Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-09
STRUCK SPORT
Barney Dreyfus Admits 1915
Season a Precarious One.
CRIPPLED ALL THE CLUBS.
Hold Ups by Players Increased Pr
rates Expense&to $1,4G3
a Day.
CRIPPLED ALL THE CLUBS

NEW HAVEN. Conn, January s.
Barney Dreyfus. owner of The Pitts
burgh National League club, writing in
the Yale Daily News, admits that the
past season was a precarious one for
the National League, but he now looks
Onward to a revival of interest in
base ball because of the settlement of
the war conditions brought on by the
Federal League. Nearly every club in
organized base ball, he says, was
obliged to increase it's salary list, ow-
ing to the discomfort Of players, and in
the case of the Pittsburgh club alone
this amounted to $4,000 in excess of
the payment in nprmal times. Some of
the clubs had a salary list of $115,000.
The Federal League, he believes, took
$4,000, 900 away from the National and
American Leagues.
In the adjustment due to peace. Drey-
fus predicts a reduction of the high
salaries and at the same time better
play for the public. The good players
in the Federal League. he thinks.
should be distributed so that the four
League would be strengthened. thus
bringing about another close race,
which, he says, was the only thing
that saved the National League last
year.
Dreyfus touches upon the question Of
summer base ball for the collegians
and avs that 1T is a good thing. The
average college player, according to
his view. has to be developed before he
can become proficient as a big league
a and summer base ball helps in
this regeneration more than any other
feature. In discussing the base ball
situation, Dreyfus says, in part:
Base Ball Men Thankful.
"All base ball men have reason to
feel thankful that certain unpleasant
features which have abounded for the
last two years have been eliminated.
The public does not care for the poll
tics of the game; the fan is not inter-
ested in the business end of base ball
what Is wanted-and what must be
su~ppIied-is a real article of the Amer
lean sport.
The adjustment of the Federal
League means a better standard Of
base ball in the minor leagues. Many
of the big league players will be
forced by greater competition to drop
back to the minor leagues. and by this
same competition the base ball OF the
two big leagues will be benefited. Ball
players will now have to work for us
instead of our working for them. Dur
ing last. season the Federal League
took away from the National and the
American Leagues about $4,000. 900.
The 1915 Pittsburgh clubs salary
list was some $4,000 in excess of that
paid the players on the 1910 club. This
is true; salaries were considerably af-
fected by the existence of a third
league. On top of this came the dis
satisfaction of the public with the con-
ditions which prevailed and with it the
Some clubs in the National League sup
ported a salary list of $115.0 900 during
1915. The cost of operating the Pitts
burgh ball club last season was ap-
proximately S1.400 for each of the 1874
days Of the playing season.
Will Be Well Paid.
Much has been said of the impend-
ing danger Ito the player) of lower
salaries. If some of the things We hear
are to be credited we might be excused
for believing that the major Lacquer will
soon be called upon to work for hod-
carriers wages.
This time will never come. >While
the day of wartime pay is over, and
while some of the hold-ups will have to
come down to their real level, the rank
and file of players will continue to b.
well paid. The good ball player is an
artist in his line. The man who is good
enough to forge his way from the min
ors to the big leagues will never be
forced to work for day wages. In base
ball 1t is just the same as in any other
yrnyk ~ ,.