The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-12-12
CHAPTER 2
Why Asked For A Smaller Salary.
SALARY

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Why Asked For A Smaller Salary.
SALARY
The big turning point in baseball,
the way / look at it, was the war
with the American league back in
1900. which lasted for Two or three
years and then wound up in the
present national agreement.
That war was to basketball much
like the Civil war was to the states.
1t had TO come to head some time.
1t worked a lot of nerdships one
way and another but 1 think it was
necessary.
Baseball would not have been what
it is today if we hadn't had that
war. We wouldn't have had any
you imagine what baseball would be
today If we didn't have a world s
series as 2 sort of big climax to the
end of the season?
In the old days a team won the
pennant and the players were paid
off and given banquet That's all
there was 20 it. 1 didn't even go to
the public banquets. There was
nothing to talk about during the
winter often fans forgot who had
won the pennant the year before. 1t
didn't make any difference.
That thing of having a big classic
event to end the season, climax,
gave DdSeDld lis DIG jump. ENeN y
fall and winter the series is talked
about all over the Worid HOW. Fans
in little towns know all about each
player and whay ne Gid. In the old
days they wouldn't even know who
won the p-ennant, and wouldn't care.
You know how It IS.
Well, it was during THAI war that
I came into prominence in money
matters-baseball money, mean. l
was among those players Who re-
fused to jump. / may have lost a
lot of money by it but feel much
happier and satisfied for having
stayed in Pittsbarg.
NV friends, coed ball players. all
over the country were going TO the
american league for the big money.
Naturally, lot of agents, most or
them friends, were after me. l was
leading the National league as hit
ter and, if 1 do say it myself, was
supposed to be good drawing card.
l loved my team and associations.
They meant much more to me than
money.
Players Take stand.
One day the players had a meeting
to talk about the offers they had had
and to decide what they should do.
After a lot of talk we agreed to meet
again the next day at 8 o'clock and
not to sign a contract until after that
meeting
Mr.. Dreyfuss and Harry Pulliam,
who was then with the Pittsburg club
but later president of the National
league, got wind of this in some way.
They knew, of course. that American
league agents were in town. They
tried to get hold of me but avoided
them.
On the day before the meeting my
friend, Jim Orris, a lifelong pal, came
meet Dreyfuss and Pulliam in the
office. Jim didn't say so, but 1 knew
they had got him to try and get N g
in tow. The upshot of it was that
l finally agreed to do what Jim
asked. We met Dreyfuss and Pull
liam at the time and place. They
pursuaded Orris to sit in at the con-
ference.
They had prepared two or three
contracts and tried their best to get
me to sign one. l couldn't do that,
because l was under promise, and /
didn't want them to know this.
shifted around and evaded questions
did everything I could to keep from
giving a direct answer In Snort,
refused to sign any form of contract.
I. Barney Dreyfuss Is square fellow
always treated me right. He was
puzzled at my attitude.~
Finally he turned to his desk and
pulled a blank contract out of the
drawer. For some tine he locked me
squarely in the eye.
Here, Honus."' he said. as a blank
contract. Take that pen there and
write in your own figures"
To prove that he meant it Barney
signed the paper, in blank and passed
it over to me. Now that's what l call
square proposition. Still, 1 hest
tated.
O O o
Refuses Higher Salary.
No" I finally told them all, "TIl
not sign a contract tonight, no mat
ter how it's made out. L simply
can't, that's all"
1t was about midnight by this time
Dreyfuss and Pulliam went out and
left me with Orris, leaving it to him
&c do what he could with me.
"Honus," said Orris, what did the
An erican league offer your"
They offered me a twoyear con-