Evening star., 1959-12-17
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS sTANN
Not Quite Clear Profit

TO THE CINCINNATI Redlegs, it Develops Harmon
Kebrew and Camilo PaScual worth 100000 apiece
or 81 million package That the offers authentic
has been verified by General Manager Gabe Paul of the
Redlegs who propositioned and Cal Grih who declined
1t is easy say that money cheap and Cincinnats
offers prove it, After all, Pascual had a winning
season until this year, when he H. Gack Chesbro
Al and Ed Walsh 40) Killehrew Is a graceless
third baseman who liability defense and who wasn't
counted to play last spring. but who hit AZ home
But sober analysis of baseball business-sport-
and perhaps qualified economist should be doing the
analyzng-revealS complex web of factors. Scarcity,
productivity indispensabity boxofce appeal all these
among the elements, both tangible and Intangible
that presumably affect players value.
THERE MAY HAVE been an initial impulse upon
hearing of the Cincinnati offers to call up words like
fantastic" incredible" and "fmplauSble." Harmon
Kllebrew worth four times what the Yankees paid for
Babe Ruth? Camilo Pascual valued at than As times
what John McGraw paid for Rube Marquard, who had
24-7 mark in 1912, 10 straight and recorded
than 200 major league victories?
Another way of looking at the Redegs propositions
Last year the Senators attendance up 100000 5S)
drew 615372 paid admissions at home The Washington
clubs share per ticket $137 $843 64 sale of
Pascual and Kebrew the surface would have brought
more revenue than the entire game schedule at Griffith
Stadium
"The offers weren't fantastic you might think"
Cal says The dollar of course worth less and bapayerS
are much scarcer Strictly from standpoint refusing
million wasn't so hard to do for several reasons
I'm THE FIRST PLACE, there's the tax angle" GriH
went on Even that however wasn't the primary reason
for rejecting the offers You see baseball club figures
has between $2OOOO and invested in solid player
today don't your individual player cost that much
but I'm talking about the development process.
For every Pascua you develop, there will be maybe
couple of hundred young players who don't make it.
club has money invested in those players They're trained
in the farm system and paid their salaries takes money
to hire scouts to find them.
Practically every clubowner will estimate that
Killebrew, a PaScua or a Nelson Fox represents
considerable investment so you it's far from clear
profit And BESIDES you can't put stack of bills on third
Ease or on the pitching rubber"
NoNETHELEss, it's interesting, if not Illuminating
to compare the Redegs value of the Killer the
Cutie with the prices of the great yesteryear
brought MarquardS purchase by the Giants for $1 900
caused Nationwide sensation in 1903 McGraw who
defended the Sensational price the grounds that Rube
had won % gameS pitched 367 innings and struck
1or Indianapolis when only IL years DID, roundly
second-guessed when Marquard up with 5-13
for New York the following season. Of this mark Rube
became legendary as "the $1,000 lemon"
Grover Cleveland Alexander an al-tme all-star won
100 games his first seasons in the majors for the
PnneS ian average Of 27pus per year, yet he sold
December H. 1917 to the Cubs along with the talented
catcher Bill Kefe for $55OOO and two unframed players
named Mike Prendergast and Pickles Dilhoefer
RuthS sale for reported $125 900 considered the
ultimate in wild spending in 1919 Fifteen years later
Iom YaWkey, multi-milionaire owner of the Red Sox
rocked the baseball world by paying $25OOOO and
throwing in $250O0 shorstop Gyn Lary) Joe Cronin
After each OF these purchases-Ruths and Cronin's-
there were those who predicted There another
one like it,
MICKEY COCHRANE, still king of the American
League catcherS in 1885, was sold by Connie Mack to
Detroit Tor 100000 He also sold Run Baker to the
YANKEES Tor $4,000, and Al Simmons, Mule Haas and
Jimmy Dykes to Chicago for 100000 The practically
See WIN LOSE OR DRAW, Page B-1