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Show JOE STECHER'S INCOME IS BIG Invidious Comparison With Joe Stecher and Ruth. Jack Curley, promoter of wrestling, says that Babe Ruth may be the highest high-est salaried ball player in the world, but what he will get out of baseball will not make him the athlete with the greatest annual income. He says he can name several wrestlers, any one of whom earns more than $70,000 a season. "Babe is the champion in the business busi-ness of making home runs," continued contin-ued Jack, "so it would not be amiss to compare his s.ary with what Joe Stecher, the champion wrestler, earns annually from the mat game. For several sev-eral years Joe lias earned about $150,-000 $150,-000 a season. Joe's case proves there's more to be made by wrestling than playing ball, and Stecher had the right dope a long time ago, for he quit the diamond to make his way in the world as a wrestler. 'Stecher played ball as a professional profes-sional with the Salt Lake City club of the Pacific Coast league in 1017. When he wasn't covering second base he used to wrestle. The Phillies obtained him through the drafting pVocess, but Joe evidently thought more about wrestling than he did. of starting what might have been a successful career In the big leagues. He refused to report to the Phillies, quit baseball and started out on the road that eventually led him to the world wrestling championship. Had Joe remained in baseball he never would have received anything like what Ruth Is getting. Joe was a strong fellow even when he was with the Salt Lake Bees. "Of course, In order to earn what ' he does Joe must keep himself busy. His season is just the reverse of a ball player's. Joe trains In the slimmer slim-mer months at Long Beach, r'nllf., and starts his annual mat campaign early In the fall. He stops a couple of weeks after the baseball seasons are opened. Iniring the wrestling season sea-son he keeps himself in shape by giving giv-ing all comers a shot at his title." |