San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14

| SEAT PROJECT =.
NOT POPULAR.
Fans Think Major League
Baseball Owners Making
! Enough Money. ..
ABOUT PLAYERS UNION
INCLINATION to Scott but Fos-
ter Thinks Scheme Well
Grounded.
ABOUT PLAYERS UNION
By John ID. FOSTER.

a BY JOHN d. FOSTER.
|ecopy1sht. 1928, by The San Antonio Light.
n New York, Jan. 13.-The rumor that
more reserved seats at S1.50 each are to
be added to some Of the ball parks of
RkAmajor leagues has started a lot of
bitter criticism among the fans. Those
who pay to see ball games point to the
huge sums that have been paid by ball
clubs for players as showing what
ehe receipts must be. They demand that
the admission price be lowered and GER
fainly that If any seats are to be added
bit all to the present seating capacities,
they be seats of a lower-priced variety
than $1.50. These folks declare that
4he game has not improved to such an
extent that warrants putting the
,amount Of admission higher than it Is
s-and they furthermore point to state
lments Of various and sundry baseball
Imagnates who in recent months have
Ibemoaned the fact that good ball players
|are scarce, pitchers are not what they
FUSED to be, and, continuing the moan,
that except for a brilliant star here and
khere, the batters are not much.
The payment of 100000 for a ball
blayer, according to the fans, is simply
Transferring their cash to the pocket Of
Isome minor league owner and, while
khey are keen for good baseball and a
winning team, they think they should
be yiven some consideration at the gate.
No Boycott Likely to Succeed.
A threat to boycott clubs that reserve
kheir best space for SLID has been sug-
lkested and like so many other boycotts
|bf baseball that have been suggested
Erom time to time probably will not go
FAR.
John T. Brush, after building the sta
.dium, said that never in his lifetime
fwould the price of admission be adj
fyanced above 70 cents to the lower
stand because the fans had paid for it
and he wished to keep it for them out
pf sentiment.
That much-discussed players union,
(which the managers and owners contln-
t1ally are pooh-poohing, is much in the
sS--fon of the chap to whom the girl
said, in reply to a proffer Of his hand
and heart, Go on. 1 hate you." As is
tyell known, that historic chap replied,
I won't 20 on, for at least you are
INTERESTED enough in me to hate me.
And 80 1t is with the players union.
BeIittle it as they will, and despite the
act that from surface indications it
hasn't made much Roadway, it is. as
popular with the managers and owners
hs a brick in jewelers. plate glass WIN
How, 1t is a thorn in their sides, which
NAV work itself out or which may de-
kelop more or less fostering OF the flesn'
Deeper Than Salary Aim.
The managers and owners can't see
lyhy il has been organized, because sal
riss are higher than ever. But the ball
bIavers are going into the matter of
brganization much deeper than merely
Salaries. ~,
The players want to know who VIII
,av for their expenses when they are
eomnelIed to move their families from
iThicago to California, for instance, be-
kouse they are sent out there to play.
Whey want a certain percentage OF all
he money which is involved in the
ransfer of a contract. The owners tell
he nlayers that they are assets to the
lnb and the players are taking the posi-
;on tbat they are also assets to them
selves Their investment is baseball
be same as that of the owner and II
No Of Them is worth $4,000 to the club
hat buys him from another club, minor
major. the player figures that some
hart of the $4,000 is due him because ne
tbe "for value received" Perhaps
rotbinr would more quickly put an end
y the sale of contracts for sums equal
= the value of diamonds than a "divvy."
s,;tb the player. If he gets in for his
bore. the bidders may tone down their
lfferings 80 per cent or more.
Wants Voice in Sales.
The players also want voice IN the
;snosition of their services. This ap-
sEes less to the younger players who are
cyi5g nm than to the old fellows who
Va going down. The man who IS
ooked for New Orleans from New YORK
ants 70 know something about 1t be-
orc II happens. If that issue is forced
trongly enough, baseball is in for lot
Jobn M. Ward was the only player
awyer who actually formed new
eague but his success on that line pre-
|ented him from later becoming presl-
emf OF the National League. -,
There were some men connected WIN
he National League who had never for
iven Ward for what he did and they
ever intended to do so. They were so
Estimate in their stand that they would
ave withdrawn from the organization
nd there been a chance that they
ould have been overruled by the Ward
action and they would have applied for
n Injunction to stop the business OF the
eague IL by any chance Ward had got