OCR Text |
Show OLD-TIE PLAYERS DREW SMALL USES CohipareH With Salaries of Today, Stars of Yesterday Were Poorly Paid. NEW YORK, June 6. Comparing the baseball salaries of the present day n ith those of The past is just like comparing a pony with, an elephant there's just that much difference in the genera frulk of the pay envelopes. Amos Rusie, regarded bv manv of the veteran fans who have seen the best of the past ami present performers as just about tlie greatest pitcher of all time, got only a paltry S32U0 a year in comparison with Walter Johnson's $12,500, Mathewson's Mathew-son's $15,000, Joe Wood's $10,000 and Nap Rucker's 10.000. The amount that Amos used to draw down for his brilliant work is an amount that even the twirlers fresh from the bushes would sneeze at in the?e days. George Van Tialtern had few peers as a base runner, few as a fielder and thrower, few as a brainy player, and usually could be counted on for a good number of safe swats each season. In the old days George was figured to be of as much value to his team as Trls Speaker Is today, yet George grabbed off only $2100 a year, while Tris takes unto himself a hour $18,500. If "Big TJan" Brouthers were in his prime today lie could command and get at least $10,000 a year. But Dan plaved in the old days of poor pay and was perfectly per-fectly satisfied with the $IP00 salary that lie drew. "Buck" Ewing got only $2400 a vear and he was worth $10,000 at least, according ac-cording to present-dav standards. Tim Keefe had few equals as a pitcher, vet he only got $L'400. And John Ward, who thought nothing of pitching sixty games a season and playing in the outfield the . rest of the time, got onlv $4000. : |