Clipping:Club finances
Add a Clipping |
Date | Wednesday, October 22, 1884 |
---|---|
Text | ... In the National League all but two clubs, Detroit and Cleveland, have made money and the loss of the two mentioned is comparatively trifling, aggregating not quite $2,500. Boston has been the most successful, the profits approaching $48,000; Providence is credited with a gain of $10,000; New York, $12,000; Chicago, $20,000; Philadelphia, $8,000, and Buffalo quits about even. Of course these figures are but estimates, based upon the average reported attendance at the games, but they will probably come as near the actual figures as anything short of the official figures can. In the American Association the majority of the clubs have also been fairly successful, although the average is far below last year. Besides the hard times, the increased number of clubs and the establishment of rival Union clubs in several cities has had its effect. The Metropolitan Club, which carried off the pennant, lost money in the early part of the season owing to conflicting dates with the New York League Club and the bad location of their new grounds, but in the second half of the season they gained rapidly and are probably $5,000 to the good. The poor showing of the champion Athletic Club in the race for the pennant has had its effect upon the treasury and the club, which last year cleared more money than ever before made by any base ball organization, must this year be content with a profit of about $20,000; Cincinnati, despite the opposition of the Union club, has had an exceptionally good season and is about $18,000 ahead. St. Louis was unfortunate as to weather in the spring, but has had a very profitable season, netting probably $35,000. The Baltimore Club has done well, and Barnie and Houck will easily clear $15,000 t0 $20,000. The Louisville Club has done better than ever before, having paid off old debts, improved their grounds vastly and has a balance of about $6,000 on hand. The Columbus Club is about $8,000 ahead, which amount would perhaps have been doubled but for the stoppage of Sunday games. The Brooklyn Club, too, has made some money, their profits being estimated up to $10,000. The other clubs have not done so well. Washington sunk $10,000 ere it disbanded, but the Virginia Club, which took its place, will close the season about even. Toledo, Allegheny and Indianapolis have lost money. Toledo’s loss is estimated at about $8,000, Indianapolis $5,000 and Allegheny about $10,000. This showing leaves the Association away ahead of the season and proves it the most profitable of all base ball associations. The Union Association clubs have had a checkered career, and a great deal of money has been sunk in putting the organization on its feet. Only two of the original clubs have made any money, viz., St. Louis and Washington; Boston claims to be even. Of the later arrivals, Kansas City and Milwaukee have done well. All the other clubs are badly in the hole. The Eastern League was a dire financial failure, the clubs even failing to pay several of the umpires their just dues. Only one club made any money, and that was the Newark Domestic Club. The rest either disbanded or went to the end of the season at a heavy loss. The Northwestern League also proved an even worse failure than the Eastern League, every club, without exception, losing money in the season. The Grand Rapids Club only managed to clear itself by the transfer of its players to Detroit, and Milwaukee, through its admission to the Union Association, contrived to even profits and losses. The losses of the other clubs aggregate nearly $100,000. The Sporting Life October 22, 1884 the World Series The first of the series of matches for the championship of the United Stated between the champion clubs of the League and American Association was played on the Polo Grounds... Cincinnati Enquirer October 24, 1994 |
Source | Sporting Life |
Tags | |
Warning | |
Comment | Edit with form to add a comment |
Query | Edit with form to add a query |
Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
Comments
<comments voting="Plus" />