Show I Ex Got Goff Little By By GRANTLAND RICE RICE- The bounds of 0 l spring are now ow on winters winless traces advancing to 10 the lb bill P I HI III glee fat busy tit the b bases I itt Slaughter buy busy on fa N lank 1111 Ted Williams leans Ian against Ih the pill ill Aai Ad who is u Ih that bat now ow marching from Ih lbs Pen en Why bless him my soul soul if s big tig Jo Joe Page i gain nl Fay Pay Check Then Check Then and Now How ATTENTION was waa called as OUR you might say to a number of salaries paid ballplayers recently Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams were the only two above but there were several sev seve several eral that ranged fro from m to including Bob Feller Stan mY M u s a 1 i a 1 Tommy Henrich J Jackie a c k I e Robinson and a afew afew afew few others We are not Inclined Inclined In In- to she shed d Grantland Rice tears o 0 over v e r anything anything any any- thing that happens in this upside-down upside world but It seemed at the moment that tears were due for the for the old guard guard Matty Matty Alexander Cy Young Lajoie Walsh Delehanty Joe Jackson Jackson- on through a a long list of ballplay ballplay- ballplayers ers certainly the match of any we NO have today I recall the feud that developed between Nap Lajoie and Ed Delehanty Delehanty Dele Dele- hanty of the long-ago long Phillies We were getting 2500 a year Lajoie told me once It n ml might ht be remembered at the time both were bitting hitting around Delehanty had bad Just struck oft olf f four home bome runs In one game fame They agreed to stick It oat ant ot together for lor a year two two ballplayers who toda today would be good for lor at least a year It seems that only Delehanty signed for lor leaving Lajoie out inthe In Inthe inthe the frosty cold So Larry lumped Jumped and aud signed with the Cleveland club of 01 the new league learue for an an Incredible ible salary paid by Charlie Somers the millionaire Then I 1 looked back and recalled Big Walsh who pitched 66 games in 1908 of which he be won 40 and saved 12 others The great Walsh threw his arm away that season for the princely sum of paid film bim by a wild spender known as Charles Comiskey Comiskey also paid Shoeless Joe Jackson around or All that Jackson could do was to chase Ty Cobb with a batting average of That was a total of 01 for lor Walsh and Jackson who today would be I cheap at a year Mathewson's Mathewson top salary was So was Hans Dans Wagner Wagners Matty was easily a pitcher and Wagner an or ballplayer How Dow many are now around wh have led a bl big league eight years year at bat In addition to being being be be- ing lug tabbed the greatest shortstop short short- stop top of 01 all an time timeT Cy Young was winning 20 25 and andover andover andover over 30 games a year for lor 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 Jackson Jack son Walsh Mathewson or Alex Alex- ander Ty Cobb made his money from a soft drink not from a soft club owner e e 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 For example there are a few lew year 10 men left In both leagues leagnes But Bat at the golden distribution distribution dis dis- which took place from 30 to 40 U years rears ago or ago or orsome some Borne 20 years ago look ago look what happened Pop Fop Anson hung on for Cor 26 23 years rears So did Jack Quinn Ty Cobb spent 24 U years In big big- league leape harness barness and Hans Dans Wagner Wagner Wag Wag- ner was on deck 23 years Tris Speaker and Nap Lajoie adorned the Infield and outfield for over 22 seasons Cy Young was wasa a 22 year 22 year man Remember these Remember these were all an 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 isone is isone isone one of the time long-time veterans left Managers will tell teU you that the game has grown so 0 much faster than it used to be that only a few lew exceptions can outlast 10 or 12 years Well Wen 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 at t 38 or even 40 than any shortstop in to the game today Someone asked Jack Quinn one day how it w was was s that he was still WI pitching alter after 24 seasons easy Quinn said A wile wife and six ix children |