The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-10
MORE SALARY CUTS
FOR MAJOR PLAYERS
Drastic Retrenchment Plans
VIII Be Adopted at Base
ball Conclave.
ny FREDERICK @. LIED.

While the leading question TO come
mp before the Joint conference or the two
major leagues next week Is to decide on
a new system Of baseball government
the question OF financial retronchment Is
even of greater Importance to tho club
owners, and particularly 10 the players
1t Is no secret that despite tho high
cost Of living baseball salaries again
will go down during the coming season
Club owners assert that salaries must
como down TO where they were before
the Federal League started In the winter
OF ists-l914. It Ia their int ntion to
get as near TO the 1912 pay rolls as Is
possible.
Club owners realize that II Is the high
salaries OF stars that have so inflated
baseball values. and even the stipends
paid the stars are bound 10 come down.
''Can you imagine player like Hersog,
who hit around 200 for two seasons.
getting $4,000 year and bonusesT'
said club owner recently. "why. at
his best, Mathewson drew $4,000 a
year"
Holding Back 1919 Contracts.
In 1912 Russell Ford OF the Yankees
drew $500 a year and Hal Chase drew
$4,000 as manager and first baseran.
Ford then was considered one OF the
highest ealaried pitchers In baseball.
He got much more than any OF the
great pitching trio OF the Athletic
Bender. Plank and Coombs Coonbs'e
salary in Brooklyn, by the way. was the
sarne as when he was winning pennants
for Mack. Some ave or elk years ago
Eddie Plank % the Athletics was hold
ing out for $4,000 and Mack was as
founded. He said no never heard Of
, such a thing, and talked Of the ingrati-
tude Of Plank holding out for such n
figure after all Mack had done for him.
The delay in sending out contracts
means that an approximate salary rate
will be decided at next weeks meetings
The reduction Of next seasons sched-
uls also was due to policy OF retrench-
mert, rather than to get away from cold
early spring and fall weather. The four
weaithiest clubs. the Giants. Red Sox.
White Sox and Cubs were the only ones
that held out for the old 15+ game
schedule. BY playing a 40 game sched-
ule the club owners will pay salaries
only on l4o game ratio.
Expect Many Holaouts.
Some of the leading players may get
together and try to combat reductions.
II Ia safe to predict that Cobo's contract
Of $4,000 will not be renewed at that
figure. and other lesser players will have
their salary similarly reduced. Jake
Daubert's $4,000 contract viii! be cut
considerably. and II he remains with
Brooklyn II is a question II he will get
$4,000.
A number OF hoidouts are freely pre-
dicted by men who realize actual condi-
lions Players who have declared them
selves free agents and are making q
noise about bonuses and parts OF pur-
chase money may have their eyes opened
before the winter Is over.
The more obscure players will be In
even a worse position than the stars.
with soldier and sailor player, being
dismissed daily from the services all
clubs are loaded UP with all kinds Of
talent. Some clubs have over fifty men
on the reserve list. The Yankees have
twenty-s.x pitchers alone. II player
makes n squawk about the new contract
offered him ne will be told that perhaps
he can do better IN minor league.
The American League. which for years
chung to the twenty five PLAYER limit
| while the National, League reduced TO
twenty-ore and twenty-five players. al
ready has decided in favor OF twenty
| one limit for the coming year.
The retrenchment Is TO go even TO the
training trips. Several club owners will
| go to the joint meeting with a proposition
| to limit training trips TO three weeks
They would not permit any team 20 start
| training before April /. Clubs like the
! Giants and other more prosperous organ
izations are preparing to fight -uch a
| move. II Is because o. this attempt 10
legislate a three week training trip that
! few clubs have announced training plans
for the approaching spring