Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-15
FEEL MUCH HINGES
. ON RUTH'S SUCCESS
Believe They'll Be 0. K. if
Babe Is Able to Put
Over Contract.
BIZ JOHN b. FOSTER.

~ ALL PLAYERS of the major
leagues are beginning to be
fearful of their salaries for
IL 1880. Some Of them have rea-
son to be fearful. They have
been playing base ball none to well
this year.
The doubt in the air at present seems
to center upon the renewal Of Babe
Euth'S contract with the New York
American League club.
II the Babe gets a good contract for
the future the other boys think they will
get good contracts, because there is an
axiom among them that high pay to
the Babe means high pay for the rest
Of u.s."
They do not all of them expect to get
$50, 900 contracts for season. II Ruth
gets that kind of q contract he Is well
come to 1t, so far as the average player
Is concerned, because the average player
has learned to look upon Ruth and his
big money as O necessary evil. It Is
based on this reason. II any owner will
pay Ruth a small fortune other owners
must pay other players well In order not
to arouse dissatisfaction.
1880 Is On Their Mind.
Players of teams in the second divi-
sion are debating their chances for 1880.
There are also some players in first
division clubs that begin to discuss Sala-
ries at the breakfast table and are still
going strong when they seek their pill
lows at night.
The players in first-division teams
who are most visibly affected are those
who are slipping. There are about 20
of them. Either their pay will come
down in 1880 or they will be traded, and
If they are traded it isn't sure that their
pay will not be reduced by those clubs to
which they may be sent.
Players in the second-diviSion teams
have been unable to lift their clubs this
year, and the STANDARDIZATION brigade
has been 50 strong in its abasement that
1t Is evident the present second-division
teams cannot cope with the strength
that the major leagues have been able
to muster for the next season.
One trouble with the races this year
Is that they have run strictly to form.
The second-division teams were marked
as such before the season began, and
they have never shown q probability
that they can get away from their
mediocrity.
In the National League Cincinnati,
Boston, Brooklyn and Philadelphia were
second division teams before the race
started, and as 1t happens that all of
spond only as the game is a winner, the
crowds have thinned because there is
no chance that those clubs will better
themselves.
Philadelphia has done much better
than in 1928, and If the team had two
winning pitchers the PhillieS would have
o season that would carry them on
handsomely. The players on that club
even If second division, will not be
sliced much in 1890, as 1t Is evident
exactly what the team lacks Is pitchers.
Have Failed to Produce.
In the American League the ST. Louis,
Boston, Chicago, Washington and some
of the Detroit players have not been
able to do much for their owners, but
there has been O greater variety in the
American League than in the National
League. The players say there will be
less trouble, il any, in that league.
The st. Louis American team may
have some radical twists. The players
haven't gone to suit the owner and the
owner hasn't gone to suit the manager
and the fans think they have been
double-croSsed. But this Is all part Of
base ball management, and each league
undertakes to meet something Of that
sort each year.
The major players generally say: eff
Ruth can't get the big dough next year,
then none Of us can"
That is why there Is apprehension
as to the diminishing that Is to come
between the Babe and Col. Rupert.