Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-06
BIG LEAGUE CLUBS
TO SAVE 100000
Sixteen Teams to Lop Off
Average of $50, 900 on Sal
aries This Season.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

An estimate OF the amount OF money
major league club owners will save this
season as result of pruning the sal
airy lists places the figure at close to a
million dollars. In recent years the
Federal League invasion boosted the
pay rolls beyond the limits of reason,
but with the wartime contracts run
ing out a basis more nearly normal Is
being reached, and many athletes VINO
for several years drew $4,000 or more.
although actually worth only about
half that amount, this year find them
selves facing the prospect of signing
at a sensible figure or remaining idle.
1t has been estimated that the aver
age salary list of a big league ball club
for the last few years has been around
s125,000, not including the manager;
but this season, according to reports
pay rolls will average from $4,000 to
$4,000 With a difference of about
$50 900 as "a basis. it is figured the SIX
teen clubs will save some 100000. ana
with retrenchments IN lines such as
office forces, Ground-keeping SquauS
and scouts, the magnateS this year viii
have to pay out approximately $1,000
eco less than last season.
Outlook for Sunday base ball in New
York this season has been reduced to
o minimum as a result Of the caucus
of republican senators at Albany.
when they decided that the time
is not opportune for legalizing
Sabbath contests by professional play
ers. Despite the action taken at the
conference Senator Lawson of Brook
lyn yesterday introduced his measure
to permit the playing of Sunday baii
games after o'clock in the afternoon,
In. h -
ganization is expected to kill what was
considered an excellent chance for the
passage of the bill.
Although the failure of the hackers
of Sunday base ball to arouse sufhclent
favorable sentiment among the leglsla-
tors at Albany to assure its passage IS
widely accepted as meaning the death
of the International League, President
NcCaffery of the Toronto club today
announced that the circuit would be re-
organized and that there would be base
bail as usual this season. He gave it
out that the signed contract of Pitcher
WARRIOR had been received, and that
Larry Lajoie. manager of the team last
season. IS expected to go to Toronto be
fore the end of the week for a confer
enCe regarding managing the team
again this year Whether McCaffery is
sincere in his statement that there viii
be base bail as usual" and whether, if
sincere. he is able to get the old Inter
face of the discouraging conditions
confronting the magnates, remains to
be seen.
The recent sale of John Henry to the
Boston Braves. which caused stories to
be spread broadcast that the big catch
er had been driven out of the American
League by President Johnson as a re-
suit of his activity as a director of the
Players Fraternity in it's salary strike
a year ago. has ELECTED statement
from Big Ban. The league executive
admits he cautioned Henry to change
the tactics he was pursuing in connec-
ton with the fraternitys attempted
hold-up. but says the player promptly
did so, adding that the catcher played
the best ball he was capable of last
season and was loyal to his employ
Henry began to go back in playing
skill last summer" says Johnson. so
that when Clark Griffith received a
handsome offer from the Boston Braves
for the players release he naturally
wanted to sell. So l told Griffith to
call for waivers on Henry and / also
asked all of the American League
clubs to refuse to put in cleaims In
that way Griffith was enabled to turn
Horny over to the Braves for a sum of
money which he couldn't have received
otherwise.
Henry never at any time was in
danger of Punishment In fact. I never
made threat to put him out of the
American League. There is no black
list in organized base ball. which is
proved by the fact that all of the play
ers of value who jumped to the Fed
eral League in 1913, 1914 and 1915 We're
re-engaged by the major leagues"