Show I I I Ex Got Little GRANTLAND RICE By The Tho hounds of spring ar are now on winters winter's traces I 1 see Parnell Pamell advancing to the hill bill I see fast fasl Slaughter busy on the Ibe bases As lank Ted Williams illiams leans against the pill And who is s that thaI now marching from the pen en Why bless my soul its it's ifs big Joe Page again e e e Pay Check Then Check Then and Now UR UR ATTENTION was called as O OUR you might say to a number of ot salaries paid ballplayers recently Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams were the only two above A but there were seva several sev sev- a m eral oral that ranged fro from m to including r Bob Feller Stan r. r M Mus u s I a 1 Tommy I w Henrich J Jackie a c k I e Robinson and a aF afew afew F few others r We are not inclined Inclined inclined in In- to shed she d Grantland Rice tears oV 0 vcr over e r anything 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 old guard guard Matty Matty Alexander Cy Young Lajoie Walsh Delehanty Joe Jackson Jackson- on through a long list of ballplayers ballplay ballplay- ers certainly the match of any we have today I recall the feud that developed between Nap Lajoie and Ed Delehanty Dele Dele- banty hanty of the long ago Phillies We were getting 2500 a year Lajoie told me once It U might b be remembered at the time both were hitting around Delehanty had bad just struck off oft four home runs in one game They agreed to stick It out together for a year two two ballplayers who today would be good for at least a year It U seems that only Delehanty signed for leaving Lajoie out In Inthe Inthe Inthe the frosty cold So Larry Larrr Jumped and signed with the Cleveland club of the new league for an an IncredIble Incredible Incredible ible salary paid by Charlie Somers the millionaire Then I looked back and recalled Big BI Walsh who pitched 66 games in 1 1908 1408 08 of at which he won 40 and saved 12 others The great Walsh threw his arm 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 1000 or All that Jackson could do was to chase Ty Cobb with a batting average of That was a total of for tor Walsh and Jackson who today would be cheap at a year Mathewson's top salary was was So was Dans Hans Wagners Matty was easily a pitcher and Wagner an or ballplayer now How many are now around have led a a. big league eight years at bat In addition to being be be- being ing tabbed the greatest shortstop shortstop shortstop short short- stop of 01 all aU time 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 are business tycoons and financial geniuses They are arc getting paid 10 for 1 above the kings of yester yester- day An ordinary hitter today can get more than Wagner Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- son Walsh Mathewson or Alex Alex- ander allder Ty Cobb made his money from a soft sort drink not from rom a soft club owner S e e Shorter Pay Pay Longer Longer Years The old system of ot lower pay a aleast 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 leU in both leagues But at the golden distribution distribution distribution dis dis- which took place from 30 to 40 years ago ago or or orsome some 20 years ago look ago look what happened Pop Anson hung On for 26 years So did Jack Quinn Ty Cobb spent 24 years In big big- league harness barness and Hans Rans Wagner Wag ner ncr was on deck 23 years Tris Speaker and Nap La Lajoie joie adorned the infield and outfield for over 22 seasons Cy Young waa was wa wasa a year 22 man Remember Remember then were all stars the stars the top of the flock There are any number who worked on the big time lot for 15 to 1 18 years But today Joe DiMaggio Ione i ione is isone one of at the time long veterans left Managers will tell teU you that th the game has grown so much faster faste than it used to be that only a few exceptions can outlast 10 or 1 12 years Well Cobb hit around in hi his campaign Wagner was still stil stilla a star in his year and hi his season Id I'd rather have had Wagner at 38 or even 40 than any shortstop in the game today Someone asked Jack Quinn one day how it was that he was still stil pitching after 24 seasons wife and easy Quinn said A six children |