Evening star., 1928-04-08

| group photos of the institutes old grads.
Would any manager tolerate the fol-
| lies of Raymond nowadays? Or the
| eccentricitieS of a Waddell?
Would any of our preSent-day play
| ers haggle as poor ''OsSie" SchrecEen-
gost did to obtain a clause in his con-
tract forbidding the "Rube" to eat ami
NAL crackers in bed? No. not If there
we're any dollar details TO provide a
, souabble For instance, this Spring
Waite Hoyt, the Flatbush mortician,
who is also the Yankees best right
handler. held out determinedly for a
$4,000 contract for the next two
years. That's more like the new crop
OF ballplsyer.
AS viewed by President John Heydler
of the National League and other astute
base ball men. the new generation of
players constitutes an interesting eX-
pertinent. viii the newer type of
athlete have a more successful post
major league career than the earlier
and more colorfll performer had? Or
will the poised and confident batsman
who computes his hits in dollars and
cents be a subject for benefit games
later in life?
IF ShrewdneSs in obtaining fat con-
= tracts and capitalizing publicity are
any criterion. the star base ball player
Of today is the capitalist of tomorrow.
For with Babe Ruth collecting 10000
annually for three years and the park
he plays in being enlarged to seat
$4,000 people, the limit of gargantuan
salaries is not vet apparent.
Ruth is said TO have set aside a trust
fund that will pay him $4,000 a year
for life. Shades of Pop" Anson and a
host Of other great ones to whom such
affluence would be incredible!
The Sultan of Swat is. of course. an
anomaly. but the average wage of the
400 to 500 major league players may be
assumed TO approximate $500 for six
months work each year Therefore,
even the moderately prominent players
OF today, If Shrewd. need fear no want
when their last Strike-out is recorded
Base ball means big money nowadays
The canny ComiSkey pays $l23, 900 for
the already disappointing Pacific Coast
infielder Chalmers Cissell. while Hug
gins lays out $l25, 900 for another Coast
pair, Larry and Reese. And to think
that back in 1905 youth named Tyrus
Raymond Cobb came up TO the majors
from Augusta. Ga, price-marked $3.50!
Entering upon his twenty-third sea-
son in the big top and ranked not only
as the greatest player who ever lived
but also as the Oldest active player in
point OF service. Cobb has seen the game
revolutionized during MS term in the
majors. He has watched dozens of
players rise TO Stardom. spend their
moderate earnings and start down the
long back tran to the bushes" Many
were middle-aged men without savings
or trade. with only the echo of q vast.
forgotten clamor to cheer them through
the years.
Where are they now. these men who
played with and against the mighty
and durable Tyrus during the early
years of his career? Fate has arrayed
two Of the greatest of them in the line
up of Cornelius Gillicuddy's Philadel-
phia Athletics, where Cobb will wind up
his major league career this year.
Iris Speaker. who iousted with Cobb
for batting honors in the old days. will
be in center field. Tyrus in right. Cobb
is now credited with being q millionaire
and Speaker also is financially indepen-
dent. Occasionally Eddie Collins, now
Mack'S first lieutenant, will appear in
front Of the great outflelding pair at
second base. Surely this Is the twilight
of the gods with Tyrus and Iris and
Eddie united In facing their eventual
conqueror, Old Man Time.
TINE and Buck" Herzog, the cour-
ageous Giant infieider. have been
among the few ever able to stand up