The Washington times., 1915-03-25
Con1iskey Is Champion
Spender In Baseball
HAS Spent Fortune i'm Effort to Build Up White Sox
Purchase of Collins Part of Reward
for Loyalty of Fans.

JnquestIonably Charles a. Comiskey
Is more loose with his money than any
other man in baseball.
Never since he found himself in pos.
session of a ball club ana considerable
means has he been threatened with
paralysis of the spending hand.
whether merely buying wine for Lis
many friends. or purchasing promisin:
bali players on the hoof, or helping out
the widow and the orphan, 1t Is always
the samc-hc is ever there with the
open heart and unclcnchcd list.
1t Is estimated otfhand that he has
scparatcd himself from $l3o.VOD in Lcr-
fectly good money for real and alleged
talent during tho past few years BY
he rounded up some good players. but a
or never did bloom, For smart man,
"Commy" has been stuns with surpris.
Ing ircQucncyc
He reached the top notch IN high
tinancc, as it applies 10 baseball. when
he bought Collins. For this bird hc
gave 5000 silver washers. which figures
as about three who clbarrow loads, We
would say at an oifhand guess.
There had preViously been some stun
pr Ices paid for athletes Of various
shapes and sizes. but sJO.WO at ono piunk
made "A new and unfamiliar noise cal.
culatcd TO Startle and astound the civil
tied world.
Comiskcy believes that he will realize
well on the investment but IN buying
Collins he was actusted as much by
sentiment as by business.
Naturally. he asDlrcs TO another pen
nant, an ambition which he has not
realized since 1850.
Aside from his personal feelings in
the matter. he felt that tho loyalty of
the South Side fans should bc rewarded
by giving them a real contender, a popu-
lar idol-something which they had not
enjoyed since Ed Walsh began to slip.
White SoX fans are strong tor the
hero worship stun. Baseball sentiment
courses fcvcrishly through their veins.
ana their loyalty pcnctrates clear to the
marrow.
Years ago they dashed themselves to
tomiskcy's Colors. and have stuck with
them whether the club was out IN front
or back in the ruck taking the dust OF
the leaders.
Baseball spirit is a little different from
anything to be found outside of Chicago,
Comiskcys personal popularity and the
knowledge that he had spent "A fortune
In trying to produce winner explain
this fidelity on the part of the common
people.
Baseball rivalry of n local nature I'm
uuestionably is keener in Chicago than
In any other city. In the annual fall
series between the Cubs and White Sox,
even before the game and the roofing
starts, the very air seems charged with
the weight OF conflicting opinions.
Last season the Federals drew heav-
lily from the ranks of the Cub patrons.
out were unable to shake the allegiance
Of the Sox fans.
One day. along toward the fag end
of the season, Comiskey entered the
park. The SoX were long since out of
the race, but thousands OF fans filed
through the grandstand.
Comiskey looked over the stands
thoughtfully, and then turning to a
group of friends. said:
These people are not coming here
to see a team in sixth place play 1t is
their friendship for me and their 10y
atty to the club that brings them. They
are deserving Of something better. l
will give them a winner If ii takes
every dollar that ! own
Those who were present say that the
"Old Roman" was actually shaken with
emotion.
And 1t was then. it is believed. that
he secretly determined to give the SoX
fans a really. truly star, regardless
of cost-Collins preferred.
The practice of paying large money
FOR ball players is not exactly recent
Innovation, although it happens more
frequently than formerly. Way back