The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-18
BALL,PL.A AYERS LARGE
3 SAL AIRY DAYS ARE OVER
Rsadent Salaries Of FASTENERS the Problem That Is
Now Facing the American and National Leagues.
MANY Dollars Will Be Sliced Off,

viii be the principal problem OF
major league clubs this winter. As
soon as the new form OF contract 10
revised and approved players VIII
have to submit to q reduction. Their
days Of "fat frying are over. There
Is no Federal League or any other So
called outlaw league to be used as a
weapon to drive the major club own
ers into signing long-term contracts
at . salary rate far in excess OF
players earning power. Such persons
a. Iris Speaker will not be able to
demand $4,000 a season with a
threat hanging over his employer. TO
Jump TO an outlaw organization,
should his demands be refused. There
b ~ such thing a. Q haven Tor q
aissa&aadod player II no does not like
the torms Of his now contract.
AlthouGA the club owners were
forced 10 grant concessions to the
play1gs during the ysdsral League
existence and which wore distAsteful
to them. the owners DO not intend to
slash salaries one-halk or more, but
II Il expected that all players will be
required to accept one-fourth or one
third less than they received while
the outlaw league was alive.
There win be many refusals to &C
cept reductions. and there will be
threats Of players to quit the game
ana leave It fiatfooted unless they re-
celve a. much as in the palmy days
but deaf ears will be turned to these
players. They must either submit or
quit. And where could a ball player
earn one-third as much IN any other
occupation II he chose such a course :?
Ball players generally are incapable
of earning a fairly good salary at
any other business. for ball playing
has been their occupation and few OF
them ever attempted to learn trade.
Less Money In World Series.
Two other matters that will affect
the pocketbooks OF the players Will
be the reduction of world series prices
and the adjustment of the privilege
OF players writing or having their
names attached to newspaper articles
for which they receive pay. The in
crease in world series prices last sea-
son was regarded as scandalous
There was go much criticism that the
clubs involved blamed the raise on
the National Commission. although
no one believed that the commission
would have ordered the increase with
out request from the clubs.
The fans felt that they should not
be kept away from the worlds series
by prohibitive prices after supporting
these clubs during the championship
season.
Ball PLAYERS were money mad dur
ing the years of the games greatest
prosperity. They lost sight of almost
everything else. thinking out their ar
rangemenss Tor spending fabulous
salaries. world series shares. which
we're more than the best player re-
ceived several years ago for a whole
seasons pay--when the salary limit
was s24o0 and there was no pre-
season or past season games,
Another reform that will greatly af
feet the players 10 the intention to
make the players who are released to
minor league clubs on optional agree
mont accept the salary offered by the
new employers Under the present
form of contract player who was
signed by a major league club for s+.
coo and released to a minor team at
a salary OF $4,000 would have to lose
the difference between these sums
unless he possessed an ironclad con-
tract which protected his salary.
There were instances last season of
major league clubs sending some of
their young and undeveloped players
to clubs in the minor leagues and con-
tinuing to pay their salaries II was
considered to be better to pay these
men salaries while breaking in with
other clubs than to have them warm
ing benches in the major leagues,
which would not improve their play
ing skill.
TraAing Of Players Dinicuit.
I The meeting of the National League
'at the Waldorf-Astoria last week de-
veloped nothing TO indicate that any
OF the clubs would be strengthened by
trades or sales of players The only
trade made was that OF Rostor giving
Fred Mitchell to Chicago for Joseph
Kelly, but that was done to give the
cubs = new manager.
Every other team In the National
Eeague needs strengthening to reach
the class OF the Giants. Every man
arer has his net out for players, but
III suggesting trades. each wants only
the stars and no one Ia disposing OF
stars these days unless he receives
great compensation. 1t Ia almost i'm
possible to make \ trade advantageous
10 the clubs concerned. The Giants
Nth the present lineup should en-
counter weak opposition next season.
unless the other teams hava something
halter to offer than last season.
The intention of "0Avvy Cravath,
the old slugger. to leave the Phillies
lead play in the Pacific Coast League.
win make a big hole In Pat" Moran's
team. "Gavvy's" bat has kept the
Phillies in the pennant race for some
years and sluggers are hard to md
Moran has hts eyes on Max Carey and
Prank Schultz. OF the Pirates, and
Jack" Miller. Of the Cardinals, but he
has not sufficient trading material to
induce the Pittsburg and st. Louis
ssas,hes to release these men. The Car
s,trals and Pirates arc anxious to make
-daale and 20 are the Dodgers. Braves,
REDS, Cubs and Philliss. but usually
me best players are wanted. There
fare. few deals are contaminated.
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