Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-02
BASE BALL CANNOT RETURN
Game Will Recover a Bit, But Good
Old Days Of Prosperity Will
Never Come Back"
OTHER SPORTS CUTTING IN
ny FRANK G. MENKE.

NEW YORK, Jan. 1.-Base ball prob
ably never will do real comeback"
There are some who feel that with the
Feds dead and buried there will be
brought about return OF prosperous
days OF 1911 1919 and 1913 But those who
hope along those lines nourlsh a barren
hope.
It wasn't the existence OF the Federal
league that was the real cause in the gem
eral slump in base ball attendance. This
will be proven in 1916 when there will be
no Federal league. Times have changed.
Men who used TO find their only rocrea-
tion in watching base ball have found
other forms Of pleasure.
The cheapenlng OF the automobile prices
which has placed the possession OF a
benzine chariot almost within the price
Of all, has dealth base ball a terrific
blow The one time Fan" who now owns
an automobile devotes his Saturday and
Sunday afternoons TO taking out his fam
lily for a ride He passes up the ball
parks where he used to be a regular sat
urday and Sunday afternoon attendant.
Golf and Tennis Cut In.
And then there are golf and tennis MAX
bali attendance.
At the present time there are close TO
100000 golf and tennis players In the
United States. Five years ago there were
less than 100000 These extra 100000
have been drawn for the most part from
among the men who used 70 find their
only recreation In watching a ball game.
Very few men enjoy watching an ath-
letlc contest as much rs they enjoy being
one OF the participants in that contest.
Professional base ball affordes only a
chance OF witnessing the game. Golf and
tennis give men a chance 20 play II them
selvec; IL gives them the excitement OF
contest and It brings them out into the
open, with the added benefit of exercise.
or course, the millions Of men who now
play tennis and golf. and those who own
autos and spend most OF their time chug-
ging around the country. haven't deserted
base ball absolutely. The love for the
game still burns in their hearts. but the
flame Is feeble and Pickering. Occasion
ally they go to the game-but occasion
ally only. In the other years they used
to 10 on an average Of twenty-five times
yearly. Now they so but four OF five
times in season.
Players 20 suffer.
However, even II the volume Of income
| from attendance is lover during the com
ing years than It was in the heydey OF
base ball the magnates will have one con
ISOLATION. The outgo after the 1916 season
will be proportionately smaller than eveI
before.
Base ball salaries reached their highest
level In history with the coming of the
Federal league. Ball players. even OF IN,
mediocre kind. were able to shake down
their employers for two and three timeI
their real value, but the death OF tn,
Federal league has taken from the play
ers the club they welded so effectivel,
in 1914 and 1915. and now the magnatel
get their innings.
Before the base ball war the average
salary for the player was In the neighbor
hood OF $500 per year That includes
salaries paid to the rookie players an
the stars. During the Federal league err
the average jumped to close TO 1900 pc
season. Some cIubs. operating with TWEEN
ty-one men. had a salary list close I
100000 which made the average some
what beyond $4,000.
Average salary $4,000.
But those days have skidded along int
history. The salary lists OF the variou
clubs win be fairly sizeable during i9l
because the clubs must carry out man
of the contracts they made in wartim
days. But after that the players wi
suffer a huge cut In wages,
It wouldn't be surprising II the aVerag
salary from 1917 on did not average abov
5000 per season. The players can OF
iect IL they wish-but what COOL is
going TO do them2 The Feds are dead
J and it's up to the player to accept tn
small salary offered or quit base ball.
Ono magnate expressed the situate
thusly;
: During the last two seasons / hay
been paying an average of $1,000 TO som
ball players who weren't worth more tina
$500 at the very outside. When we e,
,, down to business with them again thoi
fellows who will get contracts renewe
at $4,000 year. They pushed the hool
into me fore an extra $1,000 during Il
last two years. They had the drop {
me. Now III pay them Sl.OO0 extra &
, two years. and now for the next tv
years they will work for me for n,o
, less than they are really worth. Tn
/ win even up things"