New-York tribune., 1922-04-02
THE HIGH Cost OF BASEBALL
Continued from page one)

want to see just how certain first baseman
che"s gum or out of which corner Of his
mouth a certain third basenan shouts words
OF encouragement to his fellows.
But even grandstands reach point where
1t is no longer possible for them to grow. The
baseball enthusiast may reach a point. too
when he will refuse to lean against a turnstila
when the fatal click spells more than 81
Those are the things which bother the mac
mates every time they yield to those hod-orfs
IN the spring Of the year. It's fine for the
players to have big salaries with which TO buv
bonds and make other prudent investments
III is nice Tor the wives of players to be photo
srapheo IN new gowns every day as they sit in
tne grandstand cheering on their famous hus
oands. 1t makes great reading on the snort
page "hen the streamer line announces that
the home team has bought PLAYER for ,nanv
thousands of dollars. But the men who do the
paying ADMIT they are taking big gamble.
Popular taste might change A new anluse-
ment might spring up overnight The public
mlght get a sudden fit Of economy and resolva
TO patronlze cheaper entertainments There
might be prolonged rains, cutting great oc
tagonai holes into the gate receipts. The Riue
Law outfit might steal a march in CONGRESS-
and shut down on Sunday baseball all Of \
sudden. There are lots of other "mights" 10
be figured. And with salary lists GETTING so
big and taxes increasing and clerical salaries
advancing and office rents going up and more
Guy employees than ever to be provided with
paSses' baseball might easily get into the red
INK flgures instead Of showing profit.
Ahe Dig salaries don't all 60 to the active
players. Manager McGraw of the Giants re-
ceh1iy signed contract for five years at
hgure said to be $4,000 year President
ban johnson of the American League gets
$1o'ooo year, which was considered to be
quite slzable salary until the baseball scan
dal OF 1919 made it imperative to so some
housecleaning, and Judge Lands was hired for
that purpose, as permanent arbiter Of base
ball. for $4,000 a year.
The purchase Of players has grown out Of
all ancient proportions. Not to-day could the
New York club get player Of the caliber OF
George Gore for the paltry $1,000 that player
commanded. Probably it would take twenty
times that sum to land such a players from
another team Groh, recently purchased from
Cincinnati, Is said to have cost the Giants
$50,0o0
This sort Of trading is not dead outlay to
the prime movers of baseball, however. 1t
represents brisk sort of trading round. but it
is ''all in the family" A weak club may get
big financial benefit from the sale of a great
player. One player cannot make team, so
the weak club loses little in its position in the
race. The player is better satisfied in another
city. There is considerable publicity of the
sort that doesn't put rust on turnstiles, and
baseball is helped in general way. Conse-
quently the magnates don't rave when they talk
about the prices paid for stars. It Is only on
the salary question that they become eloquent.
To be sure, the old-time baseball manager
had much the same worries and relatively they
were just as large. In those days 5000 was
looked upon as a crowd, instead Of just the
beginning Of a crowd. Twenty-Five cents
seemed large to the fan, and, as matter Of
fact, was just as large as it seemed.
Those were long before the days Of the "Bil-
lion-Dollar Congress-" Yet shat sort of Con-
gress came and was far exceeded by other
Congresses that have since assembled The
$2,o00,0o0 baseball season looked impossible in
the days of the christening Of the Giants by
Mutrie, but here it is at hand, and perhaps
it will be exceeded by the baseball salary lists
to come next year.
One thing is certain-the quality Of the
game is still Intact. That is not advanced as
an editorial opinion. It Is found in the words
Of John NJ. Ward, who said quietly, when the
perennial subject Of the old game and the
new was brought up:
II never saw so many thrilling plays as IN
the last worlds series between the Giants and
the Yankees. I have seen other plays that
were just as great perhaps, but never saw
them come in such rapid succession. 1t was the
finest baseball ever saw in my life"