Clipping:Dismissing talk of hippodroming
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| Date | Saturday, August 15, 1885 |
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| Text | In an editorial the Chicago News says regarding the honesty of base-ball: “The silly season persists in remaining longer than usual. And it seems sillier than it was last yet. We are now gravely told that the New York and Chicago ball clubs systematically hippodrome for the gate money. We are asked to believe that games are won and lost between these clubs with reference to the number of spectators that may be attracted thereby. We are asked to believe that the New Yorks gave last Friday’s game to Chicago, because the New York management thought a local defeat would bring increased attendance at succeeding games, but there are few so gullible as to comply with the request. St. Louis Post-Dispatch August 15, 1885 the economics of professional baseball [from a column by “Veteran”] The salaries of the American clubs range all the way from $18,000 to $30,000 per season. Each club plays fifty-eight games on its own grounds, so that the club that pays $30,000 salaries must take in over $500 per game to pay salaries alone, to say nothing of the immense expenses of rent, police, advertising, etc.; this is also premising that the guarantees will pay traveling expenses which they will not quite do. Taking all expenses into consideration, a club with a salary list must average good days and bad, playing good ball or bad, at least 2,500 paying people per game to get out even. How many cities can stand this? Or, rather, how many do? The number is very small indeed. In fact (and I say this upon the very best information) there are not more than six clubs in the League and American together this year that will pay expenses. The Sporting Life August 19, 1885 |
| Source | St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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