How does ML B survived during the Great Depression era?

Question

Although, the MLB seasons are open to post-WWI and begin of Great Depression era since America's economy and banks had none on the money. (this time, the world also have same on that during Great Depression).

The season and playoff are still opening during the Great Depression era. I think that the MLB didn't earns more money during that era as more people don't attended the games or playoff games.

Can u tell me about how does MLB had survived during the Great Depression?

Answer 1

Before Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause, and the era of free agency was begun, a superstar even in the 1960's was based on that ballplayer making more than $100K a year. For years, Detroit Tigers did not pay Hall of Famer Al Kaline over 90K because as great as he was, and he was great-one of the best arms I ever saw and a powerful fast bat--they did not consider him a superstar.

With everyone complaining about the Yankees payroll today, the fact is, if the Yankees had not had all the championships in a time when New York was a more enviable place to be, baseball might not have survived.

Also, nobody made their money back then off of owning a team with very, very few exceptions, much like in football these days very few owners make their money off of the ownership of their teams. These people made money in business, and used the money from these businesses to pay the players.

Ask any Bosox fan why they felt cursed by the Bambino, Babe Ruth, and they know, Ruth's sale to the Yankees was not about baseball. It was to help the owner of the Red Sox finance a Broadway musical called No No Nanette that featured some songs that would become famous--and the owner had to pay its star, Ruby Keeler, money and she was worth more to him than Babe Ruth and baseball. He sold him for 125K--which is less than what A-Rod makes for 1 game today!

I got this paragraph from US History.com:
In 1930, Ruth was earning a salary of $80,000 a year, a spectacular number in that era. A reporter suggested that perhaps he was overpaid, since Herbert Hoover was only getting $75,000 as president of the United States. Ruth is reported to have replied, "Why not? I had a better year than he did." There have been several reported variations of the statement.

Also, there were about half as many teams--16 teams back then-8 in each league-as opposed to 30 teams today. The ballparks were smaller, so actually lower proportionate overhead. There were no night games until 1939, so no need for lights. No fancy electrical scoreboards and such, so everything cost less back then.

Teams were more centrally located--so not that far to travel, and much of it was by rail, not planes...
Because of the salary structure, and the low overhead, only during the 1930's has baseball ownership averaged a loss...and that was an average of only -3%. Salaries were about 1/3 of the overall costs to a team owner, unlike the 54+% it is today.
Even at an average of $1.00/ticket, with several hundred thousand fans, a team often broke even at best.

Free agency changed all that. Actually, baseball owners like Charlie Finley, before George Steinbrenner, and then Steinbrenner with Catfish Hunter, followed by Reggie Jackson and such, changed it further...to the point where every owner pays what the fans will pay freight for, and fans are willing to pay for it.

The Yankees used to get 1 million fans. 2 million fans was at one time incredible. With the new stadium going up in 2009, it would not be out of the question to draw 5 million as they this year will pass 4 million fans. So, it is all relative.

Answer 2

It scraped by, just like everyone else did. Of course, being a legal monopoly in a sense helped. If people wanted to watch the best baseball players, it had to see the two major leagues. Still, attendance dropped off a cliff in the 1930's, and teams did what they had to do to get by. I believe the Red Sox were the only team to have an attendance increase in the 30's, as Tom Yawkey spent serious money to get some talent. That action essentially doomed the Braves, who later moved.

Now here's the tricky part. Essentially, baseball became something of a two-tier game. The worst teams subsidized the best teams in a sense. They would trade or sell good players to the top clubs. The Yankees had plenty of money because it played in the biggest market, for example, and got good players that attracted fans. The Browns and Senators often sold off good players in order to pocket the proceeds and stay afloat. The Cardinals built a farm system to stay good; the Athletics essentially sunk into the abyss after a run in 1929-31.

Answer 3

My father and mother were teens during the great despair. I heard many reviews about it. My Grand mothers and fathers had been young adults for the duration of the depression and they told me experiences also. No they didn't hoard food or something else. If your grandma maintains food in her room it was once normally brought about by another difficulty in her life which used to be now not directly triggered with the aid of the fine melancholy.

Answer 4

My mom and dad have been young babies during the finished melancholy. I heard many thoughts approximately it. My Grand mom and dad have been youthful adults during the melancholy and that they instructed me thoughts additionally. No they did no longer hoard nutrition or something. in the experience that your grandma retains nutrition in her room it become in all risk brought about by way of another hardship in her existence which become no longer immediately brought about by way of the finished melancholy.

Answer 5

the salaries was no where near what they are know what they are paying A rod and a few otheres that was the total salary for all the teams...and they mainly traveld by train back then it was much cheaper than flying