The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-05
SPORTING NEWS

determined efforts made this winter
cleared the financial skirts of the club
and directors and left clean slate
with which to start this season.
Swing of the Pendulum.
BY taking note of the above it APP
pears that every alternate year has
been one Of economical management
and satisfactory returns for the money
invested. BY this token the season
of 1918 should be one in which there
is no heavy drain on the finances of
the town and the team should play
fairly decent ball. But in times OF
war all signs are likely TO fail, signals
get crossed and things generally go
awry and it will not pay to bank too
heavily on the promise of past records.
Brattleboro has gone on record FOR
Il fOur-club league and salary limit
of $3.50 a week, including manager.
Brattleboro, especially after the first of
July. did not keep within the salary
limit last year, and from the figures il
may be dcduced that it did not stay
anywhere near the limit. In this Brat
tleboro was no different from the other
teams in the circuit, but the other
teams were getting some return for
their money and Brattleboro was re
ceiving precious little.
1t does not require any close study
Of the sporting news of the country to
understand that there are ball players
galore, fast enough for this league and
other leagues, who are going to be
obliged to work indoors this summer
or take less money for playing ball
than they have done in past summer
months. A professional or pro
fessionaI ball player hates to be tied
down to a factory whistle in the sum-
mer time. Instead he will play bah
even if he gets barely more than a liy-
ing out of the game.
Many Players Available.
The big leagues have cut down the
number of men each team may carry
after the middle of May This throws
many players back to the highest class
of minor leagues who otherwise would
remain in the major circuit and ripen
on the bench. This in turn forces out
those in the class A leagues who are
barely hanging on and thus it goes
down the scale until the lower grade
of minor leagues under the national
agreement is reached and then there IS
big spill, for a number OF those
leagues are "ducking' the season.
; This is not surmise; it is fact. There
arc just as many players but not nearly
, so many places to play
This Twin State circuit has always
| been attractive to the younger men in
/ the mi-professional game. They like
! the league and those who have played
here like Brattleboro. They always
want to come back the next year
What is true of them will be true of
many more this summer.
1t 5 n case of work at real work dur
ing the summer or play ball for less
money than was the case last year OF
the year before or the year before
that. Where there were two men look
ing for chance to play bali in this
and other similar leagues last season
a dozen will be seeking the jobs this
year. Where there is competition there
is far better chance of getting one 5
moneys worth.
Brattleboro should get better ball
players for far less money this summer
than last year. Brattleboro can 10 it
SO can the other teams in the league
There is not one iota Of necessity fo
overstepping the salary limit of $25l
a weel, in order to have q team that
will play better ball than did the az
gregation who wore Brattlcboro suit.
III 1914