Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-09

with even half an eye open can see
that ,he chances of Weeghman buying
the Cabs under the present conditions
are less than 1000 to /.
To get the Cubs Weeghman would
have to pay about 100000. That
the very lowest price that the Cub
owners will take, according to the
best information. Weeghman hasn't
that much loose money in the world,
according to those who know him
best.
Bus, even if he did have the money,
why should he want to buy the Cubs?
Where could he make any money? IF
he bought the Cubs he would have
two Laseball clubs on his hands. two
baseball parks and both in the same
city. If Weeghman bought the Cubs
and broke loose from his Federal
LEAGUE mooring he would have two
tall rarks, two teams and one fran
chise. One of his ball parks would
lave to be sold for it's land value
only, which would mean a loss of at
least $15O,O00 to Weeghman right at
the start.
In the second place, if Weeghman
elected to buy the Cubs he would
contract himself to pay the salaries
of the % players who are under CON
tract to the Cubs and he also would
have TO pay the salaries of the 25
men who are hooked to him by the
Federal League contracts. Most of
those Federal contracts have two years
to run. The average salary for
Weeghman's players is about $4,000
a year. That would mean $4,000 a
year, or $15O,OOO in tHb years, that
Weeghman would have to pay to
those Federal League ball players
without getting dollars worth Of
return from them.
1t will be seen from this that if
Weeghman decided to quit the Feds
and buy the Cubs he would make him
self liable to loss of about 100000
right at the start, because that is
the amount he would lose through his
guarantee of salaries to the Federal
League players and the loss through
one worthless ball plant.
But, assuming that Weeghman could
sell his Federal League club-a vague
possihility-what assurance would he
have when he got the Cubs that they
would be money.makers In the Old
days the Cubs did make money. But
those days are gone. The Cubs may
DO a "come back"-but the chances
are that they won't.
Weeghman, by purchasing the Cubs,
would tie up at least 100000 in the
team. In these days of money strin-
gency any man can get 10 per cent
interest, by loaning out such a huge
sum of money as 100000. Further
more, he would get an absolute guar
antee that he would get that 10 per
cent return-$7000 in cash--every
year.
But what guarantee would Weegh-
man have that the Cubs would make
$4,000 for him each year, or even
$1,000. The Cubs, according to the
best information, lost about $4,000
last year. The interest loss on tn :
club investment, at 10 per cent, was
just $4,000 So, if Weeghman had
owned the Cubs last year he would
rot only have lost the interest TO
which he was entitled, but $4,000 in
cash hesides--a loss of $S0,000, in
addition to the loss of his time and
| labor.
In some quarters the report is cur
rent that Herrmann's dickering with
Weeghman is not intended to bring
about peace in the Federal League
but that it's simply an effort on the
part of Organized Baseball to wean
Weeghman away from the Feds, and
to later wean away the Ward family
of Brooklyn. To get these two men
away from the Feds is the big object
of Organized Baseball at this time
/ Organized Baseball believes that if
Weeehman and the Wards desert the
Federal League that the Federal
structure will collapse. 1t believes
that Weeghman and Ward are the
real money men in baseball.
If that's the plan of Organized
Baseball, the plan will fail. In the
first place, both Weeghman and the
Wards are men Of honor. They have
business regulations that stand for
Integrity and fair dealing. They never
uouble-crossed friend and never gave
raw deal to an enemy. In view of
this, it's practically certain that they
will not desert their friends in the
Federal League, Dr do anything that
in any way would jeopardize the in
terests of their fellows in the Federal
Leag1e.
In the second place, the idea thai
exists that the Wards and Weeghman