The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-08
FINANCES NOW BIG
BASEBALL PROBLEM
Cost OF Game Has Increas-
ed Seven Fold In Last
Twenty Years.
(By Associated Press,

cial side Of baseball promises to be
one Of the most important factors Of
the professional game during the com.
ing season. Recent readjustments in
the sport has confronted the magnates
with problems which can only be
answered at the expiration Of the 1915
pennant races. Far from the least Of
these Is the question OF the players
salary. A large majority II the club
owners in both major and minor
league circuits are convinced that the
limit has been reached in this direc.
ton and curtailment is necessary.
Just how and when to put this econo-
my into effect is a proposition over
which there is wide varience Of
opinion.
Manager Connie Mack of the
Philadelphia Athletics has shown
Sparatin qualities by pruning his
former worlds championship team by
sale and release until Coombs, BEN
der, Plank and Collins no longer Attn
letics and Barker's connection with
the club is uncertain. President Ed
ward Barrow, of the International
League, has notified the various club
owners in his circuit that reductions
In players salaries were in order.
Other league executives and club own
ers favor similar moves but are de-
tered by long term contracts which
cannot be violated. The move toward
economy can be seen, however, in tho
unconditional release Of players
wherever possible. Not in many
years has there been the number OF
unconditional releases, recorded since
the close of the 1914 season.
A prominent baseball official said
recently that the average follower Of
the game did not realize the increased
cost OF the game due to the advance.
ment in players salaries. Various
angles in the business side OF the
sport made it necessary, including the
increasing popularity OF basketball, in.
dependent opposition and the banding
together OF the players themselves,
looking at 1t in broad minded man.
ner, he said that there wero condi-
tons In the situation which warranted
increases but In many cases increases
were out Of proportion to the services
rendered.
1t has been estimated that the aver.
age salary paid by major league clubs
has been doubled in the last ten years.
In the case OF a majority Of the play
ers the increase is less than 500
year but when the contracts Of stars
like Eddie Collins, iris Speaker, Wal
ter Johnson, Jake Daubert and Sam
Crawford are figured in, the general
advance reaches a surprising amount.
The salary limit OF the National
League was s2,400 fifteen years ago.
Today the salary of the mediocre play
er exceeds these figures and there is
no limit for the stars.
Baseball authorities who have
studied the situation carefully point
out that under the conditions that
prevailed in the early ninties star
infield and outfield containing such
players as Delehanty. Lajorie, Cross,
Flick. and Thomas, could be secured
for an annual outlay of approximately
$4,000. Today similar combination
would require yearly expenditure
OF five to seven times that amount.
Yet the gate receipts prove that at.
tendance has not increased in any.
thing like the same ratio. Eddie Col.
Inns acquisition and contract is said
to represent an outlay of more than
100000 during the next five years.
A Chicago statistician has figured
that he will have to draw well over
a quarter million extra attendance to
the White Sox park IL he is to indi.
vidually repay the investment.