New Britain herald., 1916-02-03
FRENZIED FINANCE
 ENTERS BASEBALL
Five Club Owners Pay St25,OOO
 For Fed League Players

New York, Feb. 3.--Following the peace agreement between the Federal league and Organized Baseball it was stated by the big league magnates that baseball salaries and expenses would be revised downward. Players salaries were to be reduced and their contracts issued from year to year in place of the long term agreements in vogue during the conflict between OT@ ganized and Independent interests.
 It was pointed out that the ma jority of the clubs could not meet ex- penses under the conditions existing and that it would be necessary to cur tail salaries, expenses, training trips and in general bring to bear a modern business efficiency system in order that professional baseball might he placed on a paying basis again. While it is possible that the mag mates may be planning to inaugurate such a system there certainly is no sign of such 8 movement at the pres ent time.
 In the matter of preparing for the 1916 baseball season the magnates both old and new appear to have taken a leaf from the book of the prom oters of the proposed Willard Moran bout and entered the field of frenzied finance. Tn buying baseball club stock, securing Federal league stars and signing managers the sums spent surpass all previous records and it will require some very clever Tetrenchment in the months to come ic the magnates expect to reach the financial plane outlined only a few months ago.
 Five clubs in the National and American leagues alone, have pa@ more than s120,000 for the privilege of assuming the top-heavy contracts of ten of the Federal league stars, if credence can be placed in the sale figures announced to the press. In addition to paying large sums for tho requirement of these players, the clubs are legally obligated to cont tinue the salaries agreed on between the former Federal league magnates and their star players and these salaries are known to be extremely high. ..a -.----t--
 The average purchase price of these ten players is a trif1e over s12,000 and since 1t is certain that their average yearly salary Is at least $5,000 the initial years outlay will be about $175, 900, as can be seen from the following list of players and their sale price:
 Player . Club Pric6 Kauff, B. New York (N) s35,006 Rariden, w. New York (N) f0,0O0 Anderson, F. New York (N) 10;06g Magee, Lee. New York (A) 25;00O Cullop, Nick New York (A) 12,50O Gedeon, Joe. New York (A) 5000 Erickson, Detroit (A) 5000 Seaton, Thos. Chicago (N) 7,500 Johnston, J. Brooklyn (N) 5,500 Rousch, E. New York (N) 650O
 The big money has not been paid exclusively for Federal league stars fer retiring baseball magnates have sold their club stock for many times what it cost them a few years ago. The sale of the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns and the New York Americans, brought close, to $2,000,000, which was more thark double what the previous owners paid for these clubs. Now Managed George T. Stallings, of the Boston Nationals has just closed a five year contract with that club at an annual salary reported to be S20,000. Just where retrenchment and economN. come in is not apparent, unless the nagnates plan to require the average bis league player to pay for the privilege of playing on the team