The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-06
BASEBALL ITEMS
FROM MANY SOURCES
Financial Side of the Professional Game
During Coming Season Promises
To Be An Important
Factor.

to be one of the most important factors
of the professional game during the COM
ing season. Recent readjustments in
the sport have confronted the magnates
with problems which can only be an
swered at the expiration of the 1915
pennant races. Far from the least of
these is the question of the player 5
salary. A large majority Of the club
owners in both major and minor league
circuits are convinced that the limit has
been reached in this direction and cur
taiIment is necessary just how and
when to put this economy into effect is
a proposition over which there is wide
yarience OF opinion.
Manager Connie Mack OF the Philadel-
pha Athletics has shown Sparatn quail
titles bv pruning his former worlds cham
pionship team by sale and release I'M
iii Coombs. Bender, Plank and Collins
arc no longer Athletics, and Bakers col
nection with the club is uncertain. Pres
ident Edward Barrow, OF the lnterna-
tional league, has notified the various
club owners in his circuit that reduc-
tons in players salaries were in order.
Other league executives and club owners
favor similar moves but are deferred ly
long term contracts which cannot be vio-
lated. The move toward economy can
be seen. however, in the unconditional
release of players wherever possible. Not
in many years has there been the num-
Der OF unconditional releases recorded
since the close of the 1914 season.
A prominent baseball official said re-
Gently that the average follower of the
game did not realize the increased cost
OF the game due to the advancement in
PLAYERS salaries. Various angles in the
business side OF the sport made il nee
essary, including the increasing popu
laritv OF basketball. independent oppo-
sition and the banding together Of the
PLAYERS themselves, looking at II in a
broad minded manner, he said that there
were conditions in the situation which |
warranted increases, but in many cases
increases were out OF proportion TO the
services rendered.
II 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 l
ers the increase is less than 500 year
but when the contracts Of stars like FL
die Collins, Iris Speaker Walter John
son. Jake Daubert and sam Crawford
are figured in the general advance
reaches 4 surprising amount The sal 4
arv limit al the National league was 4
81 400 is wears ago. To-day the salary 4
Of the mediocre player exceeds these fig J.
ures and there is no limit for the stars
Baseball authorities who have studied |
the situation carefully point GOT that .
under The conditions that prevailed IN I
tho early a0s = star inheld and outheld /
containing such players ~ Dclehhnty, \
Iaioie. Cross. Flick and Thomas could .
h. secured FOR an annual outlay ot sl5,-
000. To-day similar combination
would require YEARLY expenditure 81
five ~ seven times that amount. Yet
the cate reee pts prove that ATTENDANCE
has not increased in ANYTHING like NE
same ratio. Eddie Collins acquisition
and contract i said ~ represent au
outiav 81 more thar slo0010 during
~ newt fve wears Chicago statlsti-
-ian has figured that Pc VIII have %
9rsw wen Over 90 010 entrn attcnh-
,nce 20 tie Whte ~ox mark t Do b.
10 individually renay the Investment