WASHINGTON, DC. June 11, 1916 - The Grays inked a deal with 32-year-old Eli Calhoun yesterday signaling that it not only wanted him on the field but in the clubhouse.
Publicly, Eli Calhoun has spoken highly of Washington, so the extension wasn't a total surprise.
Calhoun will draw $337,950 over the next 3 years.
So far this year Calhoun has hit .381 with 1 home run, 30 RBIs and 52 runs scored.
The Washington second baseman, 32, has been with the club since the league's inception and has arguably been the best hitter in the game. Not only does he hit well, but he gets on base better than anyone in the league. His .452 career on base percentage is the best in the four and a half years the league has been in existence, and his .490 on base percentage last year is the best single season mark so far. And of course, you can't forget his third best .318 career batting average and 8th best 19 career home runs.
The scrawny, 160 pound Texas native is one of the most popular players in Washington and the entire league. He's been quoted as saying "I don't want to be anywhere else. I absolutely love it here." Calhoun, had he not signed this contract with the Grays, would have become a free agent, able to take the contract from the highest bidder which likely would have been New York, Brooklyn, or either of the Chicago teams.
Not only is Calhoun an absolute force on the field, but many of his younger teammates such as Byron Ervin and Freeman Willis have attributed much of their success to Calhoun's leadership.
The Washington Grays just helped their ball club in many ways by locking up Calhoun for three more seasons. He will make $112,650 each season. With the way that he draws fans to the park, the way that he leads his teammates, and the way he produces on the field, the money owner E.C. Landgraf pays him over the next three years will surely be worth it.
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