Evening star., 1915-01-24

a. a costly game 10
the Federals, but to the two major
leagues and the minors as we'll. 1t has
already proved a game of high stakes.
In the first place there never was de-
mand for third league. In the second
place there are not enough high-class
players to maintain a big league stand
ard. All leagues must suffer as re-
suit, the public in particular Such
was the statement of one of the big
sest men in base ball made to me dur
ing recent interview.
IT lost heavily last season." continued
my informant. who is major league
club owner, "but there were mighty
few owners who didn't finish on the
| wrong side OF the ledger. My loss
was greater than some other clubs, be-
cause my team was an also ran almost
from the start, but even at that if
I had been UP in the race / would have
been lucky to break even. When a
| world championship team that wins
| the pennant loses money, and the team
that runs second also fails to show a
profit, then there is surely something
! wrong. That is what happened in the
American League last season. Not SO
many years ago to finish in the first
division meant fairly good profit, but
those days are past.
II have always favored paying the
| player well. My clubs have always
| been high saiaried asgregations. 1
| have always tried to make the player
| satisfied on the salary question. for
| realized discontented player never
forts The Federal League last year
! jumped the pay of my already top
priced club by over one-third its
| former amount. 1t smade difference
of at least $4,000 to every. major
league club. while some were hit much
harder. When some of my players
jumped to the Federal League last year
1 went the limit to get them back.
| This year 1 am working on an en-
tirely different policy. No player is
going to hold me up by threatening to
jump to the Federal League. If he isn't
| satisfied with what I offer him. and can
| get a great deal more from the Feds
| then 1 am not going to make an effort
TO keep that player from making the
| leap. Most major league club owners
at the present time have more than
| their fill of high priced, longtime con-
| tracts. T figure the more such con-
tracts the players can tie the Federal
| League to. then the sooner peace will
| come. Salaries Of $1,000 are very
numerous in major league circles at the
| present time. A number of stars are
!
amount. When you carry team of
| twenty-five athletes, all drawing fancy
| salaries, you must do Il mighty big
| business at the gate to show profit.
! Demand Enormous Salaries.
''rhe coming of the Federal League
has made big upheaval in the game,
| because it came at a time when there
was no demand for a third league.
! A,,
ganized there was a demand for
second major league. The rapidly
growing popularity of the game de-
manded continuous base ball in the
major league cities. The American
League had 4 sound foundation to
work on. desire for it on the part
/ of the public. 1t also was a well
known fact that some really great ball
players. stars of the Cobb type. were
! getting salaries that bush league re-
cruit is now liable to demand from
YOU when you ask him to sign. When
the Federal League came into the fold
| there was no such Il condition existing
among the players. The average play
| ices. and was more than satisfied. OF
! course. there was the disgruntled play
| er here and there. who welcomed the
coming of the new league. In order to
| sary for the Federal League to pay ex-
orbitant salaries. When the American
| League battled with the National. an
| offer of $4,000 was fancy bait for the
| real stars. Last year the Federal
| League was forced to pay that amount
to players far removed from stardom
1T is my opinion that the public
| has tired of the fighting. In fact, the
| attendance figures have proved this
There must be some solution to the
| problem, and until that solution is
| Forthcoming many a club owner is due
| to continue having continual head
| ache. There are a lot OF good business
men connected with the Federal
| League. They have been successful in
| other lines of business. Perhaps most
| of them went into base ball believing
| it to be a veritable gold mine. Some
| of them ! know are already much wiser
| OH this point. Some of them have so
much tied up. and their loss has been
| SO great, that they can hardly turn
| back. Being successful business men,
! they hate to throw up the sponge and