The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-16
Success BY Frank Chance
Would Benefit All Clubs
What He Acconplishes With Yankees Means Much to
American League, Says M athewson, Who Declares
Peerless Leader Has Hard Task Cut out for Him .
tBy christy Mathewson.>

(By Christy Mathewson.)
Now that the preliminaries have
been settled and Frank Chance has
been finally signed by Frank Farrell
OF the Yankees to manage his ball
club. let us look ahead and see what
make good. He has pretty nearly a
mans size job on his hands.
Chance is going to set the largest
income out of baseball that any play
er or manager ever received. He an
nounced. sven after he had arrived
in Chicago to confer with Frank Far
for a year. In fact. he gave out in
terviews. to that effect all the way
up through Kansas and Missouri. OF
course, these remarks reached the
ears of Mr.. Farrell, who had been
banking on signing Chance. and they
naturally worried him. The latter's
refusal to he convinced would have
the b%eginnir~ OF the training season
only about month away. Chance
entered into the conference under the
most favorable auspices for himself.
Hc came out Of 1t with results. In
his pocket was an agreement calling
for 100000 in three years. which is
rather g good salary AZ salaries go
in any line. @>" 20 "a p
From time to time it has been re-
ported that Chance was slightly "loco,"
and for. this reason Charles W. MUIR
ply had let him go. There. V was
any truth in these reports. but. Of
course. some Of the skeptics believed
them. because they argued Murphy
would not permit his personal feelings
to influence him so as to let a man
of Chances value to the club go unless
there was something wrong. Chance.
by his deal with the New York club.
showed that. far from being crazy.
he is one Of the cleverest %financiers
In this country. He eliminated a
stamping Kansas and Missouri. when
he got the agreement that a y he
sould arm $4,000 in three years
It is a fortunate thing for j. p. Nor
gan that Chance has 70 far confined
his efforts to baseball. because, if he
had not. the Wall street king might
have been forced to share something
by this deal that he could have given
Morgan a great battle for supremacy
II he had started after him when he
was in his prime.
But I am glad to see Frank Chance
get the fat contract. because he is a
great manager and a fine fellow. III
spite Of the fact that the New York
SsAO 80 P"y' 1853 Sto bOAo
amount, the American league is quite
as much "a benefter al Chance is. The
American league men assembled In
Chicago realized this and so did Ban
Johnson. who has demonstrated HIM
self to be n of the best little realiz-
srs in nn baseball s;n; in s spite Of what At, they
into the American league i'm New York
that organization has been greatly
strengthened. New York is naturally
the gold mine of; the circuit. More
none is spent by the baseball public
here than in any other city in the
country. Many of the weaker clubs.
strong: depend upon the big town t.
keep from facing a loss on the sea-
son.
Perhaps it is not we'll known. but
Detroit is not a lucrative location for
a baseball team. Much Of the money
made by the Tigers is gathered on
the road. because there are some play
ing cards all over the. circuit. Cobb
and Jennings and Crawford bring
crowds, to set them play, but. when
the Yankees are in last place and the
Tigers are playing here. the crowds
dwindle. as the local fans are not 80
The spectators want to watch a battle
which will stir their blood and send
the thrills Gathering up and down
their v~ertehrae. and then they will
have a chance to root and abuse.
II Chance puts q winning ball club
in New York. 1t, Is -going greatly, to
increase the income Of all the teams
of the American league because the
gate receipts Of the big town will take
with the visitors. Many OF tho visiting
teams In the American league lost
money in. New. York instead Of maxi
ing It last summer, I have been told.
Therefore. the American league has
strengthened itself financially il
Chance can produce a club that looks
anything like a winner. AS for the
hig salary. Mr.: Farrell undoubtedly
showed keen judgment in grabbing
Chance at any price. The former Cub
Is one Of the best advertised players
in the game. He himself will draw
immense cr0wds to see his work, and
the fans Of New York will be anxious
to root with him instead OF against
him. as they have heretofore. Most
men have admired Frank Chance al
ways.. Everybody will a to soc
American ieaguc. Even ! am curious
to see how he will stack up against
the clubs in the younger. organization.
7 should say that MIR. Farrell will
make enough extra money out Of
Chance as a drawing. card in the first
couple Of months to meet the de-
mands of Chances contract. After
that, he will he making all the extra
none taken in on Chances drawing
will also he Il great attraction around
tho circuit. particularly in Chicago.
and more money will now into the