The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-12
FED MAGNATES
HAVE THE Coin
independent League Moguls
Are Not Depending on Base
ball as Source of Revenue.
COMPARISON IS MADE

New York. July 11.-And now. since
baseball has resolved itself once again
into battle of bankrolls. it begins TO
look as if the faction with the largest
foankroll will be the ultimate winner.
And that faction. without the question
OF doubt. is the Federal League.
4 The combined wealth of the men be-
hind the eight Federal League clubs
Is at least ten times greater than that
or all the sixteen magnates in the or
ganiZed ma jors. The men behind the
Federal League can muster total
wealth of nearly $50. 10000 1t is
doubtful il the total wealth OF the six
teen nnagnates in the American and Ma
tional Leagues totals over 100000
O. 100000.
Practically every magnate in the
Federal League has outside interests.
If baseball doesn't bring in dollar
for him. he won't go bankrupt. He has
other sources of revenue. But the stu
alton is vastly different in organized
baseball. The entire source of revenue
for most of its magnates comes from
baseball.
Baseball is the sole business of the
majority of the organized magnates. 1t
Is their means of livelihood: their
whole financial support. in fact But
with the Federal magnates. baseball is
only something of a side line-and a d.
version
The organized ma gnates are in base
, ball for the money they can make out
of it: the Feds are in it more for the
sport of the thing than for any other
, purpose. If they make money all well
and good: if they don't they won't
whine. They've lost money so far. and
they may lose more. But one has
heard them howl. They are getting
lot of fun out of the grand old base
ball battle-and Its cheap al twice the
price" is their view of it
Practically every Federal League club
owner is millionaire several times over.
Look over the personnel of the Federal
League. look at the wealth 1t represents.
and then compare il with the magnates
in organized baseball.
The Ward family. which owns the
Brooklyn Feds. is worth at least Sc. co.,
cc Some estimates put it s high as
100000
Phil Ball and Otto Stifel are back of
the st. Louis Feds Stifel is worth at
least 100000 Ball is reputed to be
worth s2ooo.oOo Harry Sinclair. owner
of the Newark Feds made his millions
in oil. He controls immense oil lands in
the Southwest. He is worth at least
ss.0oo,Ooo
Ed Gwinner is the president and rrin-
cipal owner of the Pittsburgh Feds
Gwinner's wealth is said 10 exceed S.
100000 Several other men are associated /
with Gwinner in the ownership Of that
: club. and all are wealthy.
Carroll Rasin. the big stOCkholder in /.
the Baltimore Federals. was bequeathed !
several millions by his father. President !
Robertson. of Buffalo is A millionaire. |
Walter Mullen. vice president of that |
club. is very wealthy. So are half dozen |
other men who among the men be-
hind" the Buffeds. The Kansas City
club is the one exception to the million
aire ownership rule. Its stock is held
very largely by townsfolk. But the
kaysee club probably will be transferred
to New York next spring-and million
aire will control the club.
And now as to the magnates on the
National League Nearly every dollar
that Charley Eherts has is tied up in
his Brooklyn Dodgers and they aren't
making money. Barney preyfuss owns
the Pittsburgh Pirates, which practically
represents his wealth. Schuyler Britton !
and his wife practically control the Car
dinals. Britton is in the printing bust
ness on the side-hUt he isn't rated
among the extremely wealthy. Garry
Hermann and the associate owners of
the Cincinnati Reds have other sources
of revenue than baseball, but Garry's
fortune. including his baseball holdings.
probably won't GO over the $50 COO mark.
President William F. Baker. of the
Phillies isn't believed to have any
wealth outside of his baseball holdings.
Jim Gaffney. Of the Braves, rs wealthy,
but he isn't a millionaire. Harry Hemp
stead, of the Giants outside of his base
ball ownnGs. is worth probably 100000.
Charley Webb Murphy, according to
Charles Webb Murphy. is owner of a ma
jority of the Chicago cubs stock. And
Charles frankly admits that his whole
fortune is tied up in baseball
AS to the American League. Frank
Navin, who controls the Tigers is
wealthy. but not millionaire. The own
ers of the Washington club are not mil
lionaires. Most of their wealth is tied
up in baseball.
The Yankees. however, remind one Of
a Federal League club. Two men own
that Cluh-Jale Rupert and Cap" TIL
linEhast Huston. Both are millionaires,
both have extensive outside interests. I
and for both the baseball venture is more
OF diversion than anything else.
The financial affairs of Charles W.
Somers, who owns the Cleveland club,
got into such shape recently that COM
mittee was appointed to try to pull him
out of the hole. Connie Mack and the
Shibe family own the Athletics. Comics
money-what little he has-is tied up in
baseball. The Shibes are not extremely
wealthy. Comiskey. of the White SoX,
has all of his money tied up in baseball.
Bob Hedges owns the Browns-and
very little else. according to infor- :
nation. Joe Lannen owns the Red Sox
and has outside interests. But Lannon'S
wealth probably doesn't total over
$500 900.
And so. in this comparison of bank 7
rolls it will he seen that in a bankroll I
battle the Feds have a tremendous !
edge" on organized hasehalI-one so big ..
that il seems that organized baseball !
cannot win if the battle is continued
much longer.