The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-02
DISASTROUS YEAR IN
BASEBALL LEAGUES
Majors and Minors Suffer Alike on
Account of Small Attendance
and Postponed Games.
CHICAGO CUBS MAY BREAK EVEN
Pirates Are Likely to Lose $50, 900.
Cleveland Fans Have Gone Back on
Club'-Fcdcrals Expected to Finish
Season 100000 to the Bad.

American and Federal Leagues will
suffer losses that may reach a total of
s2.ooo.000 while the minor league losses
Will add probably 100000 to $4,000
to that sum.
1914 will be written on the pages as
tory OF the national game. due 10 small
attendance. huge salaries ana many
postponed games.
But In what dlneren, spirit do the
rnaRnates take those losses In the
American and National Leagues, where
the majority Of owners have been used
the losses pecvc and fret them and
cause them to utter harsh sounding
words ever and anon. The maEnates in
the. Federal League. however. take
their Losses laconically--almoEt cheer
fully They entered Into the baseball
money in their nrst year out So it
IL no surprise or disa ppointnent TO
nnd the outlay larger than the income.
In fact. they seem glccful over tho fact
they had antic!pated.
In the National League. only tho
Giants seem TO have made money up 10
this writing. and their earnings so far
IRE said to DO. only half OF those for
The same period in the past three years.
Cubs May Come out Even.
II tho Cubs can keep up thc!r pres
cni pace, and act AS runners IN for
season with only q small loss. may
eNen nFeak few thousand dollars
not thought possible six weeks ago.
because the Cubs We're in a rit and
the Wind City fans had declared a
performed Comeback" the fans arc
tock!ng 10 see the Chicago athletes
in action again.
~ the Cardinals. and their high po-
sition in tho race during tho lrst three
escape without a loss. But Il Will he
less than In other wears. and much less
than tho Cardinal owners expected
when the Feds invaded the town
The Reds drew we'll whcn they were
cons!dcrably among those present but
since they sluinpcd. the attendance.
both II home ana abroad. has been
small. and Garry HerrFnann's band
looks TO lose $4,000 or so
Pirates NiaS Losc $4,000.
The pirates made money earlier In
the year. but since the slump the fans
have quit paving money to look them
70 suffer $4,000 loss for this wear
,rrnns Dodgers VIII be. certain losers.
haven't been In the race from the out
set, have not drawn well either at home
or on the road. and the pay roll Is top
heavy.
The, Boston Braves are another team
that has TOP heavy pay roll. and
small from Tho outset OF the season.
The Hub city fans expected much from
the ByavesIwent so far as 10. hope they
But the Braves got away 10 a rniscr-
able start and they can't seem TO hit
Tho Phlles have been doing better
FOR nj the beginning OF the season.
their club. But even al that the Phil
lies Will do we'll If they quit the sea
town fans attended in fairly large num-
bers when the season FIRST opened. and
me Phi!lies showed surprising form.
but since the slump IT'S different
story
Cleveland Fan. Quit Cold.
Ill, IN tne american League the Maps
have. quit them cold The Mans are
not drawing on the road and the com
PA Si;,ntio on 81 miserable attendance and
back about $4,000
The Yankees also will be, certain
or $4,000. owing 10 tho fact that thcy-
drew fairly well early in the season.
and that no matter what their position
mldwcak crowd Of from 5000 to 3. 600
at home. That's the hne feature of
being in town where there are SO
The closeness OF the race among the
other siN teams in the league may
teams 10 escape with only a small loss.
Earlier IN the year IL looked as If the
Browns. Red sox and White sox were
due for losse. OF from $4,000 to SIS, 900
each. owing 10 Federal competition In
Chicago and ST. Louis. and the fact
of the fight
But the persistence with which tho
Browns and White. Sox keep near tho
SoN has increased the recent attend
ance TO such point that The early
losses may be partially overcome.
~ all the way. but Comics bank ac-
count wont be fatened much. The
fans in Philadelphia seem aDathctic
The attendance this year at the home
games has averaged less than for tho
iaSt four years, and on the road the
The Athletics Will make money but
II won't be much.
The Tigers and Senator'S. If they can
Keep IN the fight. will clear Il little
on the season-nroba bly, S25.0oO for
each. Both have big pay rolls this
year ana In both towns the fans are
as they did in other years. when the
teams We're In the fight:
Fcdcrnls VIII Lose Hig Money.
IN the Federal League it seems GER
tain that each club will lose money
No Individual estimate can be made
borhood of $4,000. " '''' 'e'7
wa T1 1m Feds is ha Ssrs sS1 at i il 5hs
under contract. some of these men arc
getting salaries from 5000 to 81! si2. t'i
a year But many OF the others
recruits-are drawing only around 81.
So0 TO $1,000, making $500 the AVERAGE
salary Tor All the players, a rather high
will have to pay out $4,000 i'm saia
res. AIDING to this another 1875. 900 10
cover the cost OF travelling expenses
interest on the investment I'm stands
salaries to officers. etc. 1t brings the
total outlay mp. 10 Sl.55O.O0O.
means four combats each day for i54
days, or GIG games during the season.
allowing $500 as the paid attendance
for each of these games. it would bring
the total attendance TO l.540,oO0. With
the average paid attendance at so
cents. 1t would mean that the Feds
would take in through the gate about
$4,000 during the, year. giving the
whole league Il net loss Of $3.50, 900 or
about 100000 each.
These figures may do a certain in
justice to the Federal Leaguers, be-
cause they may show the outlay larger
than, 1t really is and the receipts
smaller: but they are given from the
best estimates available.
Some Of the clubs i'm the Federal
League VIII lose moro than others
The Kansas City, Pittsburgh. Indian
apolis and St Louis hackers Just now