The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-04-09
COST CLUB
OWNERS REAL MONEY
Sixteen Major League Clubs Lose in
Neishborhood Of $4,000 a Year.


with rockies during the training sea-
son costs the club owners in the major
leagues scads OF coin every year.
And the returns are small, Steve.
ridiculously small. for as the old saying
goes-many are yelped for but few get
regular meal tickets
Figuring on a very conservative basis,
the sixteen major league clubs lose In
the neighborhood Of $4,000 each year in
experiments alone. This Is over and
above the amount set aside to defray the
actual travelling expenses Of the squads
which make annual pilgrimages to the
land of cotton and sand burrs.
The outlay of money for new playing
material ranges from $3.50 to 8, 500 for
every player who comes up the ladder to
the charmed circle. A certain per cent
OF these players are drafter and q certain
per cent obtained through outright pur-
chase. In the case OF drafted players the
major leaguers can generally get out on
the player who fails to make good with
a small loss by sending him back to the
ivory feld from which he came. But IN
disposing Of purchased players who fail
to come up to the standard the merry
magnuts are more than lucky IL they
get SO per cent of the purchase price
when disposins Of surplus ivory.
The youngsters Cleaned from the sand
lots OF the smaller leagues are CANDLES
pure and simple. Less than s per cent OF
them make a go Of IT, Players who are
thoroughly seasoned in the Iarrer
minors are depended upon largely for
Milling the gaps left by departing stars
who have seen their best days, and as
a rule these players come high, for an
order to get his pick Of them the magnate
must purchase before the drafting season
opens.
Few players combed from the minors
will be numbered among the regular
squads OF major league teams this year
A number Of big league clubs have made
purchases Of players who have had their
fling in the majors already. and are de-
pending on them to MI the bill
Pitcher Jimmy Middleton, purchased
from Louisville by the Giants, Is prac-
tically the only member Of Q squad of
over twenty recruits who will stick. Nc
Graw has spent somthing like $4,000 in
trying out these recruits. ana Middleton
is his reward.
Other clubs seldom spend as much a.
the Giants for new material. For when
McGraw goes out to secure new props
for his club he does Il on a large scale.
But the other clubs have to gamble Just
the same. and all take equal chances.
The Dodgers, for instance. consider
rique. their new shortstopper. And they
are lucky. The Browns claim to have q
find in Pitcher Pennington. and one or
two other recruits Of Fielder Jones' pick
ing have shown flashes, but must have
more seasoning.
Detroit has found a promising hurler
in Howard Ehmke, secured from SYRIA
cuse. and the Braves are sweet on
Johnny Rawlings and Outfielder Massey.
int he
Joe Kelly, secured from Chicago. And
Kelly Is a veteran in one sense, for he has
been up three times.
Bill Donovan has found a utility player
in knapp, who comes from a Southern
club. And knapp stands out as the
real find Of the year for the ranks. The
Athletics. with Thrasher as a promising
fielder. may vote themselves a little
credit, and Clarke Griffith believes that
in Joe Leonard. whom he secured before
the 1916 season closed. he has found q
player capable OF taking care Of third
base.
Aside from these players-and perhspS
only half OF them have been definitely
decided upon as regulars-the major
moguIs have turned to experienced men.
In Chick Gandii Manager Rowland be-
lieves he has found the solution to the
first base problem at Chicago. In Joe
Wood, Lee Fohl has added to the bulk
Of his pitching strength. and the Chi
cago Cubs are banking on Charley Dea.
to MI the shoes of the Great Zim. now
a Giant Connie Mack has brought Ping
Bodie back and the Yankees are hopinE
against hope that Ray Caldwell will not
throw a shoe.
So II is we find that the business OF
dealing In rockies is none too profitable.
for real stars are uncovered only now
and then, and 1t is long way between
the now and then. Every time the "A
falls in q major league camp an invest
ment of perfectly good negotiable co'r
is shot to smithereens.