The Washington herald., 1914-04-19
LEAGUE WILL NOT
LAST, SAYS GRIFF
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

sums made yearly by every American and
National League organization.
How many American League clubs
have made money since the season
opened?
Take Washington for instance. Did
the Nationals ever show a good-sized
balance on the right side OF the ledger
until two years ago. when We were up
in the thick OF the fight and finished
close to the top?
No they did not, and IL you don't be-
lieve me, just ask one Of the stock
holders.
Our park in the Capital, including the
land. cost us more than $4,000. Show me
a plant in the Federal League to com
pare with ours? You can't do it, and yet
National Park is the smallest, as re-
CARDS seating capacity OF any in the
Ban johnson circuit.
Another reason to my way of think
ing for the doom OF the Federal League.
There are forty minor league circuits
back of the American and National
leagues In my opinion. before a third
big league can be a success, II must
either parallel this minor league backing
or get admitted 70 organized baseball
Now to make this point perfectly
clear.
eral League players who fail to make
good. where can they play ball for a
decent salary?
THE minor leagues cannot receive
them, and you all know that independent
clubs offer little or no inducements.
What Is going to become of the old
timers. players who have grown too slow
for the Federals?
The American League looks after its
veterans. They are made scouts, minor
league managers, and umpires.
When a ball player is too slow for the
Federals he has no place to go. Do you
suppose the league will pension him on?
Well, hardly.
1T has been said that the Federal
League will boost players salaries and
keep them high. They have succeeded in
boosting some salaries. but personally l
cannot see how these salaries can stay up
where they are.
when / was with the old National
League l was considered star pitcher.
yet my salary was never any more than
s.. 400. That was before the days OF the
American League. 1t was also before the
days of big baseball plants and 1900
crowds at a ball game. II l was pitching
today l venture to say that I would be
getting as much as 5000 or $4,000 year.
When the American League started 10
do business II boosted salaries all along
the line. But the American League was
a legitimate growth 1t helped baseball.
The men behind II knew how to build.
1t resulted in a greater popularity for the
game.
Now, the Federal League cannot fill
the place the young American League
filed. l believe II will put up such an
unsatisfactory grade of ball that its very
failure will hurt the whole game.
Several Teams Placed.
when the American League started We
asked the Matte nal League for the right
to place clubs in certain cities where
National League teams had played and
later transferred We figured that there
was a field open for US. and there was. as
later events have clearly shown.
Now everybody knows that our re-
quests for territory were turned down cold.
We had a little money and men behind
the new league movement who had grown
up in the game and knew every angle |
of IL. so we decided that we would go ahead |
and not only grab up the abandoned terri !
tory. but place clubs in certain cities wheer |
we figured there was room. |
'I do not believe there Is room for !
a third major league. The Feds will find |
this out to their sorrow, mark my words. |
1T is said that the men behind the
Federal League are all successful busi. !
ness men. with plenty Of money.
"All the more reason to my mind why |
the league Is doomed. for a business |
man insists upon seeing results from
money invested. He is not in business |
for his health, and those fellows who 1
are backing the Federal League are not /
going to see results for a good many \
years to come.
Some Treated Poorly.
Had old ball players like Connie Mack.
Charley Comiskey, Hughey Jennings, |
John McGraw. or Fred Clark jumped
over to the outlaws and put their own
money In the business, I would be scared