Pueblo chieftain., 1922-03-08

NEW YORK. March 7.-tBy the
Associated Press)-George Wright.
star shortstop of the Cincinnati Reds
played ,hroughtout the entire season
OF 1863 for n salary OF 81 200. The Reds
played fifty-seven games that year of
which they won fifty-six and tied one,
a record which has never been dupli-
Gated. Wright was the highest PAID
member of the team. Babe Ruth.
home run hitter extraordinary. Sunday
signed "A contract with the New York
American league club which will net
him approximately $4,000 during the
coming season.
The contract Is for three years with
= renewal option for two seasons ad-
ditional. II continued for the fun
five years George Herman Ruth Will
receive Il total of not less than ss'S,ooo.
These figures were an idea OF the
development OF professional baseball
I'm this country during the past flfty
years. They also are the cause OF
frequent conferences behind closed
doors in which baseball magnatcs
argue the question as to whether they
are building a salary F'rankcnstcin
which will in tho end turn and de-s-
troy what has been In the past n ren-
>onably profitable business. Big league
baseball clubowncrs will not discuss
publicly this subject except in tho
most abstract way. The conccnsus OF
opinion is expressed by tho magratc-.
however. that the situation Is serious.
II is estimated that the salary lists
Of the sixteen clubs OF the two major
leagues Will aggregate more than
5000. 900 this season. The Maximum
figures for any one club are placed
at about si25.ooo and the minimum n,
n trifle over 100000.
To this expense must he added
-1,o nj q
and federal taxes. interest on mort
cages. Officers and clerical salaries
and minor charges. such as advcrtis-
Ing. ,lcke. printing and supplies.
A study of baseball salaries over n
period Of the past thirty or forty years
shows the steady increase which has
developed from year to year. In tho
early 1os' 81 SEQ was top notch figure
fur a star player. At tho beginning
- 1900 players OF similar calibcr were
receiving from s. 600 TO $4,000 a season.
\ few years later tho famous Chica-
Eo Nationals inficld drew the follow
ing figures:
Frank Chance. $4,000: Johnny Evers.
$4,000; Joe Tinker. 5000 and stein
fcld,. $1,000.
About the same time. Pittsburg was
paying Honus Wagner. $4,000 and
Tommy Leach. $1,000. The Athletics
famous inficld. consisting OF Eddie
and Barry. drew an annual total OF
81. 500 of which Collins collected close
to n third.
NEy YORK. March Some TWEEN
~ years ago the National league had
a salary limit of s2i0o Ten years
ago /, was said that the average sal
AIRY in the major league was not
more than $500. Today 1t Is almost
double those figures
Tho players are not. however. th"
only ones who have benefited by the
rising salary wave. The club mana
gers also prifit. In fsas Frank Chance
received $1,000 during his first yeor
as n player with the Chicago Cubs
Fifteen years later he drew a salary
os $4,000 year and five per cen. OF
the club profits as manager OF the New
York Americans. About tho same
time Iris Speaker was drawing VS.
600 a year with the Boston Americans.
His present contract with Cleveland
and is much more renurnerativc. In
1915 Garry Herman president of the
Cincinnati Nationals testified that the
salary roll for that year was $50. 500
of which Christy Mathewson. as man
aeer. drew sI2oop; Charley Herzos.
$4,000 and Hal Chase 5000.
Following the baseball war with the
federal leagu the magnates pro-
claimed loudly that salaries must
come down but they went IN instead.
Other expenses accompanied them.
President Ban johnson of tho Amerl-