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Show np RJS SPEAKER of tho Red Sox and ' Reb" Russell of the W hlto Sox are two ball-Playors ball-Playors whoso dilatory practice In tho matter of signing up for 191 G will cause them tho loss of several thousand dollars. Speaker signed a two-year contract with tho Boston club In the spring of 1911 Just after he returned from the trip around the world with the Giants-Whlto Sox combination. It Is said his salarv was J17.500 per year. Maybe It was and maybe it wasn t. At any rato ho hasn't plavcd ?17,B0l) baseball since then nor anywhere near It But the Federals were after him and the Boston club had to outbid tho outlaws to hold him. At tho end of the 1915 season Lannln wanted to sign Speaker for this year. NJt tho outfielder refused. It Is probable ho could have still drawn the same salary ho had for tho two previous sensons. but at tho closo of the 1913 season It looked as if tho Federals would still beMn the fight this year. Speaker probably figured fig-ured there would bo moro in it f.or him if ho waited, and he waited. If ho gets one-third of that reputed $17,500 the coming season ho will bo lucky. Speaker is still a great player, but he was not tho same player during his two very pros-porous pros-porous years as he was In 1913. Russell was another prominent American Leaguer who refused to sign at the closo of 1916, and ho. too. will probably shake down a few thousand dollars less this yoar than he would have otherwise. hh HERE are players and players. There aro A decent players and thero are players whoso words can't be taken. Just as thore aro crooks and decent men in other walks of life. But tho lino has been protty well drawn In basebail during tho two years' wailare and the publlo will not forget. Thcj- will remember the men who broke their words and contracts and especially espe-cially those who broko thorn more than once. Ono cannot blamo a player lor doln tho best ho can for himself, but ono can blame him when ho shows a willingness to break his word and contract every time somo ono offers him a tew dollars for dolm,- so. In tho denunciation of such acta there has been a tendency on tne part of somo to btome every ballplayer, but this is not deserved Glancing back over the incidents of the base- ll S ball war those which stand out most plainly lS are those In which prominent players Jumped J first to one side and then tho other, and theso J V cases are comparatively few, when ono con- : -' siders tluFnumber of players who hid the op- , portun ty and didn't seize IL As a matter of I " fact thcae double Jumpers didn't prosper in t ' their ball playing to any considerable extent. l , These Federal offers ana Increased salaries I have ruined moro than one good ballplayer. 1 wireH7er,PiayerS Wh d,dn,t -umP. but who f , ' were dissatisfied because of tempting offer ? and thl3 injured thelr ly- '- - 1 otcJl Se V. SeVenU f th6 rcmaI""S stars ,,nrt . ,k B &rCat mach,n- They were under ironclad contracts for 1915 at compara- (. - Ji? v8 ! Ralar,eS- The' ad signed up tho ear before at a small salary because the Ath- T etlcs always figured on getting their share of ' the world's series. There was no prospect for f a pennant In 1916 and these athletes resented b 1 haMng to play for small salaries and their play. r I ing reflected their resentment. I D REDICTIONS in sport don't amount to any- J . thing. Generally a prediction Is Just a f- 6-uess .When tho experts, at tho beginning o . t I1916 faefn' bSin making their predic J tlons as to tho winners in tho American and t National leagues thoy -will bo as nearly right Jt l n as they wero in 1915. And every one knows 3 how near that was. Jl Xfl ch?nioih?i maJrUy f th tCam9 WU1 Present I l fr,nf h :UPS' and COndIt,0" Will bo dlf- j wh?ch wmn li th lMt tW yoars' conditions . the Teams i", eCt lh Playln? of the vario3 ?1 oo teams, and no one will be able to get a real J li X0UhVblU!y or the var,ous fl 21 thehSftar?i Tn h hQV0 Sh0nc as tarfl In I " well SIS? &Ue Wh mQ' n0t Sh0w so ft A! Turo fn 1 T? COmIwln-' a"d this is ono feu- 1 A cans o rnnw lnt COn3lderat Which i Ve, hi V h vctcran Edlo Plank. Will fl ' as hi "hV?" thl8 yCar ln th Amerlcan Leaguo 1 ft as ho did last year in the Federal? And thla fl M 1T S t0 b takcn ,nto consideration M V hen ono considers the chances of Fielder ! Jones team in tho coming pennant race, f ft j Plank nHS U T" 3C0m t0 BCe Edd,a fll " Plank pitching against tho Mackmen, won't Itl tW 8ddr 1 lniv |
