The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-11-18
HIGH COST OF BASEBALL.
Prominent League Owner Says Big Sala
ries Must Come Down.

"The cost of operating a baseball clul
in a big league is about SO per cent
greater now than year ago" This sig
niicant observation, coming from TIN
best posted man in the national game
tells plainly the conditions that confront
a club owner in the National or Ameri
can league.
1t proves that the days of big divi
dends have passed for several years al
least. 1t illustrates again that the
clubs in the big show that have failed 10
keep up in the pennant race have op'
Grated at a loss and face a deficit next
year. The club owners are justified in
crying about the high cost Of baseball
The ball players well, don't take a
player seriously if he tries to plead
poverty and tells you tale about the
high cost OF living The hired man in
baseball just now is like Rockefeller
compared to the magnate.
The 80 per cent. increase in operating
expenses goes to the player Every
penny of it. These are harvest times
for the hired man. The advent of the
federal league worked both ways in
tHfli luNbIs IL tlltiich
fraternity, until now the so-called union
OF ball players is as strongly intrenched
as any of the big labor bodies that have
successfully battled against the greatest
money powers in the world.
The federal league is the buffer that
the player uses to get salaries which
two years ago were considered impos-
sible. But in a baseball war the only
weapon is the player, and it requires
money to hold star players. It's the
stars that bring the patronage, the real
foundation of success. 1t viii take at
least three years to restore the game
to a profitable basis, even after the fed
eral league is beaten or some sort of a
peace plan is settled upon.
Since the rival league went to the bat
against organized baseball, players who
have been receiving s., 800 have in some
cases demanded and been granted as in
crease OF 81 500. A star pitcher who
formerly was paid about 81 800, con-
sidered a big salary, threatened to desert
unless aid $4,000 And sooner than
see the player join the Feds the club
owner had to stand the raise. And in
WI Nan' Ni'tN iNffA hnt HtAA up "
club owner he signed an iron bound
contract for two years at least. A great
many of these contracts call for four or
five years. When several courts through
out the country decided early in the sea-
son that the old form of contract was
not binding. a number OF stars got busy
at once. First they would deal with
the Feds and then come back and de-
mand a showdown Most of them got
what they asked for.
The Federal league is the greatest suf
ierer. IL failed TO get the patronage it
expected In pittsburg, where they had
assurance that things would run smooth
". they handled less than $4,000 in re-
'cipts az home. Kansas City was COM
Blete loss And the few cities that did
ret a little patronage at home dsin't !
handle enough on the road 10 pay rail I
'oad and hotel expenses. The high sal |
tries ate into the very foundation of the ]
Federal league. The money men of the
'ival league admit this. and that is
why they are trying 10 bring about a
settlement. But il will h. many years I
,efore the heavy investors get back even /
'art Of their money, il az all.