Show LIGHT Ex Got Little By By GRANTLAND RICE RICE- I Tit Th hound hounds of spring g art rs now 0 on os onu u rs r's traces I set sea advancing to so the Ih hill I 1 sit su fast fart Slaughter busy on the tbt Ib bass As A l lank Ted T Williams leans lean against lbs Ih Pill ill And Ad who is il that now ow marching marchig from lbs Ih pen ml Why bless ty ry soul soul sout ifs big Joe Jo Pa again Pay Check Then Check Then and Now How HowO OUR O UR ATTENTION was called as you might say to a number of salaries paid ballplayers recently Joe DIMaggio and Ted Williams were the only two above but there were sev sev- several several eral that ranged from t ro m to including Bob Feller Stan 1 M Mus u s a i a 1 I Tommy Henri Henrich ch Jackie J a c k I e Robinson and a a d a afew afew afew few others We are not In in- Inclined inclined in to shed a h e d Grantland Rice Elce tears over 0 ov v e r any any- anything anything anything thing that happens in this Ws upside down world but It seemed at the moment that tears were due for lor the old guard guard Matty Matty Alexander Cy Young Lajoie Walsh Delehanty Joe Jackson Jackson- on through a long list of ballplay ballplayers ers era certainly the match of ot any an we have today I recall the feud that developed between Nap and Ed Dele hanty banty of ot the long ago Phillies We were getting 2500 a year rear Lajoie told me once It n might be remembered at the time lime both were hitting around Delehanty had just struck off It ff four home runs in one game They bey agreed to stick it out together for a year two ballplayers who today would be good for at least a year U It seems that only Delehanty signed for leaving Lajoie out In hi hithe Inthe the he frosty cold So Larry jumped and signed with the Cleveland club dub of the new league for an an Incredible IncredIble ible salary paid by Charlie Somers the millionaire Then I looked back and recalled Big Ble Walsh who pitched 66 games In m 1908 1008 of which he won 40 and saved 12 others The great Walsh threw his arm aria away that season for the princely sum of paid him by a wild spender known as Charles Comiskey Comiskey also paid Shoeless Joe Jackson around or All AU that Jackson could do was to chase Ty 1 Cobb with a batting average of That was a total of for lor Walsh and Jackson who today would be cheap at a year Mathewson's top salary sabry was So was Hans lIans Wagners Wa ers Matty latty was easily a pitcher and Wagner Waner an or ballplayer How Dow many are now around who have led a big bla league eight years at bat in addition to be be- being being ing tabbed the greatest short short- shortstop shortstop stop slop of 01 all an time timeT Cy Young was winning 20 25 and andover andover andover over 30 games a year for a royal stipend ranging from to a season Maybe It was only a year He won only games and wound up practically broke after 22 years Compared to timers old the ballplayers today are business tycoons and financial geniuses They are getting paid 10 for 1 above the kings of yester yester- day An ordinary hitter today can get more than Wagner Jack Jack- Jackson Jackson Jackson son Walsh Mathewson or Alex Alex- ander auder Ty 1 Cobb made his money from a soft drink not from a soft lort club owner a Shorter Pay Pay Longer Longer Years The old system of lower pay at least had one extra advantage for forthe forthe forthe the club owner The ballplayer had to hang around longer lo ger For example there are a few year 10 men left In both leagues But Dut at the golden col den dis dis- dis which took place from Irom 30 to 40 years ago ago or or orsome some 20 years ago look ago look what happened Pop Fop Anson hung on for 26 years So did Jack Quinn Ty Cobb spent 24 years in big league harness and aad Hans Dans Wag Wag- Wagner ner ncr was on deck 23 years Tris Speaker and Nap Lajoie adorned the infield and outfield for over 22 seasons Cy Young was wasa a year 22 man Remember these Remember these were all aU stars the stars the top of the flock There are any number who worked on the big time lot for 15 to 18 years But today Joe DIMaggio is 15 isone Isone one of ot the time long veterans left Managers will tell teU you that the game has grown so much faster laster than It used to be that only a few exceptions can outlast 10 or 12 years Well Cobb hit around in his campaign Wagner was still stilla a star in his year and his season Id I'd rather have had Wagner Vagner at 38 or even 40 than any shortstop In hi the game jame today Someone asked Jack Quinn one day dar how it was that he was still pitching after 24 seasons easy Quinn said A wife wile and six children |