Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16
Hedges, Former Owner of the
Browns, Gives Some Inter-
eSting Views on Base Ball.
BELIEVES MILLI0NAIRES
DETRIMENT TO PASTIME
Says 1t Would Be Injustice to Loyal
Players to Cut Salaries Now
That Peace Prevails.

Special Dispatch to The star
ST. LOUIS, January I5.-That
base ball will still have its saliva
ton to work out, after the set
Element of the peace conditions,
is the opinion of R. L. Hedges,
formerly president OF the Browns,
who from his new viewpoint on
the outside a-looking in, takes a
peep into the future of the ma
tional game.
Outside of conditions relating
to the late base ball war, there are
evidences that powerful, as organ
lied base ball would seem to be, it
will still have blowholes in its
armor and an Achilles heel.
through which, in the opinion OF
the former St. Louis magnate, it
may be dealt serious blows.
The colonel views with justifiable COM
placency his financial connection with the
greatest of all United States sports. in
which he ran $4,000 capital into 100000
cash in hand. and as much more In divi-
dends But he doubts that he or any one
else could repeat the achievement under
conditions they exisf today
Will Work Out Well.
Base balls future is certain to work
out all right, some day" said Hedges.
But in the meantime there are many
things to be adjusted before it settles
down to permanently established, non
assailabie basis
THE adjustment of peace conditions
will cause some annoyance. but it will
be accomplished all right To my mind
the chief menace to base ball. under
its present handicaps. is the presence
of so much big money behind certain
clubs. There are in the game today
certain capitalists financially able to
force winner - that is. one-two-
three club. The power of money back
of Sinclair, Comiskey. Lannin and one
or two others is such that If they set
out to do they can corner all the
loose talent, to the detriment of the
weaker owners.
THE weaklings, financially, have no
chance to get on their feet, with feeble
clubs. Under conditions today they
must. sooner or later. lose out. They
might be willing to buy players, but
big capital heads them off.
s-Nrof tam of Chopl II linz
millionaires and for equaliZing the dis
tribution of good playing material is
devised other than the investment of
large sums for the release of talent,
the moneyed fighters of the game will
always be able to strengthen at the
expense of the weaker.
of course this makes for an I'M
balanced league. and decreased interest,
except among the fans of the three or
four cities in each organization.
Circuit Invites Attack.
There are other weaknesses in base
ball which the war has not corrected.
For example, until all the gaps in the
major league circuit are plugged up
an attack by independents is always
possible. Four years ago I advocated
putting two teams in Detroit. Cleve-
land, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh-al OF
them growing cities. All will soon be
continuous base ball during
the season but now they boast only
one team / had in mind two ten-club
lea CUES. / still think this necessary
measure to prevent an
other war.
over for good. AS long as there are
auick-rich millionaires growing up
around us there is a chance that money
can be enlisted to support almost any
but with all the big cities provided
with two teams it would take a reck-
less man to attempt to force another
major league on the country.
For the next decade or so the chief
worries of the men who make base ball
4 big business will be to squeeze all
the imitation out of base ball salaries
and how to control Dave Fultz and his
base ball fraternity. Reduction in eX-
oenses is necessary if some of the clubs
are to get by Some saving viii be
possible, but in the main there Will not
be many large slices made in the pay
rolls of the weaker teams, which have
been forced to trim sails already dur
ng war times.
FOR myself. ] can say that my pay
-oll for the last year of the war was
not more than $4,000 in excess OF
what it was in 1902. the year l entered
,ase ball. The weak clubs have saved
~ reducing in number OF men what
hey lost by increased contracts.
Injustice to Loyal Men.
Good ball players salaries cannot be
nut much Their price is high in peace
n war Nor can the club owner de-
emily cut the pay of those players who
we're loyal to him during the war times
nd who now may find themselves
reated little better than the Jumpers
For my part ] would have almost
s soon cut off a finger cut the
alaries of Pratt. Weilman, Shotton and
theirs who withstood tempting offers
nd left it to me to do what was right
or them.
"In this fight the press ofNthe coun-
~ took sides against the player and
or the magDate. Writers seemed TO
hink the boosting of salaries. contract
umping, etc. was unfair. But after
eace they will be once more lined up
or the player as against the magnate,
laking salary reductions harder.