Clipping:Salary lists; finances
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| Date | Wednesday, November 11, 1885 |
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| Text | Last season the total salaries paid by clubs was pretty nearly as follows: New York about $32,000, Cincinnati about $30,000; Chicago, Athletic, Providence, Boston, Pittsburg, Detroit, and both St. Louis clubs in the neighborhood of $25,000, with the others stringing along downward to the Baltimore club at about $19,000. The bonuses paid by Brooklyn, Detroit and Pittsburg in the wholesale deals for players which they made might be added to their actual salary lists, running all three up to nearly $30,000. It may be claimed that New York, Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Louis (American), Chicago, Phillies and Athletics certainly all made profits on the season, and that therefore they should give their players some benefit of it and not cut down thei4r salaries, but leave the poorer clubs to regulate their own. Here comes in the difficulty—how can you explain and make it satisfactory to Morris, of Pittsburg; Brouthers, of Buffalo; Radbourne, of Providence; Henderson, of Baltimore; Nelson, of the Mets, whey they should not receive as high salaries as equal players in other clubs? Most of the money-making clubs would have been willing to leave the salary question as it was, but to the poorer clubs the new rule became a necessity. The Sporting Life November 11, 1885 a proposed rule change to the diamond If there is one thing base ball needs more than another it is freer batting. Efforts in this direction have heretofore been confined to attempts to reduce the pitchers' effectiveness, but all have proved futile... A Boston gentleman, who has given the subject considerable thought, now comes forward with a plan, which, while radical, is the best that has yet been proposed to improve the game... [a diagram of the diamond, with the angle at home and second is increased, first and third decreased; and the pitcher moved back five feet.] The idea appears to slightly change the angle of the diamond. … By it the catcher would be brought ten feet nearer second base, which would prevent free stealing, and would also enable the second baseman to return a thrown ball to the catcher in time to cut off a base runner. The pitcher would be placed back five feet, thus reducing the distance between him and second base fifteen feet, enabling him to guard both first and second base more easily; the batsman is five feet further from the pitcher and could therefore more easily hit the ball, thus reducing the number of strike-outs considerably and making livelier fielding by giving more chances. The distance from third to first would be increased, thus giving scientific batters and good runners a better chance to beat the ball to base. The change of foul lines would lessen the number of tedious foul balls; would give more chances to drive the ball between the infielders; would save many pretty hits now called foul; would spread the outfielders more, thus increasing the number of safe hits, and, besides, enable them to make, with the increased territory, more difficult running catchers; would give chances for longer hits. It would lessen the damage from errors and make more earned runs, as base runner would have to hut their bases more closely, depending upon hitting to score.... The Sporting Life November 18, 1885 [reporting the NL meeting 11/18] One of the changes which was asked to be made and which took up pretty much the whole day was that of changing the shape of the diamond–that is, to set the first and third bases out further and bring the second base nearer the pitcher and, in case the change should be made, the pitcher to be set back five feet, which would reduce the distance between the pitcher and second base about fifteen feet, which, it is claimed, would enable him to guard second and third bases mor easily. The batsman would have more chance to hit the ball, being further from the pitcher. After a long discussion it was finally voted down, as they decided that they would first find out what they were doing. The Philadelphia Times November 19, 1885 |
| Source | Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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