National League will be offered. Railroad expenses for mileage alone
$300,000, including spring training trips. Hotel bills $65,000. Sleeping
cars and meals en route, $80,000. Salaries to players, $480,000. Total,
$875,000. Add to this $30,000 for the salaries of umpires and their
traveling expenses. That makes $905,000.

Now not a penny has been appropriated thus far for the salaries of the
president of the National League, the secretary and expenditures of the
office nor for the salaries of the business departments of the various
clubs, nor for ground rents, taxes and a dozen and one other things, to
say nothing of that well-known old item "wear and tear."

The receipts of Base Ball barely cover these expenditures. The alleged
profits of Base Ball mostly are fanciful dreams of those who know
nothing of the practical side of the sport and are stunned when they are
made acquainted with the real financial problems which confront club
owners.

But the money that is contributed to the support of the game almost
immediately finds its way back into public channels. Less than thirty
per cent. of Base Ball clubs realize what a business man would call a
fair return on the amount invested.

A well-known writer on economic topics interviewed owners of Base Ball
clubs as to their income and outgo. One of the best known of the
National League men took the writer into his office and spread the cash
book of the club's business before him.

"You may go through it if you wish," said the owner, "but here is the
balance for the last day of the year."