The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-26
FEDERAL LEAGUE
HAS BEEN BENEFIT
To MAJOR LEAGUES
PAY BOOSTED By OUTLAWS.
OURS LIBERAL WITH FIRST
BASEMAN SAFER.

CHICAGO, Jan. 25.--Baseball may
and may not be helped by the war
the Federal league has apparently
started. but whether it Is or not. one
thing is certain. a great many ball
players will be benefited financially
by the trouble the infant league has
created.
Several men already have profited
by the attempts of the Federals to sign
star players who had not affixed their
signatures to National or American
league contracts for next season. They
have protited inasmuch as the offers
made them by the invaders have been
bettered by the major league clubs to
which they belong.
SAFER Given Liberal Contract
Vic SAFER, Of the Chicago Cub team,
| is one athlete who Is thought to have
| obtained "a. liberal contract for three
! wears from President Murphy. who
made a special trip to Lansing, Mich,
| to get his signature. The young first
sacker was approached by Manager
| Brown, OF the st. Louis Federais. and
| received q tempting offer, which he
| was about to accept when the Cub
magnate stepped in at the eleventh
| hour with what is though to be an
| equal inducement.
Reports have ii that Brown offered
| Safer a contract for three years AZ
$4,000, and bonus OF $4,000 to sign.
! Whether he managed to separate
| President Murphy from that sum cam
| not be aseertained, as in baseball the
magnate and the player are like the
/ sphinx when il comes to telling the
/ amount inscribed on the parchment.
| 1t is almost a certainty that Safer sue
| ceeded in getting what Brown offered
/ him, or close to il.
! Can Thank Federal League.
If Safer can get an equivalent STE
pend he can thank the Federal
| leaguers, for ii is certain he would
! not have received 1t had it not been
/ for Browns being SO hot on his track.
/ The west side first baseman probably
/ was given a fair salary for player
/ who has been in the game only three
/ years. No doubt he was promised an
I Increase this season, but IL probably
| would not have been anything hke
/ W hat he has abtainea.Z-
J President Murphy was asked IL ho
I offered SAFER the same terms that tho
/ Federals did. He did not give direcf
/ answer to the question. bat eyaded Il
/ by saying: ~ did not bid against the
Federals."
! MAY Get ST. 900 Year.
/ From this it can be assumed he wAa
! compelled to pay Safer $4,000 for
three years. The sum may not be
| precisely that. but there may be some
additional agreement whereby Safer
+ is to be given bonuses If he achieves
certain feats in his playing, such an
reaching q specified mark in batting
and base stealing. With these extra
conditions he may have been rendered
{ xcoptract equivalent to the ono
with which Brown attempted to lure
/ him away from organized ball.
/ Murphy's young star infielaer fs nor
I the only one who has increased hfA
( paw as a result OF the efforts OF tn
/ F'ederais to grab him. Third BaSe-
/ man Niehoff, of the Cincinnati ciuns
/ is one who is to get more money a.
! a result as the report came from
1 Garry Herrmann's town that he OUT
/ bid Joe Tinker for the. services OF tho
/ inneider, who was taken from tho
! Louisville team, of the American As
sociation. Niehoff comes well recom-
/ mentied, and Ii is said he looks like
the best infielaer who has come OUT
/ of the association since the Cubs took
Third Basepnan Jimmy Doyle from tne
same team four years ago.