Sport: Only Money

In Manhattan last week, two champions named Joe had their first workout of the year.

¶ Joe DiMaggio, baseball’s most talented star, haggled with his bosses for $75,000 and signed on the dotted line for about $10,000 less than that. Last year, he struggled along on $43,750. The pay boost made DiMag the fanciest-salaried New York Yankee since Babe Ruth (who once drew $80,000) and put him in a class with baseball’s two rich kids: Ted Williams, whose big bat is worth $75,000 a year to the Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland’s $80,000-or-more-a-year pitcher, Bob Feller.

¶ Joe Louis, who lost prestige but none of a champion’s prerogatives in 15 rounds against Jersey Joe Walcott, signed to defend his heavyweight title in June for the “last time,” for 40% of everything (net receipts, movie, radio and television rights). Jersey Joe, the man he had to beat, was still sparring with the promoters: he wanted at least 25%, had been offered only 20%. Probable scene of the big fight: Yankee Stadium.