The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-06
CLUB OWNERS
INSURE GAMES
ON BIG DAYS
Insurance Companies willing to
Gamble and Promoters Buy
the Policies.
BY BILLY EVANS.

Not only are insurance companies
willing to gamble on life and death
but they are ever willing. even anx-
ious, to gamble on the weather.
Practically every major league
club, and a good many of the min
ors, are insured against weather on
all the big days. In speaking of the
big days reference is made to Sat
urday, Sunday and holidays.
There are any number of blanket
policies that are offered which are
governed by certain conditions. The
rate of insurance varies according
to the risk which the company be-
lieves that it is assuming.
Only recently the real value of
rain policy to baseball magnates
was made apparent. There was
launched on the Pacific coast win
ter league of baseball in which the
four managers were big league
stars, Sisler, Hornsby, Cobb and
Heilman.
1t is understood that these four
star players received $4,000 for
their combined service or about
$4,000 each. That placed the teams
under a big expense at the very
start In order to secure every pro-
tection possible a rain insurance
was carried on all games played.
When the policies were taken out
little thought was given to the &C
ton. Usually the weather in Octo-
Der and November is very pleasant.
1t so happened that the league fail
ed to strike a popular chord. That
was unfortunate.
Insurance Saved League.
The weather. however, instead of
being very pleasant, was just the
opposite During those four months
of play more rain fell than could
be remembered by the oldest resi-
dents. On the face, that would APP
pear very unfortunate. Quite to the
contrary it was very fortunate.
The rain insurance was consider
ed in excess of the regular receipts.
During the last month of the sea-
son, the promoters, instead of hop
ing for fine weather, which means
everything in baseball, were con-
stantly pulling for rain.
1t has been estimated that in the
neighborhood of $4,000 was COL
lected by the four clubs on rain
guarantees. That sum prevented
bust" as far as the promoters were
concerned.
Last year the Detroit club of the
American league lost opening day,
also Saturday and Sunday of open
ing week. Snow prevented the play
ing of the games. 1t is understood
the Detroit club was paid something
like $4,000 from the insurance
company because of loss of those
three games.
Willing to Take Risks.
A number of the policies are gov
erned by a stated amount of rain
that must fall Other policies pay
if there is merely enough rain to
justify the calling off of the game.
Then there are some freak poll
cies which pay a certain sum in
case rainfall plays havoc with the
attendance, yet does not prevent the
playing of the game.
Often it rains from noon until a
half hour or so before the time and
then clears up. When a game is
played on such day, the insurance
company takes the receipts of the
same day for the past three or four
years. strikes an average and pays
the difference.
The insurance game has gotten
to be a very important feature of
professional baseball 1t is claimed
the insurance companies were on
the losing end last year.