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Show I grit. , W LL W N in BASEBALL I F wine TALENT. "5 I f WOMEN COURAGE J A " KnASONG y " DISCARDED v ! BY J. B. SHERIDAN. I i HE money that may be mad"; j sft Rn t,le cwer that may 1,0 I V opened to a young man in baseball has been attracting I I L a deal of attention during j I the last month. A threat- I XI ened atrike of thc Sreat pro- j t-S fesslonal baseball players focused public Interest on that point. The players had been drawing enormous salaries, j owing to keen competition for their services 1 The removal of the Federal League from tho j sphere of baseball activities practically removed all competition, and. to some extent, placed tho player at the- mercy of tho employer, j Tho elder players, especially the men who j had fattened on the abnormally high salaries I of tho Federal Leaguo period, tried to organize a general strike of players, ostensibly to cor-I cor-I rect certain minor alleged grievances such an 1 small clubs falling to pay transportation for I players who reported for service in the spring. etc. This was only a "blind." The real object J) of th- strlko was to force thc club owners to j Standardize salaries at war-time figures. Tho ii invcr cook piace. Thero was no sound J foundation for It. It is difficult to get sympathy j for strikers who have been receiving from $600 to $3000 a month In salaries, living at the best hotels and traveling in pullmans at their em- H ployers' expense. Then the American Federation of Labor wisely wise-ly refused to take the Players' Fraternity Into j membership. The $1000 a month basoball men had been fraternizing with the $1000 a vear mechanic to get the assistance of the latter in f a ' sympathy strike. Therefore, tho strike was I called off before the date on which It was I scheduled to take place, and the players were J left to bargain, as best they may. with their employers. 3 J Salaries to Be Reduced. I pHAT there will be a general reduction of sal- V arles from tho war-day standard to the I legitimate standard is assured. The players got t Immense salaries during the days of Federal I League competition. 1&13-H-16-16. Tho game 1 d,d not ylald revenue enough to pay these enormous expenses. The club owners and their j money worked for less than tho strong arm of 1 one P'tcher. So a change is about to come over 1 the spirit of the scene. .1 Stni- haseball salaries and opportunities will ; be good enough to attract the energetic Amer- H lean outh who loves and who can play the J rame. It Is our purpose here to studj baseball .-j as a profession for young men. j Lt It first be thoroughly understood that f tasebull should be considered as a more tom- -I porary occupation Tho average life of a mn- Jor leaguo baeebaU player la somothlng like five 3 years. Men llko Cy Young, tho famous pitcher; 'f Anson, toe never-to-be-forgotten captain of the great Chicago team of tho 80s: Wagner, Wal- H lace. Loiole and a few others, played for from H twenty to twenty-seven years. These aro ex- H ceptlons The average player has from five to H ten years as a productive baseball career. H On the wholo, it may be stated that the J player is through at 30. Very few carry their over Therefore, tho young man of ambition, pru- H dence ami foresight should figure upon quitting H Jlay it not later than 30 years old. H "What sort of a profession Is It that offers I nothing to a man over 80T" w'.H bo asked. It !a this sort of a profession. It enables a thrifty and forcslghted young man to make much more money up to the age of thirty than he would make In any other profession, and 11 gives him an opportunity to study, prepare and assume another profession or business whenever when-ever he finds that baseball no longer Is profit able. Thc great advantage about baseball as a profession pro-fession to tho struggling young man Is that he may go to school, college, study during tho winter, win-ter, or amass enough money to start In business. busi-ness. Good Money Only in Big Leagues. THE great objection to baseball as a profession profes-sion Is, first, that It Is but temporary; conJ. that It Is only In tho higher forms of thc game, In the big leagues, or. at best. In the second class leagues, that a young man can make enough monoy to mako it worth while as his solo and only occupation. In other words, you must be a genius or vcr close to It. to attain even a moderate success suc-cess in baseball However, it Is best to set forth the facts In the case and lot the reader decide for himself It has been thc pleasant custom to assume that every American boy "is born a patriot, a prince and a baseball player. Not one In 200 American boys a horn ballplayer. For many reasons, not more than one In 200 boys ever reaches the professional baseball field. Of tho 5000 professionals who work every summer, not more than 250 can bo classed as wholly successful. suc-cessful. Some of the others may bo comers, some goers, but only 250 are in the full flower of success. Thus baseball Is an arduous profession. Chances of success In It are few. This adds to Its disadvantages as a profession. Many feel called, but few are chosen Tho chances of attaining at-taining success aro so small that tho wise father may b2 pardoned for advising his boy to devote all his efforts to other enterprises. One of every 200 American boys has potentialities poten-tialities of baseball success In him. These boyr usually attain capacity to earn money playln baseball when they are 19 years old. At that ago they can mako from $1 to $10 a game playing play-ing what Is known as semlprofcsslonal ball, which means ono game a week, usually playod on Saturday or on Sunday. After a year or two of this sort of nlav. or at 21, a young man should bo ready for his first real professional engagement. This engagement engage-ment should be in a league of thc sixth class, technically known as Class D In baseball. He will receive for his services from $90 to $125 a month, depending upon thc prosperity of the league In question, and his own desirability. Pitchers ond catchers will, on the wholo, receive $25 a month moro than infleldcrs or outfielders, unless. Indeed, the outfielder or Inflelder be of a particularly desirable sort. Minor League Seasons Short. WHILE a salary of from $S0 to $125 a month may appear large to the youth of It, It must be remembered that tho season In these minor leagues Is of but four and one-half months' duration. Thus tho player's entire baseball stipend for his first two years would be from $400 to $600 a year. Half or the player's board and living expenses will be paid. Ho must pay ton weeks board and expenses and clothe himself. A thrifty la'd can get by during a season on an expense of JH0. which will leave him from $200 to $460 In his pocket when the season closes on Labor Day. It Is then up to the boy to go to college or to work. Many boys will get through the college year on from $2C0 to $460. This Is what makes baseball so desirable, 1' not as a profession, as an adjunct, to a young man's earning capacity. The boy who must work his way through col-lego col-lego will find baseball a very great assistance. It Is true that he must "cut" his college work short on May 1 every year, and thus loso six weeks' Important work and examination, but this can bo made up In due course of time. Having played for two years In a Class D league, a youth should be ready for promotion to Class C, which will pay $25 a month more, to Class B. which will pay $50 a month more, to Class A, which will pay $200 a month, or $11H0 a season. Many young men advance much faster than this, others much more slowly. Wo aro taking the standard player who keeps up with his class. A year in Class A should fit the youth for Class AA. which will pay from $1300 to $1800 for five months' work. One or two years in Class AA will fit him for the major leagues, which pay a beginner, ordinarily. $2000 a e.ir for six months' work. Once In the major leagues he may earn from $2000 to $10,000 a year. U may be said that only very exceptional men earn moro than $5ouu a year in tho major leagues, that tho standard salary for a first-class player, one not u star but a sure, day In and day out "regular," is about $3600 a year. Wc now hao followed the young man through six yearu of play, two as a semlprofcsslonal. two In Class D, ono In Class C or B, ono n Class AA Wo took him up at 18 and he Is now 24 years old, tho best ago for players to enter the major leagues. Some few enter much younger, but the averngo will be about 25 years old. Hero It may be said that all baseball players, actors and athletes are womanlike in their detestation of age. Tho 20-year-old player begins by subtracting two years from his real age. At 24 he subtracts throo years, at 30 he subtracts five years, at 40 ho subtracts ten years. Over 40, he becomes a child again. Reasons for Fighting Age. THERE are excellent reasons for this. The younger a boy Is tho better It is understood Is his chance for development. Improvement If a boy is but 18, a great many shortcomings are forgiven him that would be charged to hhn if he were 20. "Ho will grow stronger. Ho will hit better. He will improve. He Is only 18." say tho managers. man-agers. "If ho were 22 he ahould be a better player than he Is." So, too, when he grows older. His youth Is an asset to him. If he seeks an engagement, his age cuts a "Urge" figure A man Is valuable according to tho jtaro ho has In him. Ho may be worth $5000 If he Is 2S If he Is 31, he may be worth but 11600 6o, more than the prima donna or thc star actress, tho baseball player is the perennial youth. It has taken the young player from three to lx years to reach the "big leagues," attain the 6iimmit of his ambition, the "big show," as he calls the major leagues. He has now a chance to obtain ten years' employment at a salary that will average $3500 for six months' play. He puts in Just one moro month of training. For this ho gets no salary, but his expenses are all paid. While preparing himself for the big berth In the big leagues, the palyer has spont from four to six years and earned an average salary of $1250 a year for five months' play. His living expense during the playing months of thee years should not have been more than $300 a season. All of which leaves him, on an average, I960 annual clear profit from his baseball season. sea-son. He is at liberty to dispose of this $'.'50 .is he pleases If he works ho can, no doubt, save all of the $950, and at tho average age of 23 will find himself with about $5000 in pocket. If he should elect to take a college course, his bank balance will be much reduced, but he will have a larje balance of accomplishment and of efficiency effi-ciency to his credit. Has Personal Following. IT may be remarked here that the fact that he Is a baseball player of some merit facilitates facili-tates tho commercial progress of a young man Ho can cbtaln winter Jobs as salesman, clerk, mechanic, etc., that he would not lind ready to his band were he not a man of some acquaintance acquaint-ance and with somo personal "following " Henco, It will do seen that, even If he should not reach the "big show," a young player may secure quite a neat little competency by the time he enters his 2tth year. He can have $5000 In bank Few young business men, yho had to depend on their own labor, have $5000 In bank when they aro 24 years old. If the player' succeeds In the major leagues, we may assume that his fortune Is made In five years ho will make $17,500. He will savo half of that This, added to the $5000 saved in tho minor leagues will give him, considering compound Interest or reasonable successful Investment, In-vestment, $20,000. If ne has spent money In studying a profession, profes-sion, he will not have quite $20,000. But four jears given to a college course should cost him not more than $4000 So the hardy, careful, managing young man can play baseball for twelve years, learn a profession and find himself him-self well over $20, '.'00 in bank after he reaches tho ago of 30. It would be well for all baseball players If they wero obliged by law to quit when thy reached tho age of 20 From that time onward they slow up. and certainly there are few ?f them who retain their best form after the ago of ZZ. To be sure there are a few players who have done their best work after they had reached the age of 35. The average player, however, begins to slow up after having reached the 30th milestone, and there are few men who remain In the big leagues after they have seen S5 years pass by. To be sure thero are careers open as managers, man-agers, etc.. which pay large salaries, but such positions are rare and precarious. 1 would not advise any young man to take up baseball with the idea of making it a life work. It should be merely a stepping scone to something better, to .something moro enduring. Championships Help. IN computing the earning ability of a baseball base-ball plaer. wc have regarded only the ox-act ox-act sums received as salary. Many baseball players make much more than their salaries. In tho major leagues there Is always the largo Mimfe derived from tho world's championship. Thess sums amount to from $2500 for players Of losing, to $4000 for players of winning, teams. Many plaoro make money in postseason exhibitions, ex-hibitions, though these have been discontinued for the present by order of thc baseball authorities. author-ities. Coaching collego teams Is another source of revenue .Many of the hlgn-salirlcd men make material nuaiuuu co men meumes uuring ine winter. Following thc ancient rule that ' It is given to him who hath." It is thc high-salaried, that Is, the famous, star rather than thc average player who makes large bctween-season incomes. It is said that the famous Cobb makes $12,-500 $12,-500 a year playing baseball and quite as much from signing his name to newspaper and magazine maga-zine rtorles. selling automobiles, playing In moving pictures, indorsing advertised articles, etc. Mathewson, tho once great pitcher of New York, who Is now manager of tho Cincinnati club, has long conducted on Insurance agency which wielded him a handsome Income Edward Ed-ward Konetohy, the giant first baseman of the Boston Nationals, sells cigars. Fiolder Jones, manager of tho St. Louis Americans, has large Limber Interests In the Northwest. William Sweeney a second baseman of fame some thrco years ago, retired to a valuable 'nsuranco agency which he had built up while a plaver. Buy:ng farms and clt property is a favorite Investment of players. It is unlikely that they mako any money off the farm while they are playing but they manage to "break even," arcl the Increase In value In the land over a period of ten years Is. on the wholo, 100 per cent. Somo plaers who have dramatic and musical talent, make these pay them during the winter. Hundreds of players have trades, occupations or professions that they find remunerative In winter. win-ter. Hugh High, tho star left fielder of the Yankees, Yan-kees, was careful to learn the plumbing trado beforo ho took up baseball. He conducts a plumbing business every winter which yields him tho usual fabled fortunes of the craft. John Miller, first baseman of tho St. Louis Nationals, Na-tionals, gets $6000 a year for playing baseball, and conducts a profitable hotel business 'n Kearney. N. J. Speaker, tho famous center fielder of Cleveland, has a large cattle ranch in Texas. Players Who Are Wealthy. O PBAKSSR was a cattleman before he ba-came ba-came a baseball player. Cravath of tho the Philadelphia Nationals Is a real estate man In California. Frank Chance, who managed the Chicago Nationals, and who I? now managing Los Angeles, always has maintained a valuabl-j -orange grove. ( There' have been players who, even In the i dus when salaries were, one-half of what they i are today, became rich in baseball. Chief of these Prince Fortunati Is Charles Comiskey, owner own-er of the Chicago Americans. Comiskey played baseball for fifteen years His first engagement engage-ment In St. Louis was at the salary of $125 a month. He was getting $7500 a year when he retired In 1891, He then bought a club at St. Paul, which did not prove a money maker. In 1900 ho organized a club In Chicago which has since made him 68,000,000, Win, lose or draw, tho Chicago Americans will make $250,000 every year. Comiskey is one of the few players who have become rich club owners. Al Spalding, a great pitcher of the 70s, became owner of tho Chicago Nationals and of thc Immense sporting goods business which bears his name. Spalding must have becomo the richest of all baseball players. His wealth at his death was estimated at $15, 000,000 Albert Reach, the first salaried player, at one tlmo owned the Philadelphia Nationals, and, J like Spalding, became Immensely wealthy in thc sporting goods business. His partner, Benjamin Ben-jamin Shlbe, started In baseball by covering balls for amateur players around Philadelphia, where he had a small shoe-repairing shop. Shibo now owns half of tho Philadelphia Americans Amer-icans and half of tho great A. J. Beach Sporting Goods Company. Covering baseballs made him many times a millionaire George Wright, shortstop of the unbeaten Cincinnati Reds of 18C9. Is half owner of the big sporting goods house of Wright & Dltson. Money in Baseball. yiTiEPr: la mones In baseball for the youta who has the talent, grit and courage to get that money out Of course, the period from l&ll to 1010 saw unreasonable salaries paid. For Instance, Leo Magee. the outfielder of the New York Americans, began his career at Springfield. 111., In 1909, and was paid $90 a month for four and one-half months of play, or $405 for tho entire season. Magee got $9000, or S1500 a month, during the years 1915-16. So Magee's weekly salary after five years In baseball base-ball was equal to his annual salary when he began. Such Instances might be enumerated Indefinitely. All this gold Is only for the chosen. A DOT , L must have natural talent, and he must develop It thoroughly Ho must rigorously deny himself, him-self, train llko a Spartan and control his appetites appe-tites like a Trapplst monk. Late hours, wine, women and song, bountiful dining, cigarettes and moving picture shows must be foreign 10 tho life of tho young man who would attain success as a baseball player. All the clubs Insist upon their players abstaining ab-staining from liquors, and demand that they shall be In bed not later than 11 p. m. They must devote six hours a day to practicing and to playing. No gamo calls for greater fitness of body and keenness of mind. The eye. the ear, the hand, the foot and the courage must all be as perfect as Is possible. A weak eye. arm or leg, a dull Intellect, a faint heart, never attains a fortune In baseball. From the foregoing It will be seen that bane ball offers much to thc young man as a temporary tem-porary profession. The training Itself, the dls-oipllno, dls-oipllno, the travel, the assurance and polish it BTlves, apart from the financial allurements, nakes baseball worth the while of the boy wh l i ' the talent and the self-control nec-issary nec-issary to succeed at it, , |