Baseball secrets

Front matter

029 726 970 7 ♦

GV 867 .P3 Copy 1

_.*SEBALLS v secrets!

Chapter I. How To Select A Good Base- Ball Town

One of the most important features for a baseball promoter is to select for himself a good baseball town. I have always found during my own experience that it was a good policy to make inquiries immediately after the close of the baseball season early in the fall for the selection of your town. As the old saying is "The early bird catches the worm." And then again you are catching the average baseball man while he is asleep. You will find it will be to your advantage in the baseball business to always be "Johnny on the spot." You never can tell who might try to pop in ahead of you. As a rule the average baseball man, and especially the unexperienced fellow, does not prepare himself for the following season until after the holidays have passed and sometimes not until the plaving season is nearly at hand. It is a good idea to follow the newspapers, all over the country, closely, during the plaving season, and learn the cities that are turning out good crowds playing independent baseball. Then try and secure the lease on the grounds in a town where they have been drawing good crowds playing independent or semi-professional baseball. It will pay you to investigate early. Perhaps the parties that leased the baseball park hold the lease for the one year only, and you may be able to secure the lease for the following year or term of years by paying a little more than the party that holds the lease at the present time. This, of course, depends on the time of the expiration of lease. If you can succeed in doing this then you will have a good, paying baseball town for the next season for merely a small payment down on the 6 lease of the baseball park to bind the bargain.

At the present writing there are several good baseball cities laying idle, without league baseball, near enough together that good leagues can be organized. There are also several good baseball towns where strong independent baseball teams can be organized. A good way to select a good live baseball town is to look up the past baseball records of the city you intend to select. You can most always find this out by communicating with the editor of one of the daily newspapers, asking him to give you the name and address of the last baseball manager of his city. If you are unable to find out the name of the last baseball manager of that city through your correspondence with the newspapers, take up communication with the Street Railway Company. Always write to the general manager of the company, and almost invariably he can post you about the baseball facilities of the city, especially if the general manager or superintendent are baseball cranks and more especially so if they have had baseball before in their city, and carried the crowds too and from the baseball park. If you are still unable to find out anything definite from these two parties mentioned above, go to the manager of the Opera House in the city and find out from him what the theatrical record of the citv has been in the past. Find out whether it is a good show town or not, or whether the people in that city are inclined to take to sports. If a town has not supported a baseball club in the past as it should, do not feel discouraged at that, perhaps it might be the fault with the past baseball management.

If the people in that city are inclined to take to sports, such as football, horse races and is considered a good theatrical citv. it is a ten-to-one shot you can make it a good baseball town by stir- 7 ring up the enthusiasm of the people through the newspapers, and also by followine the instructions in this little book. I do not consider it good business judgment to travel all over the country in search of a baseball town. You 'can make all necessary arrangements at your own home by correspondence and thereby save a great deal of time and expense. When you are on the road $100.00 is soon eaten up paying railroad fares and hotel bills, and other necessary expenses, and besides you may not accomplish anything in the end. I have always found, during my own exnerience that the best anu most economical way is to select your town by correspondence. This can be done most always through correspondence with the newspaper men, for the newspaper men are most always glad to give you the full particulars concerning the baseball outlook in their city. Then again the newspaper men most always want their city represented by a good baseball club for many reasons. One good reason, because it furnishes the paper and baseball public with plenty of good baseball reading. Another good reason because you give all your advertising matter to the newspaper and during the course of a season the paper realizes quite a revenue financially from the baseball club. You must always give your printing to the newspapers, for they are the greatest resources you have. Remember they always boost your business, so help those who help you. When you communicate with the newspaper men asking information, it is considered good judgment to always enclose a two-cent stamp for a reply. After your correspondence with one of the above mentioned parties, and you are fully satisfied that you have selected the city you want and everything looks favorable to you, the next step is to secure baseball grounds or park, 8

Chapter II. How To Secure A Lease On A Baseball Park

You will find that sometimes it will be very annoying and you may feel almost discouraged when you are trying to secure a lease on a baseball park in the city that you have your heart and soul set on- selecting. There may be many obstacles in your way, but you must never feel discouraged. You must have plenty of pluck and perseverance. Let me say right here that you must learn to overcome obstacles in the baseball business.

I will point out in as brief as possible, two of the most important features you must learn to overcome pertaining to organizing a baseball club. First, "Learn to keep a secret above all things." You may have in mind a centain city that you think might turn out to be a good baseball town. If you have do not go around and •talk about it to the other fellow, and especially do not mention it to any one else that is in the baseball business as a promoter. If you have a secret in the baseball business keep it to yourself, and if there is anything to be gained you want to be the one to reap the harvest. In almost every city of any size without league baseball you will find amateur clubs, or city league clubs, and if you want to organize a strong independent or league club to represent that city you will find that these clubs sometimes cause you considerable annoyance and trouble. A few years ago I organized one of the best independent baseball clubs in the country. The season previous the amateurs of this city had everything their own way and were playing a fair article of ball, "for their kind," and consequently were draw- 9 ing good crowds. I was told that 3,000 people witnessed one of their games that season. I afterward made it an appoint to see one of their games, and I found that they were drawing good crowds and I was told that the receipts for this game amounted to nearly $500.00. This I considered good for a city of a little less than 15,000 population. They had a fine little baseball park in an elegant location, and I said to myself, I will try and secure the lease on that park for the following season, and place a professional club in that city. I went back to my home in New York and shortly afterward took up correspondence with the street car people of that city, and also the owner of the baseball park, and to tell you the truth I was unable to secure a lease on that park until nearly the first of March the following spring, and it was necessary for me to make a special trip to that city in order to secure the lease in the end, and I did so by out-bidding the amateur club. The lease cost something less than $300.00 a season — a good, fair price for a city of* its size — but it proved to be a profitable investment for me in the end. I organized a strong independent club consisting practically of college players and leaguers.

I gave all the amateur players who played on the amateur club the previous season a good fair trial for a position on my club and treated them fairly, but the people could quickly see they were not fast enough to keep pace with the experienced leaguers and college men, and the result was after a few games had been played, the amateur club was soon forgotten. You must always remember that the amateur clubs enjoy playing their games, and you must avoid throwing them down entirely if possible. You must help them along and keep the game alive and develop young players as much as possible, giving 10 them an opportunity to work up in the profession. Keep in harmony with them. You may want one of these players some day to help you out when you are short a man. Try and make some arrangement with them when they can have the use of your baseball park when your club is playing away from home. Rent it to them on the percentage basis and you will find you will receive a good sum by doing so in the course of a season. Get them all aboosting for you. Let them into your games free. Be friendly toward them, and you will find it will pay you greatly in the end. Now in regard to my opening game, I think I had nearly 2,000 people. The public enjoys seeing good, clean baseball and if you can show them an article of baseball better than they have had in the past they will support it. These two suggestions mentioned above are two obstacles you must learn to overcome. First. "Learn to keep a secret," and second, "Learn to keep in harmony and on friendly terms with the amateur players and the public."

Now in regard to securing a lease on the baseball parks. Write to the general manager of the street railway company asking him to please forward to you the name and address of the party, owner of the baseball park in his city. That is of course if there is a baseball park in his city. In nine cases out of ten the general manager will forward to you the name and address of the party, owner of the park for he realizes that his company receives good financial returns from a good baseball club located in his city, especially if the park is located on the company's lines, and he will most always assist you in securing the lease on the park if necessary. After you have received the name and address of the owner of the park you must immediately take up correspondence with him, making him, what you think, a reasonable offer for the use of his park for a season or term of years. If he accepts your terms or does not accept 11 your terms it is most likely you will come to terms shortly, and after you both have come to satisfactory terms it is a good policy to make the payments of the lease in three installments, to read in three equal payments. One May ist, one July ist, and one Sept. i st, or you can make them in monthly installments. The object in doing this is to make it easier for yourself and in case you should meet with a bad and rainy season and were not drawing sufficient crowds to warrant you carrying the club on much further and perhaps causing you to disband the club before the season closed you would not be at so much of a loss as if you paid it all down, say, April 1st, but there should be no occasion for this.

If you have tried every way and cannot lease the baseball park from the owner who sometimes wants considerable more than it is worth, you can sometimes bring him to your terms by announcing through the local newspapers that you are going to build a new baseball park. Once upon a time I had correspondence with. a. party who owned a baseball park asking him his lowest terms for the lease of his baseball park for one year. He wrote back asking $600.00. I came back at him stating that I did not want to buy the park, I merely wanted to lease it for one season, and made him what I thought the reasonable offer of $100.00 for the season. To make a long story short, I paid no further attention to him after that. I made up my mind that his terms were too high for me to consider, and looked elsewhere, and made arrangements to locate in another city. In the meantime I received a letter from this party evidently coming down from off his perch. I paid no attention to him, and when the playing season was about at hand, I received another letter stating that he would lease me his baseball park for the season at my terms of $100.00. I had another similar case once: A league was already organized and I was offered a franchise in this league, and when I tried to secure the lease on the baseball park the party wanted $600.00 a season, the same amount as the party mentioned above wanted. This, also looked too high for me, so on this account I did not accept the franchise. Shortly afterward when the league was about ready to have their meeting, and this party had no one to take the park, as I understood, and perhaps lose the franchise also, I received a letter stating if I would accept the franchise and place a club in the city, and come to the league meeting I could have the park free.

I had made other arrangements by this time and accepted another franchise, so I had to decline the offer. As it turned out, I was sorry afterward that I did not accept that proposition. Another basebaH man was offered the park free, I understand, to take the franchise, go there and place a club in the league, which he accepted, and succeeded in having a winning club and, I was told, that he was to the good by July 4th $4,000. He played the season out, sold two or three players, and there is no question but what he realized big money on an investment of practically nothing. You might say nothing, only his carfare to get to the city.

These two parks mentioned above were lo cated in cities, one of eleven thousand, and one eighteen thousand population, and I think that from one hundred to two hundred dollars is a fair price to pay for an ordinary baseball park in cities of that size, especially where they are not permitted to play Sunday baseball. Always wait it out if possible. Do not get anxious, you will find that the owner of the baseball park will almost invariably come to your terms, when you have made him a fair proposition. You must use your own judgment on this matter of course. If other parties are after the park get in on the ground floor, and close the deal as quickly as possible. Don't let the other fellow get in ahead of you.

Chapter III. How To Communicate With A Street Railway Company For Assistance

"MODEL LETTERS."

For your own interest you should always extend many courtesies to the street railway people, providing that they assist you. Never allow yourself to do anything that will antagonize them. Always jolly them along. Remember that they are the people who sometimes build your park or meet you half way in building it, at least when it is necessary for you to build, but sometimes you may come in contact with a street railway company where the officials are inclined to want everything their own way and will not assist you to any extent. These are the fellows you must leave alone. Build your park yourself right in the centre of the city where they will receive no benefit from your games, that is if you can secure such a location to build on. The street railway company who are liberal and can see by a small investment the good returns ahead for their money invested, and they assist you, be sure and do all within your power to keep in that company's good graces. If things don't go to suit you some day during the playing season, for instance, the cars are not running regularly in bringing the crowds to the park, don't go up in the air and blame the superintendent. Remember there is something wrong somewhere, and that the superintendent has a great many things to contend with. Don't let him get down on you. Don't be continually finding fault, for if you do "It's all off." Jolly him along. Keep on good terms with him always. Hand him a good cigar occasionally. Pat him on the back, and tell him what a good fellow he is. This of course applies to smaller cities. It is for the interest of the street railway company to draw the people to and from the park and they will do all within their power to handle the crowds to advantage for you, and also advertise your games for you on their cars.

I will write in this chapter two good model letters that can be written to the general manager of the street railway company of any of the smaller cities that you have in mind, when you wish to organize a league or independent baseball club. For an illustration we will take the city of Scranton, Pa., and the territory in Eastern Pennsylvania, consisting of the cities in that section available for league or independent baseball. Letter number one will apply to organizing a league or professional baseball club where there are no baseball grounds or park in that city. Letter number two will apply to organizing an independent club where there are baseball grounds in that city. Of course you can make these letters read visa-versa, according to whether there are baseball grounds or park, or whether there are no baseball grounds or park, or whether you are organizing a league or independent baseball club.

LETTER NO. I.

General Manager Street Railway Co., Scranton, Pa.

Dear Sir : It is my intentions to organize a baseball league for the coming season in your section of the country, to include the following cities : Wilkesbarre, Allentown, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading, Lebanon, Wilmington, and I would like to include the city of Scranton in the circuit. I understand, at the present time, there are no available baseball grounds at Scranton. You, no doubt, are fully aware that a professional baseball club, located in your city, would give your company large returns financially, drawing the people to and from the baseball park. Without going into further details at this writing, I would like to ask if your company would build or donate anything 15 toward building a baseball park on your lines, a reasonable distance out, providing a suitable location can be secured? If you are interested in this proposition, kindly grant me an interview as early as possible, so as we can go over the situation definitely. Awaiting your immediate reply.

Very truly yours,

Signed

LETTER NO. 2.

General Manager Street Railway Co., Scranton, Pa.

Dear Sir : I am considering the proposition of placing in your city for the coming season one of the fastest independent baseball clubs in the country, to consist practically of college men. I understand that the baseball park at Scranton is located on your lines. If I am able to secure a lease of the baseball park and will place such a club in your city, would your company assist me financially? You, no doubt, are fully aware that your company would carry several thousand people to and from the baseball park during the season, and this would be a great financial benefit to you. The other cities in your section of the country are supporting strong independent clubs and there is no question but what a similar club located in Scranton and properly conducted would also be w T ell supported. If your company can be interested in such a proposition and will assist me, kindly let me hear from you at once.

Very truly yours,

Signed

Chapter IV

A GOOD PROPOSITION TO SUBMIT TO A STREET RAILWAY COM- PANY, IN ORDER TO SECURE THEIR ASSISTANCE IN BUILD- ING A BASEBALL PARK. *

After you have received encouraging communication from the street railway company, and everything looks favorable for you and they write you asking you to call for an interview, give them a good, straight, business-like talk. Prepare yourself for the occasion before-hand. It is a good policy to hand them your proposition in a neat typewritten form asking them to act upon it as quickly as possible, and to also please notify you when they want you to call again. Here is the proposition to present to the street railway company, made out in legal form. If you are organizing an independent club make it read one city only. I leave blank the cities you want to fill in, also the considerations, etc. This will apply to a city of 15,000 to 100,- 000 in population.

Get the president's name and address of the company and address to him properly: Proposition.

In making a proposition to your company to build a baseball park on its lines

to be used by the of professional baseball players and members of the

(name of league)

of professional clubs, which comprises the

following cities

(name of cities) under protection of the National Association of Professional Baseball, which body oversees all professional baseball clubs and leagues throughout the United States and we are under their jurisdiction and direc- 17 tion, which alone assures this league a successful and lasting season as are all the other thirty-four leagues, at this writing, controlled by this association. These contracts are granted for a term of five years, to each club or franchise-holder. This system in which baseball is conducted today, assures any new league the National Association may grant protection, success year after year just as the other leagues throughout the country are having. There has hardly been a failure in any league for the past four or five years, which speaks for itself. This new league being organized

which includes

(name of cities)

is on a strong basis. All the cities are in good hands, and promoted by men who understand how to keep the game alive. The grounds each year will be in active service from, say, April 1st to Oct. 1st, or later. I do not only use these grounds during the playing season of our own league, but in the spring I endeavor to arrange as many exhibition games as possible, especially with the larger clubs if I am able to secure them. After our regular baseball season is over, a number of the best football clubs are brought to the grounds, which is a constant revenue to the street car company in carrying the crowds to and from the park. Our professional season starts each

year about

and closes about

We play

(number of games)

at home and as many games away from

home. During the time the is on the road I engage from

time to time outside attractions which I have been accustomed of handling and know they are big drawing cards also, during the summer months. In that way the street car company carries big crowds without investing any money to bring attractions along their lines. Taking the exhibition games played, also the football games before and after the regular professional

season of the

(name of club of league)

and including the schedule of league

games played by the would make at the least estimate about one hundred games played on the home grounds. These games, say at the lowest estimate, will average six hundred people to a game would be a total of sixty thousand people. If you carry say only one-half of this crowd it would amount to $3,000 and better.

There is no chance for a street car company to carry less than half of the people to and from the baseball park where the park is at the proper distance. This is not mentioning the other attractions to be had at the

park during the absence of the

With all the other attractions that can be brought to the park during the season should swell the attendance as much again. You can readily see that your company will realize a handsome revenue on the money invested.

I ask for a lease on the park for a term of 3 years, with a privilege of 5 years, with all privileges and for which I will pay a rental

of

(the amount you agree to pay each year for lease)

Dollars a year. It will be to my advantage to have as many attractions at the park as possible, therefore the street car company will have the benefit of my experience and labor. If it should be the wish of the builders of these grounds, I will gladly oversee the building of them and see that they are properly arranged and up-to-date, and as baseball grounds should be for the convenience of the public. After the said baseball park is completed and placed in proper order to begin the season, and any further improvements I desire to make, will do so at my own expense. I will also maintain and keep the park in good condition, and protect it in every way possible. I would be pleased to have your company take action on this proposition as quickly as possible, and if there is anything you do not fully understand in this proposition I will be pleased to go over the situation with you thoroughly in my next interview.

Signed

Chapter V

HOW TO BUILD A BASEBALL PARK. THE SIZE, COST, ETC., ACCORD- ING TO THE POPULATION OF THE CITY.

In this chapter I will endeavor to give a conservative estimate of the cost of building a suitable baseball park according to the population of the city. Estimate is based on the price of materials and labor at the present time, of course, and this may vary a little either way, according to the section of the country you are building in. You will find that it will not be to your advantage to tie up any more money than is absolutely necessary in building a baseball park in the smaller cities. Remember you are not in the business for your health, but at the same time you must be honest, and strive to please the public and also give them something for their comfort. If you do this then they will come to see your show again.

ARTICLE I.

In article one of this chapter I will give an estimate on a baseball park suitable for a city from 5,000 to 15,000 in population, and if you will travel the country over and take a careful survey of the basebal parks in the cities of this size, you will readily see, at a glance that the baseball park I give an estimate on in this article is far better than the average baseball park you will find. All baseball parks in •the smaller cities should be 400 feet square, if possible, or in other words 400 feet on each of the four sides. Inside of this space there will be ample room for playing, and the erection of the grand stand, and bleachers, and also large enough to accommodate those who desire to drive in rigs and autos to witness the games, 21

This park will also be much larger than the average baseball park. If you desire to do so, you can make your park smaller and measure the distance from the home plate to the right field fence, and set the right held fence 235 feet from the home plate. This is the shortest distance, I think, required by the baseball rules.

In laying out the grounds I would advise you to consult the "Spaulding Official Baseball Guide." You could set the left field fence 275 feet from the home plate. By doing this it would make about 1,400 lineal or running feet of fence around your baseball field. By building a park this size you would then have a park equally as large, if not larger than several minor league parks I have seen. At the present time the catcher stands up behind the batter, while he is in action, and consequently you can shorten your distance from the home plate to the grand stand. Eighteen years ago, when the catcher stood back until the third strike or when base-runners were on the bases, the distance from the home plate to the grand stand at that time was supposed to be ninety feet. For an illustration: One season recently I was on the Indianapolis American Association baseball grounds, and I should judge that the home plate on those grounds was about fifty feet at the most from the grand stand, possibly only 40 feet, and I know of several other parks where the distance is anywhere from forty to fifty feet. If you build a baseball park this size you would save the cost of building about 200 lineal feet of fence, but I would not advise you to do this unless you were compelled to build on a lot not allowing you to build any larger park, and that would be, of course, providing you were benefited by the location, for the nearer the centre of the city you can locate your park the more you will be benefited financially thereby. 22