The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-03-30
OLD BASEBALL MEN
FAILED TO GET RICH
George Wright's Salary Of $500 in
1869 Compared with Modern
Dav 2 sbursemcnts

George Wright, star shorts.op Of the
Cincinnati Red Stockings, played
throughout the entire season of 1869
for salary Of $1,000 The Red Stock.
ngs played 81 games that year. of
Fhich they won So and tied one. a
record which has never been duplicat-
ID. Wright was the highest paid
member OF the team.
pab1 Ruth. homcrun hitter extraor
i.uary. recently slened a contract with
he New York American League club
which will net him approximately
$4,000 during the coming season The
contract Is for three years. with q re.
lewai option for two seasons addi.
ional. II continued for the fun five
cars. George Herman Ruth viii re-
Give a total Of not less than S375.000.
These figures give an idea of the
development of professional baseball
this country during the past 50
ears. They also are the cause OF
loors. In which baseball naeuates
reua the question as 20 whether Oh j.
re building salary FranEcnstein
which VII I'm the end ulyu and de
troy what has been IN the past a
'ea5onahly profitable business Rig
eague baseball club owners win not
liscUss publicly th. subject except in
he mos, abstract way. 10 is the con
ensus OF opinion. as expressed by
h' moenates however that the stu
t.oH is erious
It IS estimated that The salary lists
II the l6 clubs of the two major
eagues WI aggregate more than So.
100000 this segsuu The maximum
igures Tor any one club ere placed al
lbout $225 GOO and the minimum at
0 riae over Sloo.0O0 To this eX
pensa must be added ground rent
rayel charges, local. state and federal
axes; utere on MORTGAGES officers
nd clerical sa'IroS, and minor
harges, such as advertising, ticket
rinting aud supplies.
a study of baseball salaries over a
- i,l # 40 Jas; 81 to 40 years shows
jr level
pe "c Is l." T. ~" oarl'
us St,el was tunnutch figure tor a
TAR player Al tle beginning OF 100,
hlayers of similar calihre were re
ewing from $4,000 to $4,000 q
season
4 few years later the famous Chi
ago Nationals iu0eld drew the fol
owing figures Frank Chance, $40,
zoe; Johnny Evers, $4,000; Joe Tinker
Is 500. and Stonlaldt $4,000
About the same time Pittsburgh wa,
paying Houus Wagner $4,000 anc
Tommy Leach 81 500 The Athletics
amoua inheld, consisting OF Eddi,
'ollms, Frank Baker, StuGy McInnis
md Barry, drew an annual total o.
1880. OF which Collins collected
close to third
Some 90 years ago the Nutiona
oague had salary limit of $1,000
Ten year, ago It was said chat tho
.yerage salary in the major league
vas not more than $500 To-day 1t Is
Utmost double these figures. The
layers are not however, the only
mes who have beneGtd By the rsini
salary wave The managers of Tho
clubs also profit I'm 1898 Franz
Chance received $1,000 during his frs
year as player with tn Chicago Cubs
Fifteen years later he drew a salary
of SIS 900 a year and rer cent of tn,
slub profits as manager Of the New
York Americans About the sam'
time iris Speaker was drawing SD
900 year with the Boston Americans
His present contract with Clevelan'
IS much more remuucmt.Vc I'm i9l'
iarry Hermann president of the
Cincinnati Nationals. testified That th'
salary roll for the team that year wa
$50 500. of which Christy MotheWsol
rs manager drew $4,000; Charlie!
Ierzog Si000O aud Hal chase $So0O
Follow ng the baseball way with tho
Federal League the usaRnatas pro
,lamed loudly that salaries must com
down, but they went mp inateed OtRe