Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-09
2-YEAR CONTRACT
GIVEN BY RUPERT
Babe About-FaCeS on Orders
From "Head of House."
To Close Deal.
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

ut. PETERSBURG, Fla, March
S.-Babe Ruth will receive
the record-SmaShing sum Of
- 100000 for playing base ball
with the New York Yankees for
the next two years.
After turning his back, hgura-
lively, on this staggering offer
yesterday, the home-run monarch
did a right-about face today,
hustled to st. Petersburg from
his jungle club retreat and quick
ly accepted the terms offered him
by Col. Jacob Rupert, owner OF
the YankS.
On Monday, with all appropriate
ceremonies required by the elimination
Of so momentous a proceeding, formal
contracts will be signed, making the
Babes salary, at $50, 600 per year, twice
the pay of any other player in base ball,
and $4,000 q year in excess OF the
famous httter'S previous stipend.
The settlement enabled Ruth to Jump
| into the first exhibition game of the
season, with the Boston Braves, with
out the fear of an injury with his con-
| tract still in the air. This was a COM
| polling factor In RuthS reconsideration,
! overnight, in addition to strong advice
| from his friends, a conviction that Col.
Rupert had gone the limit" and.
mand nom the head Of the house
1 Mrs. Ruth.
Mrs. Ruth Orders.
Before he jumped into a car with two
| newspaper men at the jungle Club this
morning. Mrs. Ruth first demanded to
know whether the Babe had his new
| &nt~ vryikG HSTa a0NA than
/ gave him parting injunction to get
| that over with"
Ruth was SO impatient to manifest
his conciliatory spirit that he acted
fearful lest "Col Jake" might have re-
considered himself overnight and de-
cided to take back the clubs best offer.
The Babe after first failing to get the
colonel on the telephone, made the L
mile dash to st. Petersburg. but Rup-
pert still was missing. Impatiently,
Ruth waited in the hotel lobby for
more than an hour before the colonel
returned from a walk along the shore
of the bay. Rupert wanted to post
pone any conference until after lunch,
but finally yielded to the Babes plea,
took him up to his room and settled
the whole affair in about minutes
Babes Statement.
Putting away on briar pipe and with
| l. ,srowl of sincere relief, the Babe
| handed this statement to newspaper
men after the colonel announced set
Element:
Being persuaded it is for the best
interests of the Yankees and being
eager TO step right In and give every
possible help to our new manager and
my old pal, Bob Shawkey, have con-
ceded my point and accepted terms fer
i q two-year contract at $50, 900 q season.
"I am confident that my play will
more than justify this contract"
Asked what he would do with his rec
ord salary, Ruth replied: I'm going
to put most, II not all OF 1t, right IN the
old sock. We've got enough to get
along on, anyway, and we win stick the
old pay checks in that trust fund to
keep the family in bread and butter
when I'm old and gray-headed."
Ruth originally had held out for an
| $4,000 salary for three years, but sliced
a year from this demand when he con-
ferred in the club house yesterday with
Col. Rupert. The clubs original offer
was $4,000 for one year, the Babes old
salary, then SIS, 1000 for two years and
finally, $3.50 for one year or $50, 900
for two-year term. Rupert stood pat
on this compromise proposal and 1t did
not take Ruth long to realize it.
Has Drawn $S25,ooO.
In 10 previous years with the New
York Yankees. Ruth's salary has ag-
gregated $525,000. For the past three
| years he has been the highest paid flg-
| ure In the national game, receiving
| 100000. $1,000 more than Commits
sioner lands. His new salary is $4,000
greater than the amount Lands re-
ceives for ruling the game and twice
the amount received by the next highest
paid player, Rogers Hornsby OF the
Cubs, who gets $4,000.
The new contract will boost Ruth's
salary total to $685., 900 for IL years, or
an average yearly pay Of 1000 for his
career with the Yankees, during which
time he has revolutionized long-dis-
lance hitting and smashed a bushelful
Of homesrun records.