Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-01-20

The hubbub among the Tri-State
ball players over the slashed salary
limit having subsidized. managers all
over the circuit are now sending out
contracts, and by February /, so per
cent of the men will have signed up.
The remaining 80 per cent of the per-
sonnet will be under cover before the
playing season starts. inasmuch as
the men must play i'm Tri-State ball
If they intend to follow the profess
sional game as a summer recreation
hereafter. In Wilmington, as we'll
as in the other towns on the cir
cult, all the best of the old material
will be on the hack at the proper
time provided they care to ride. If
they do not, they must purchase their
releases, but as this is notp probable il
is certain that all the lads who have
been bowling so loud against the
salary trimming will be satisfied with
the lower limit
And after all, it is about time that
owners Of Tri-State franchises should
be getting something on their invest
ments. Heretofore the only money
makers in Tri-State base ball have
been the players themselves. The
Harrisburg owners were the only
ones on the circuit to break even on
the money end last year Every other
owner sunk from $1,000 to $4,000, To
the business man these losses indie
ate the decay of Tri-State ball and
had the owners not pared down their
expences this year it is certain that
the league could not have survised
another year. The Wilmington own
ers however, we're not among those
who favored the salary cut. although
Mr.. Brown and Mr. Cassidy have
sunk a pile of money in the game
since they took over the franchise
two years ago When it was pointed
out by the Reading and Chester fran
chise holders at the recent meeting of
the league in Harrisburg that they
could not stick in the league another
year under the high salary rule, Nv.
Brown advanced no figure which
would keep him in the organization.
/ He said the Wilmington owners
would stick at the old figure or go
along with an even higher limit If the
league agreed to boost the figure.
| Reading and Chester baked. however,
and various salary figures we're sug-
| gested by the other team owners
with the result that the low limit was
agreed on for not only the sake of
harmony but to keep the league in
tact for another year at least. The
league was in entire harmony on the
question.
All the recent talk about the team
owners having appealed to Connie
! Mack for financial assistance is bosh.
They would welcome $4,000 from local
! business interests to insure the best
of ball and a possible pennant for the
town this year but if business men of
/ the city do not think the game is Of
that value to the city. Mr.. Brown and
Mr. Cassidy will go at it alone again
hoping eventually to sell the franchise
at a figure which will reimburse them
for the losses they have sustained IN
endeavoring to keep baseball on the
Delaware diamond. After two years
of experience they have found the
fans an unappreciative lot and since
It has been the same unappreciativ6
fans and the high salaried players
who have been making all the fuss
over the salary slash. the owners fee
that the fans. in particular are show
ing mighty poor judgment in hawking
against a low salary limit on the play
ers Had the fans properly supported
baseball last year there would be M
poverty cry from certain owners to
day. These owners, of course. arr
tired Of paying out big money every
month'to amuse a handful of fans anC
unless the fans all along the lint
boost this year, it is likely that Tri
State ball will end with the expiration
next year of Mr. Carpenters term al