New-York tribune., 1915-03-28

because Jimmy's contract called for
too big q salary. An agreement was
, practically finished ereoy Leach
would have gone to Mlnneapolls ioT
the same reason, but Tom accepted
cut in salary and renamed win inc
club.
That Leach was worth what he was
getting was proved by the fact that
when the Federal League came into
existence Tommy's salary was IN
creased to its original figure 10 keep
him from jumping. | am sure that MS
large salary was the only reason why
he was turned loose by the Chicago
/ club this last winter. That is what
mean when say business acumen and
the bank roll should stop at the gate
and never tread upon the playing heId.
Where the Shoe Pinched.
/ Time and again have heard Murphy
complain about losing Saturday game
because, as he said, 1T hurts the sun
dav attendance" Such all expression
could mean but one thing. He did noJ
I care for the game as sport, but only
I for the money there was in 1t.
We were playing the Giants the last
series Of games that the New YORK
! club would play in Chicago that year.
/ On the last day Of the series II rained
/ mighty hard, but enthusiasm had
reached the pitch where a few fans
ventured as far as the ball park, any
way. The chances were one IN hun
dred that the game would be played,
but because few hundred spec
tators were out and there would
be no other opportunity of playing the
game of Murphy ordered sawdust t
spread on the infeld TO absorb some OF
the wetness and ordered the game to
start. 1t rained in the first half OF
the fifth inning so hard that the game
was called.
But Murphy was not always that
way. When he first bought the club
he was a good sport As an example
of this, ! can cite game in New
York when we were fighting for our
first pennant. About 10000 persons
came out TO see the clash the afternoon
that the umpires were barred from the
grounds. Murphy readily consented to
our leaving the field. Later the game
was awarded TO US.
To play the game meant quite httle
money to Murphy, yet he was PerIecuy
willing that il should not be played.
owners who are guided solely by busl-
pess acumen and the bank roll IS
proved by the favor the game enjoys
by its character as the national pas
tire. Had the men behind It always
given the business end the preference
over the game as a sport 1t never wou.I
have succeeded il would have died, as
any cluj is bound to die that Is con
Quoted along such lines. Baseball must
necessarily be sport first and u busl-
ness aftcrward 10 be a success.
AS a sport i is a good business, but
as business II is bad sport.
The Good Sportsmen.
Such men as Charley Comiskey.
James Gaffney, Joseph Lannin, Harry
Hampstead, Barney Dreyfuss, Garry
Hermann and many others are excel
lent business men, but first they are
good sports-good sports in the sense
that they are baseball fans and real
lovers of the game and are thus en-
abled 10 regard the game as a sporting
proposition without losing sight of II
as a business investment. However, |
l,ow that not one of thee men would
think of making the business end
greater than the sport
never will forget how, on what
proved TO be the last day of the worlds
series last autumn, Mr.. GAiiney came
10 the dressing room in the Braves
clubhouse and made short speech to
the players before the game.
Boys he said, Il want you 10 go
out there this afternoon and win. l