The Washington times., 1914-12-04
IOHNSON'S CONTRACT.

Washington club, and just the same
amount to pitch ball for Federal
League club, it still remains true
that mis- signature to Federal con-
tract fully justifies the $4,000 a
year he is reported to get for it.
Johnson's signature to a Federal
contract is good for vast amount
of publicity, and the Federal League
needs it. That signature makes the
Federal League look bigger, more
serious, and more permanent, than
any other single incident. There is
intense competition in the baseball
business. Advertising pays. Sup
pose there were three big depart
ment stores in a town, and one OF
them. by buying a big invoice of
superior goods for his shelves, could
induce a volume of advertising-ab-
solutely free neutrality-suspicious.
able to that which the signing of
johnson has secured for the Federal
League. Would it pay?
johnson was worth more to the
Federals than to the Americans be-
cause his signature to the Federal
contract makes a sporting sensation
and gets publicity by the wholesale.
His signature to an American con-
tract would not have been a sensa-
ton. 1t would not have induced a
vast amount of advertising. 1t could
not have contributed big and need
ed fund of confidence in the Ameri-
can League. because the American
didn't need it, and also because hold
ing its own would not have been
gaining anything.
If Walter is worth $4,000 for
smokeballs and $4,000 for publicity
total, 26,000-then the Federals
have made $4,000 profits. The way
the Federal press agents got the
story shattered over the first pages
today, there isn't reasonable doubt
that the $4,000 publicity item is al
ready cashed in.
Now, as to the ethics of what Wal
ter, erstwhile hero of this town, has
done. Being a hero is dubious
business; pedestals are slippery and
of insecure equilibrium. Of course,
! Walter has to understand that he is
henceforward off our hero list. No
man can be a hero to this town who
for mere lucre, even in considerable
/ gobs. would rather live in Chicago,
or even be a hero in Chicago. Being
a hero at so much per is at best an
odd sort of occupation. Being a
hero on the day you win, and mutt
on the day you lose, doubtless some
what callouses our gladiators of the
diamond, so that they find it easier
to trade patrons; to be Athens hero
today, Sparta's tomorrow. Chicago
readers please understand that we
reserve the Athens end of that for
Washington.)
Assuming then that heroing doesn't
amount to much with gentlemen
who, like Walter, are used to being
heroes all the time and wouldn't
| know how to behave in any other
role. consider the fiscal aspects of
this transaction. The Federals, we
opine, have made a good thing be-
cause Walter was worth more-Wal-
ter plus the free adyertising-to the
Federals than he could have been to
the Americans. But how about the
morals, the good faith, of Walters
jump?
A pitcher has his assets in his
good right arm, unless he's south
paw, for whom of course allowance
must be made. His period of pro-
ductiveness is brief. A few fleeing
golden years of glory, and then he
must run a pool hall, or sell cigars
or be an evangelist. Being a per
fcctly human person, he is likely tc
want to earn as much as possible
while the earning is good; and il
one employer places valuation OF
$4,000 year on his services, while
another equally solvent specialist il
heroes appraises them at $4,000
what is hero to do? Will he no
cash in at the best figure? WOulC
not most other folks?
Truth to tell, in all seriousness
we don't think the contract which
organized baseball has been making
for years with players, has helpec
breed loyalty. People who hav'
studied it have declared that ball
players were made white slaves un
der it. They certainly didn't com
far from it.
The other day Connie Mack re
leased a group of slightly shopworl
heroes of his famous aggregation
Just a little time agone they wer
pillars of support at the Shibe Parl
colosseum; but loyalty did not inspir
Connie to keep them day after the.