nearly every ball club in the two major
leagues has expended great sums of
money on ornate ball parks. Only
couple of clubs can be successful each
season, and make a round sum of money.
A little money is of no use to the club
owner. Half-millon-dollar ball parks
mean such great investment that at
least 100000 profit must be made to bare
ly pay the interest on the great sum tied
up in the ball park.
1t costs at. IAN average estimate 81 600
a day to run ball club. The season
lasts 1j4 days. which means that the bare
is $154.OOo for season. Some run
greater owing to larger salaries. Then
the ball park investment must be taken
into consideration. Taken all in all
1900 attendance daily to hope to come
out on the right side of the ledger under
I present conditions.
Where are the tremendous fortunes
made by magnates out Of base ball?
Line up the amount of money lost
in the sport in the last ten years and
balance it with the amount actually
cleared. and it is likely that the scale
would turn in favor of the losses. The
magnates have permitted the impression
that they are all rolling in wealth.
whereas only about six clubs have been
good investments out of the sixteen ma jor
league franchises in the past ten years.
i The New York Giants have always
10 cjyS md aCNr
| teamed up. but mainly through force of
| circumstances. They have the best city
| in the country, and have been uniformly
successful. McGraw has won four PEN
thick of the fight every other year. Con-
| sequently the Giants have played to
| great crowds.
Chicago Clubs Make Money.
Both Chicago clubs have been money
| makers. though not SO great as many
| believe This has been due to the same
thing that made the Giants success
The Cubs have been four-time pennant
/ winners and three times winners Of
worlds championships. The White Sox
have been pennant winners and always
| I'm the fight. though the receipts have
shown a falling off in the past few years.
Then. too. both Chicago clubs have had
| the advantage of Sunday base ball. which
has given them their greatest crowds.
No other city in the country has had
such a combination tending to make
money for ii.
| Pittsburgh. though not as large as New
York. Chicago or Philadelphia. has been
| a uniform money maker. though even at
! that the great Forbes Field in Pittsburgh
| has not been paid for. Pittsburgh has
| made It's money because Ii has won
number OF pennants and has been In the
first three nine out of ten years. Then
\ Ii has always enjoyed one of the most
sane and satisfactory business manage
ments under President Dreyfuss that any
club in base ball has experienced. This
has been a model for other clubs to fol-
low and has added many dollars to the
| earnings of the club.
The Philadelphia Athletics have been