Inflation

Next to hitting a baseball and keeping a sharp eye on his bank account, Boston's Ted Williams likes fishing best, is especially proud of his reputation as one of the nation's best tiers of fisherman's flies. Last week he was the star flycaster in the Sportsmen's Show at Boston's Mechanics Building. Said Ted of the $5,000-a-week fee he picked up for the performance: "I tell myself, 'People won't even remember you a few years from now. You'll be nobody, so you'd better take care of yourself while you can.'"

While in Boston, he took care of himself in another matter by dropping in to see General Manager Joe Cronin of the Red Sox. After a brief talk, slugging Ted Williams, baseball's best batter, signed a 1950 contract for the most money ever paid a big-league player, an estimated $110.000.* Mourned Brooklyn's tight-fisted Branch Rickey, who had just raised Dodger Stars Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson to alltime Brooklyn highs of $35,000: "In my 38 years . . . [in] organized ball this is the greatest inflationary period I've ever known . . . Even the players who had bad years do not expect to be cut."

* Some other paychecks considered good in their day: Joe DiMaggio's $90,000 last year, Babe Ruth's $80,000 in 1930--31, Ty Cobb's $70,000 in 1928, Honus Wagner's $10,000 in 1908.

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