The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-10
All of the Big Leagues Are
Losing Money on
the Game
FEDERALS NOT
THE ONLY VICTIMS
Only Two or Three Teams
in Each League Are
Paying Their Way

New York, Aug. l0.-With the season
more than half over, it seems GER
tainty that the majority of the mag
mates in the National, American and
Federal leagues will suffer losses that
NAV reach total of 100000, while
the minor losses will add probably $780,
600 to $750000 to that sum, says Frank
G. Menke. Nineteen hundred and four
teen will be written on the pages as
the most disastrous year in the history
of the national game, due to small at
tendances, large salaries and many post
poned games.
But in what different spirit do the
magnates take those losses! In the
American and National leagues where
the majority of owners have been used
to reaping huge profits each year. the
losses peeve and fret them and cause
them to utter harsh sounding words ever
and anon. The magnates in the Federal
league, however, take their losses lacon-
ically--almost cheerfully. They entered
the baseball business knowing they
would lose money in their first year
out. So it is no surprise or disap-
pointment to find the outlay larger than
the income. In fact, they seem gleeful
over the fact that their losses are not
as large as they had anticipated.
T. f,alk ba
seem to have made money up TO this
writing, and their earnings 80 far are
said to be only half of those for the
same period in the last three years. II
the Cubs can keep up their present pace
and act as runners up for the leaders,
they may get through the season with
only a small loss, or may even break
few thousand dollars ahead OF the game.
This condition was not thought possible
six weeks ago because the Cubs were in
nut and the Windy city fans had de-
cared a boycott on them. But since
they have performed come back the
fans are fiocking to see the Chicago ath-
letes in action again.
In the American league the Maps viii
suffer most. The Cleveland fans have
quit them cold. The Maps are not draw
ing on the road and the combination
of miserable attendance and huge sal
aries NAV set the Nap owners back
about Sl50.000. The closeness of the
race among the other six teams in the
league may cause two or three OF the
first six teams to escape with only a
small loss. Earlier in the year IL looked
as if the Browns. Red Sox and White
Sox were due for losses of from $4,000
to $4,000 each, owing to Federal com
petition in Chicago and st. Louis and
the fact that the Bostonians seemed to
be out OF the fight. But the persistence
with which the Browns and White Sox
keep near the top, and the great squirt
of the Red Sox has increased the recent
attendance TO such point that the early
losses may be partly overcome.
Connie Maek's team has been leading
all the way, but Comics bank account
won't be fattened much. The fans in
seem apathetic. The at
tendance this year at the home games
has averaged less than for the last four
wears and on the road the Athletics are
not drawing very we'll The Athletics
will make money, but it won't be much.
The Tigers and Senators. If they can
keep in the fight, will clear little on
the season--probably $4,000 for each. !
Both have big payrolls this year, and
in both towns the fans are not coming
out in as great numbers as they did in
other years when the teams were in the
fight.
In the Federal league il seems certain
that each club will lose money. No in
dividual estimate can be made, but It
looks as if the collective loss TO eight
clubs will be in the neighborhood of |
s7sO.OO0. The estimate is arrived at in |
this way: The Feds have about $50 men |
under contract Some of those men are
getting salaries from 5000 10 $4,000 |
a year. But many of the others-re-
oruits-are drawing only around 81 800 |
to S2.400. making $500 the average
salary for all the players rather high |
avera ge-it means that the magnates /
will have to pay out ss75Oo0 in salaries.
Adding to this another ss75.000 TO COW
er the cost OF travelling expenses, inter
rst on the investment in stands, salaries /
10 officers, etc. it brings the total out