El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-12-21
PLAYERS
DEMAND
BIGCOIN
Owner of the New York
Yankees Says That's
What is Hurting
Baseball.
1T TAKES ALL THE
DOUGH TO PAY EN-

FEW YORK, Dec. 20.-"My two
M years experience in the base
- ball business have taught me q
great DEAL" said Capt. TIlinghast I.
Huston, U. S. v. retired. recently. land
most important is that there isn't
enough money in the baseball business
TO pay the salaries that have been de-
manded since have been in It,
"Therc IL not the profit in base
hall that many persons imagine. For
good business man "a isn't the
safest kind of investment. I have
pertence. And baseball will remain
precarious business until the sal
aries are brought down TO n level
the business can afford. Under the
present system the players arc get
ting all the profits.
Nov, do not misunderstood me.
do not mind paying ballplayers high
salaries, and am discussing this ques-
ton from a business mans standpoint
For instance. we pay Frank Baker lots
OF money, but he is worth every penny
he gets. I would not pay him less. His
ability to win games and his power as
a drawing card make him a valuable
asset He is worth the money as a
business proposition. But there are a
great many players who have not
earned anything like the amount OF
money they received I 90 not blame
them exactly. as they get as high sal
business cannot afford it
Have Not Made Money
Just two years ago Col Rupert
and l put quite little money into the
ankees when we took over FarrelIs
franchise. And during those two years
we have not made a cent on the in
vestment. And every year before we
open our gates a possible loss stares
us in the face. Is that business?
Il like baseball az a game, and
we like the sporting end of Il. but
what business man cares to think
he has pumped money into q proPO-
sifiOn for two years without any re-
tuns Would not q sensible man
get out Of such an enterprise aud
put his money into something on
which he was sure Of a reasonable
returnf
Men with money in baseball hang
On and hope for big years But these
big years are mighty rare One must
figure on an average year Somebody
might say: Since you and Col Rupert
bought the club there were unusual
conditions The first year you were
in the Federal league, war Was on full
= lot Of war contracts My answer to
that IS that, despite some of the big
contracts We carried. our books showed
that the Yankees did q far better bust
IN the clubs history.
Must Offer High Salaries.
When I say salaries are too high 1
DO not speak necessarily Of the inflated
Federal leagus salaries. I am speak
ing Of the salaries we will offer our
players for next season
MY deductions are not from my own
individual experiences. but are the re-
suit Of my observations after being
club owner two years. I believe the
baseball business needs TO be over
hauled, and II IL is not. do not believe
careful men will invest in it II is my
opinion that conditions should be ad
justed so that the club owner has not
an the risk ana that his business should
be so run that in off years as we'll as
in so called banner years the club
would be self supporting and yield the
investor a fair profit Any man that
has any kind OF a business demands as
much