The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-23

Offer From the Outlaws Used as
Lever to Pry of Increased Salaries.
Years Needed For Adjustment.
"The cost of operating a baseball
club in a big league is about 80 per
cent greater now than year ago"
This significant observation, coming
from a we'll posted man in the ma
tional game, tells plainly the conditions
that confront club owner in the Ma
tional or American league.
1t proves that the days of big divi-
bends have passed for several years at
least. 1t Illustrates again that the
clubs in the big show that have failed
To keep up in the pehnant race have
operated at a loss and face deficit
next year The club owners are justi-
fed in crying about the high cost of
baseball The ball players-well, don't
take player seriously if he tries to
plead poverty and tell you a tale about
the high cost of living. The hired man
in baseball just now is like ROckefel-
.ler compared to the magnate
! The 30 per cent increase in operating
expenses goes to the player-every
penny OF it. These are harvest times
for the hired men. The advent of the
Federal league worked both ways In
their favor. 1t strengthened the Play
ers' fraternity until now the SO called
union OF bail players is as strongly in
trenched as any OF the big labor bodies
that have successfully battled against
the greatest money powers in the
world.
The Federal league is the means 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 for success.
The baseball man says that it will
take at least three years to restore the
game to q profitable basis even after
the Federal 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 $500 have in
some cases demanded ana been grant
ed an increase Of $500 A star pitches
awhO fWmerd V,sWaSy paid about S4,5OQ
considered a big salary, threatened Il
desert unless paid $4,000. And sooner
than see the player join the Feds thI
club owner had to stand the raise. Auf
in every case where a player had heb
up a club owner he signed an iroi
bound contract for two years at least
A great many of these contracts cal
for four or five years.
When several courts throughout tn
country decided early in the seasol
that the old form of contract was no
binding a number of stars got busy n
once First they would deal with tn
Feds and then come back and deman
showdown. Most of them got wha
they asked for.
The Federal league is the creates
sufferer. 1t failed to get the patronag
it expected. In Pittsburgh. where the
had every assurance that things wOul
run smoothly, they handled less tina
$4,000 IN receipts at home. Kansa
City was complete loss. And til
few cities that did get a little patrOl
age at home didn't handle enough c
the road to pay railroad and hotel g,
penseS. The high salaries ate into ii
very foundation Of the Federal leagu
The money men of the rival league g.
nit this. and that is why they are IT.
ing to bring about a settlement. But
will he many years before the heaN
investors get back even part of the
money if at all.