The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-07
(By Associated Press)

(By Associated PreSS1
NEW YORK, March George
Wright, star shortstop of the Cincin-
natl Red Stockings, played throughout
the entire season of 1869 for q salary
of $1,000. The Red Stockings played
81 games that year, Of which they won
ffty-six and tied one, record which
has never been duplicated. Wright
was the highest paid member of the
team.
binary, signed on Sunday a contract
with the New York American league
club which will net him about $4,000
during the coming season. The con-
tract Is for three years with a re-
newal option for two seasons addi-
tional. II continued for the full five
years, George Herman Ruth will re-
ceive total of not less than 1915, 900.
These figures give an idea of the de-
yelopment Of professional baseball in
this country during the past fifty
years. They are also the cause Of fire.
quent conferences behind closed doors
in which baseball magnates argue the
question as to whether they are build
ing salary Frankenstein which will
in the end turn and destroy what has
been in the past a reasonably profit
able business. Big league baseball
club owners will not discuss publicly
this subject except in the most alb
stract way. 1t is the consensus of
opinion as expressed by the magnates,
however, that the situation is serious.
Aggregate Salaries
1t is estimated that the salary lists
of the sixteen clubs of the two major
leagues will aggregate more than ST..
900 this season. The maximum
figures for any one club are placed al
about 1925, 900, and the minimum at q
trifle over. 100000. To this expense
must be added ground rent, travel
charges, local, state and federal taxes
interest on mortgages, officers and
clerical salaries and minor charges
such as advertising, ticket printing
and supplies.
A study Of baseball salaries over
period of the past thirty to forty
years shows the steady increase which
has developed from year to year.
In the early seventies $500 was a
top notch figure for star player. AT
the beginning of 1900 players of sim.
liar calibre were receiving from $4,000
! to $4,000 season. A few years later
the famous Chicago Nationals infleld
drew the following figures: Frank
Chance, $40, 900; Johnny Evers, $4,000;
Joe Tinker. $500, and Steinfeldt
$4,000.
| About the same time Pittsburgh was
paying Honus Wagner $4,000 and
Tommy Leach, $4,000 The Athletics
famous infield, consisting Of Eddie Col
Inns, Frank Baker, Stuffy McInis and
! Barry, drew an annual total Of $17,5Ot
for which Collins collected close to 8
third.
Former Limit
Some twenty years the Nationa
League had salary limit of s2,4OO
Ten years ago it was said that the ay
erage salary In the major league was
not more than $1,000. Today it is al
most double these figures. The players
are not, however, the only ones wht
have benefited by the rising SALARY
wave. The managers of the clubs alst
profit. In 1898 Frank Chance receiv
ed $1,000 during his first year as
player with the Chicago Cubs. Fifteer
years later he drew salary Of $25, O0t
a year and 5 per cent of the clul
profits as manager of the New Yorl
Americans. About the same time Tri.
Speaker was drawing $4,000 a yea
with the Boston Americans. His pres
ent contract with Cleveland is mucI
more remunerative In 1916 Carr,
Hermann, president of the Cincinnati
Nationals, testified that the salary rol
for the team that year was $50, 900, o
which Christy Mathewson as manage