Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-22
POOR BASEL BALL
IS LIKELY UNTIL
STARS ARE BACK
Scarcity of High-cIaSS Play
erS viii Lower Standards
at Start of Season. Is Hugh
FUIIerton'S Opinion,
Copyright, 1879
(Ey Hugh :, Eullcrton.)

CURED to keep the major leagues fill
ed. OF these. as | class them, seven
teen are Glass 1-supormcn, who ~
speed. skill or brains stand out far
above their fellows. Eleven are men
who, year ago, were in that same
class hut who have slipped back
trifle, although still far above the
average Nine promise to develop
into this plus class. one hundred and
four are slightly above average. and
the others are Just ball players who
are chosen to fill out because no bet
ter men can he had. Most of these
are chosen because they have had
little more experience, although prob
ably the teams could get 5000 players
in minor, semi-pro and college teams
who would do the work Just as well.
The outlook for the coming season
is not for good baseball The teams
at the start will be but little improved
over the worst major league teams we
ever knew in the last two decades
which were those that finished the
season last fall. The prospect how
ever, is for a steady and consistent
Improvement in all the teams and, by
mid -season twhcn real baseball usual
ly Starts. the teams will be better
than those which were in the field in
1917.
Returning soldiers and sailors will
help build up the teams and | believe
the physical condition OF the average
player will he higher than it ever has
been,
This classification according to the
ability of the men shows the diff
culties of owners and managers IN
adjusting salary differences with play
FNhTGA
of the class OF Cobb. Johnson Speak
er, Alexander, Sisler Vaughn and
others, pay their own salaries in extra
money drawn at the gate. They hard
ly can be overpaid. The ones who
are going back also draw money and
deserve high salaries. The youngsters
who promise to become stars" de-
serve less, as they viii get theirs when
they develop fully. The other classes
usually are oVerpaid in comparison
with the salaries of the stars. The
great trouble in recent years has been
that some owners have fooishly press
ACCENTED the alleged salaries paid to
the stars (some of which were true)
and caused dissatisfaction among the
lesser lights of the teams.
1t is not, however, the payment OF
huge salaries that has kept down the
salaries of the lesser lights. 1t has
been the payment of large sums to
other clubs, major and minor, for the
services of players. | have the figures
of one team which, in one season, paid
Sl2l 900 for ball players and its salary
rolf was under $4,000.
Now the system of buying and sell
ing players has changed since the
minors declared their independence
although as yet the major leagues
nay Nv. 9lsi"u we a+leel tT. S my
Pieus'u 'ileli.Se'Nea ~ s'En' iie' edIte'
wien hl"J0' ledsue cup wants
plaSer It VIII nave 10 PuIciase mn
ou'i isi't' l-uS ing an SelIins we" '
iiIa1oi leas ue S'ups 'ilui ll' re- lia'
eeeh Is'l, io'e,' ny sieeillent' - ne ~
iect VI |ie Cli'hse ousht 10 ne uou
oIeu, !, o.St,t 70 put ~ d" en-" 'he
lieIiN'So NUNS ioi pay 80 anu !.
oasit' " SH'Dio ''fg |'""9 ~ pay pa
% the money s"Neu ~ prayers III Tie
40 ~ u '@ls ie'
- Cah We uo'Ir' NoHIiIe MICK US
9" t'io' it1S' SV"iS So H'
ai5 Su 'ii'C II was l"oAiSH W pay
V't''V Vi "i''V'o ~ SUNNI V'uP LOT a.
e'"sG VI JUST d'oNe average pdl
pldSeI Whel ne coul" 60 OUT "il 10
t'ie s1"'I- Us u me coreses ana ilho
souHS payer VI as Hlucl or more
natuial apill'y anu py investing
ludl, Is hluch money w Train. ne
Nun nav peV'eI pray ,i r anu one "E'
pIaE,d pan ms way. ne result wa
lli't ne m nae, Il uali eluu Which coSl nun
dcLie1iS "o'lilllS anu even III cltS
Will mas ci'elp pase pau ne 'oulO
alior1 10 pay mem SaIarleS lHey He
Neu, re won cI''iipionsllipS' SOC
ldoS' VI ths P'aNe's ior h'Eh price,
anu SlaFteo DONG lhe same lhlht
sasaln
1et the h'aJo'l'N OF managers Woul'
fl"lller pay DIG p'ise LOT nan sea
soheu pau payer Ihth - ,aNe lhS'
siilaiI SouiES'eIS 1hl Tram tHehl. NC
o1taoavs mill, +o,r,e