The Washington times., 1914-11-05


demands upon the Federal League will
have done the most to settle the base
ball strife. The Griffmen's star twirler
occupies a peculiar position. In many
ways he Is the ideal professional ath-
lete. hard worker and easy to manage.
Yet, when the Feds attempted to do
business with him, they found that he
gilded fence. Nothing less than 10000
a year would satisfy him. At least one
years salary had to be paid in advance.
The rest Of the money must be salted
away in the bank subject to his order
with the passage Of time. Then, II not
before, the eyes Of the Federal Leaguers
we're opened.
Ii is small cause for wonder that
President Steininger, OF the st. Louis
Fcderals. gasped and exclaimed:
Never. We don't want to give him
Our whole club!''
Wed be working all season simply
for the pleasure of paying Johnson's
salary" remarked Fielder Jones. who
has been a Jumper" in his day him
self.
The Federal League is opposed to
e=orbitant salaries" announced PresI-
dent Weeghman. Of the Chifeds.
And there was a grand chorus Of as
sents from every section of the country
Conditions were becoming ripe for
peace.
Baseball has been suffering severely
Tor couple Of years. A hectic flush has
spread over the faces of the magnates
as they looked over their salary lists
and their Indebtedness. They weren't
a bit happy. The could see the end of
things fast approaching. With the ad-
"ent Of the Federal League matters
rapidly came to a focus. Now IL is
doubted that any club outside of the
INT
SoX made any money at all last season.
OF course, no one is coming forward
with the books to prove ii, one way or
the other. But IL is known for a GER
tainty that the Philadelphia Athletics,
worlds champions in 1913 and Ameri-
can League title holders in 1914. drop
PED $4,000 Now. II the Mackmen lived
through this, what do you suppose is
the situation in Cleveland, st. Louis
and Washington.
According to Mike Sexton, head Of
the Association OF Minor Leagues and
veteran of veterans in baseball, the
present depression is the result of un-
businesslike methods, poor supervision
scramble for players. Mike may be
right IN all these things He is surely
right in some.
When he offers as solution a get
tirg together, rather than a falling
apart and entering outlawry. Sexton is
correct absolutely. The only way out
Of the whole imbroglio is for all base
oall men 10 pull together. II they don't
they certainly hang apart.
One hears much theee days Of the
baseball slave" It's to laugh! II any
one OF YOU fans were offered similar
conditions as those endured" by big
lesgueTs, or even little leaguers, you'd
Jump al the opportunity. Instead Of
being slaves. baseball players are tho
pampercd pets OF the public. And they
don't know it-eVen vet.
The onward rise Of figures in base
ball during the past ten years has been
terrific. Ten years ago the stars Of tn"
game, such as Larry Lajoie, played eX-
5000. Time went on. The game waXed
flourishlng. The magnates, max nS
money, improved their plants. Stupenc-
GUS sums Were put out in cement and
steel palaces for the public. II was
bread and the circus all over again.
Almost wholly without demand. the
magnatcs boosted the salaries Of the
best players. Soon 5000 and S. 90 were
being paid some Of the best like Christy
MathewsOn. Big Ed" Walsh and a few
others who were doing the best work.
The race was on. X mas now reac III
it's zenith. II cannot 20 higher. Banh-
rJptcy stares IN" InaGnate in the fac.
Where he WAS once flush. he is now
passing diVidends. Where he once will
iugly Loosted salaries. he now has TO
be backed mp a"a.nSt the wall before
he'll e!gn an order for free soap in the
clubhouse.
The Federal Leaguers chose the worst
time in a generation for their invasion.
Conditions AL over the country, finan-
Cially and politically, were bad. Had
IL not been for the backing OF such mil
Iionaires az Ward and Weeghman, the
new venture would hardly have started
But the money was forthcoming and
the new league got under way. Up
went salaries all around Organized
baseball men were dumfounded when
they realized what they had TO pay
some OF their players to keep them
from jumping. They knew what II
meant. Well. it has come. 1t is here
now.
The Federal League magnates, unused
10 diamond affairs. @ent VaIiantly into
the fray. They threw away fat sums
TO such has-beens as George Stovall,
Bnl BRADLEY. Frank Laporte. George
Mullin. Edgar Willett, and any number
OF others. 1t ia likely that the salary
list OF the Chicago Federal League
club is the biggest in the country. Bal
timore is but O short distance in the
rear. To cap the climax OF the invad-
ers' troubles. after they had paid huge
sums for players and had poured out
their money In erecting modern stands,