human
I'm feeling fine as silk,
gpt
Didn't sprain your salary wing, or anything like that? grinned Altman.
human
You fetched that fellow an awful hit in the jaw.
gpt
I hated to do it, but it was coming to him,
human
Well, if there are any doctors' bills, I guess the Riverside people will be willing to take up a collection to pay them, replied Altman.
gpt
It's mighty lucky for the town that you happened to be in the crowd last night.
human
I suppose you're off to keep your next engagement, said Joe, to change the subject.
gpt
By the way, Nick, that was a mighty nifty skit of yours at the hall last night. It brought down the house. It ought to pull big everywhere.
human
I'm glad you liked it, replied Altman.
gpt
I'm booked for twenty weeks and I'm drawing down good money.
human
I suppose you'll be with the White Sox next year, as usual,
gpt
W-why, I suppose so, he said slowly.
human
My contract with them has another year to run. To tell the truth, though, Joe, I'm somewhat unsettled.
gpt
Why, said Joe,
human
Oh, nothing like that, replied Altman.
gpt
I'd rather play ball than eat, and I'll stick to the game as long as this old wing of mine can put them over the plate. But whether I'll be with the White Sox or not is another question.
human
Some other team in the American league trying to make a dicker for you?
gpt
Not that I've heard anything about, responded Altman.
human
But the American League isn't the whole cheese in baseball--nor the National League, either, for that matter.
gpt
I see Westland has been talking to you, said Joe.
human
I don't want to butt in, Nick, but don't let him put one over on you.
gpt
The new league seems to have barrels of money, replied Altman, evading a direct answer.
human
This fellow Westland seems aching to throw it to the birds--he's got a wad in his pocket that would choke a horse.
gpt
Yes, said Joe dryly,
human
I've seen that wad before. But take a fool's advice, Nick, and stick to the old ship.
gpt
That's all very well, said Altman.
human
But a man's worth all that he will bring in any other line of work--and why shouldn't it be so in baseball? Who is it that brings the money in at the gate, anyway? We're the ones that the public come to see, but it's the bosses that get all the money.
gpt
Lay off on that 'poor, down-trodden slave' talk, Nick, said Joe earnestly.
human
You know as well as I do that there are mighty few fellows who get as well paid for six months' work as we ball players do. But, leave that out of the question for a minute--don't you suppose the backers of this new league are just as eager to make money out of us as anybody else? Do you think they're in the game for the sport of it? And don't you know that the coming of a new league just now is likely to wreck the game? You know how it was in the old Brotherhood days--they did the same crooked work then that they're trying to do now--bribing men to jump their contracts by offers of big money. The game got a blow then that it took years to recover from, and there wasn't a single major league player that in the long run, didn't suffer from it. Play the game, Nick--and let's show these fellows that they can't buy us as they would so many cattle.