Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-01
A Communication.
Editor Of Il. Kennesee Journal

Editor of tie Kennsbee Journal
| We notice in your issue Of yesterday
communication relating to Base Ball. Al
hough it bears the signature of Mr.. Have.
ne manager. it is Difficult, to believe that h
you'd be responsible for an article whic
'hows such ignorance Of the usages of has
ball and of the ruiiments of arithmetic. !
4 regularly organized league where the pla
ng strength Of the clubs is assumed to b
'early equal, and where regular series o
games are played, as simple and sure wa
Il deciding their relative standin
| he percentage system Is adopted
But when both teams play whatever club
hey choose, and as many games as they d,
sire, no way of judging of their rslativ
Ability is more unreliable than the percent
lge OF games won. Because Sammy Jone,
Howlers" are victorious in nine out of tei
games played with Billy Smiths "Ra,tlers
and Teddy Browns "Screamers," does Sam
my point to his average of games woh
which is much higher than that Of the Ne,
Yorks, and proudly claim the championship,
of the world? We think not, unless PER
chance he lives in Skowhe2an.
While the Augustus were wing with club.
like the GARDENERS, Lewistons and Sourl
Portlands, the Baths and the Sanfords, tn,
Skowhegans were swelling their per cent b,
beating the Doyers, the Farmingtons and
the Pittsfield Instituters. to say nothing OF
practice games with various country nine,
which we presume are included in the aver
ages which are soon to be given to the pub
lic
But it is in its arithmetic that Mr.. Halves
10 most amusing He says:
To-day, however, the Augustus are not
within one hundred per cent of games won
of the champions from Skowhegan."
As the Augustus have won ~ 7-l0 pei
cent Of the games played, in order to make
this remarkable statement correct, the Skow
hegans must have won more than l72 7-lC
per cent; that is, for every four game
played, they hare icon seren! feat which
we venture to say could be performed by no
other club than the Skowhegans.
Another amusing feature of the communi-
Gallon of Mr.. Halves is his absurd talk abou
the "Amateur championship of the State
1t is an undsputed rule of our national gam.
that no club that has paid players can, strict
ly speaking, be called an amateur club
As the Skowhegan nine mas all
along, and still has, paid players
it is not an ''amateur" club and therefor,
is ineligible for any contest or series of con,
tests involving the amateur championship
Of the state.
The Augustus won the championship of the |
state squarely and fairly, trimming NOR,
games than the total number played by an,
other club in the State, and beating thu |
Skowhegans two out of three games |
played between the two clubs.
Their right to the championship has been |
very generally admitted in Base Ball circles
and they were invited to come to the provinces
as 1.-The champions of Maine" an invitation
they had earned the right to accept.
While the Skow hegans have lost the cham
pionShip for this season, they should make
good fight for second place, which position
they apparently have good show of attain
ing.
DIRECTORS AUGUSTA b. B. CLUB.