Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-10-14

No clearer or more positive illus.
tratlcn of the extraordinary interest
taken by the public In the annual
worlds championship series of base
ball games can be desired than that
furnished by q glance CT the financial
results, a statement OF which is OFF,
cially announced at the end OF each.
post-season competition for the covetr
ed title and flag. Through the box
Office It's popularity can easily be
measured Compared with tho meager
returns at the initial series in 1884
the enormous crowds registered by
the clicking turnstiles show that by
leaps and bounds the attendance In
recent years has assumed such gigan-
tic proportions that there Is no telling
what II may amount to An years to
come.
The worlds series Just closed, how
ever, is disappointment from the
financial standpoint, owing TO the fact
that only four games were played.
This makes no difference In the play
erss share. for they participates in the
receipts of the first four games only,
but il cuts into the profits q the two
clubs, and OF the national commission.
The attendance this year was only
1t1,000 at the four games. This
amounted % e225,7se, ofiWhich the
players. e6 IN number. win be S2S13.10
this so per cent to the winners and
40 per cent 10 the losers. the Boston
players, 26 I'm numbtr. will be s2s13.10
each, and the ~ Athletic players will
get s203i.6S each. Each club gets
340.6325s. The national commission
gets s22.573, out OF which the four
umpires are. paid $1,000 apiece
The first championship games be-
tween the Providence "Grays and
the Metropolitans may hgve been only
lightly attended and there is nothing
on record 10 show what the receipts
amounted to for the three games then
played. as Providence won three
straight. The following year, how
ever. when seven games were played
In four different cities. Chicago. Sc.
Louis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the
financial result was about $4,000. That
year the fight was hot one between
the Chictso Nationals and the Amer
lean Association Club OF ST. Louis, and
one can hardly imagine what would be
the yield Just BOW II such series
were possible over q similar circuit
OF course In those days seats m
the bleachers could be had for two
hits and the best seats In the grand
stand brought the top price Of halfa-
dollar. Even at those rates there could
not have bean much thusiasn. judk-
ing from the res1lts Today. howeser.l
prices have scared so that q single
admission costs q dollar, or rather that
81 the face value OF the little card
board and the holder or one 81 these
a considered lucky n IL has not cost
HIM more than thrice that amount
Ia theBsr1y days Of the worlds Sc
ries tickets were easily obtained at
the regular prices and no one had to
worry ae to whether he would get to
his faForite seat Tor one or all OF the
games. This easy method Of satisfy
ing ones baseball appetite disappeared
wears ago and fabulous prices are sof.j
fere6 Tor ordinary seats IN the stands
not TO speak Of the immense prices
demanded for the exclusive coupons
which entitle the possessor to view
the games from comfortably uphoI-
stored chair in one OF the boxes, or
which there are several rows In the
newly built stands.
From the moment that the pennant
In each OF the major leagues appears
to be heading for : certain club or
city, the WoOId-be spectator begins to
worry Is % how ne IS going to secure