Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-29
DON'T YOU PITY THE POOR,
ABUSED BASEBALL PLAYER?
What Other Occupation Treats
Healthy Men Like National Game
Does the Diamond Stars?
OUGHT TO PAY FOR PRIVILEGE
This Is the Opinion of Willie Keller.
Playing Ball Is Not Work, but
Fun of tho Rarest Kind, Accord.
Ing TO Former Right Fielder.

Doh't you wish you had taken I'D the
study OF ball playing instead of friyol-
ING your time away at mastering Lave
medicine. linotyping. stenography
bricklaying. chief clerking. secretary
ing or prcdominating a big CORPORA
| ton?
what bunch of misguided youths
we were when we went for the trades
ana professions and passed up base
p"'i' because we thought baseball an
underpaid occupation and a lowbrow
life!
are you drawing from $1,000 to s1o-
600 every six months for getting tu,o
hours or exercise every day? Are Won
able to go South each winter and baa,t
IN inc sunshine and snir in the balmv
S STetIkes while your brethren in In.
bG 1is an GGn tract chills pneumonia. coal
VIE manager ever waved a contrac,
III your direction for from $500 to 500
week for your efforts in doing ~
twenty minute monologue twice a jayp
,, fIty the Poor Player.
nity tho poor. down-trodden ball
M, nave you ever made a trip around
r hv w0 nhai az expenses 9Io paid and been
ever been wined and dined by Euro.
nean royalty, by the nigh oiiiciais "
United r! States or m Ahnssr1iia' Did the
ever welcome you with n banquet anI
reception" "''''
to We" thass that's Jus, What has happened
players; Isn't their life a hard ones
IN other years tho winter 1uiet has
s seei, .ra &c by the more salary
e1s; How could they live on a psitIv
$4,000 or $4,000 n year? They couidn',
A Anh Was vas all there was about it.
anu n those maInates didn't come
,,hirouRh' with another thousand those
, ,,a never would play ball again:
, the Era ,ra ,s,se' theSd go right back to
oering. mining and driving express
absent The ef Fede ne "f, espn nsvf so bes
IN In NJ the nsychologicai moment. hoist,
hIste er"r ana 70 the highes, notch il
folk seem quite satisfiedMbecanse
some of them are drawing more money
of s s,n months nI ms work than presidents
porations do in twelve months.
eelcr EIprenses Opinion.
,er sack ,cas IN The days when willie Kee-
ers didn't draw the huge salaries they
are wt,, contracted for In this day and age.
oush to pay Tor 'hs she GS player
piayins-not be paid for I playing. OF
~ Its Il s. =, shame ,h1 to take ne money
my ehses ssEe fe eX9ry time Ee
something that doesn', belong to me.
And every time | hear ball plavct
who Is getting from $500 10 $1,000 n
month Tor two hours work each day
roaring for more money I have 10
laugh.
playing ball is not work. IT.. fun
and fun of the rRrcst kind. Every
man that plays ball plays IL because
he loves the game. How many ball
players have quit the game when In
their prime and gone into other work?
Baseball affords n man n chance
to- see the country 1t gives him q
trip to tho Southland each year that
no never would have been able to ar
ford otherwise. 1t takes him from ono
big city to another and satisfies his
every desire for travel. lie stops AT
the best hotels. eats the choices;
foods-and II doesn't cost him n penny