The Washington times., 1895-05-05
AMONG LOCAL ATHLETES
What Is Going on in Amateur Cir
CIes on Land and Water

Without exception, the weakest plea ever
entered to explain away a failure TO win
or even to make good showing was the
one printed in one OF the biggest of the big
metropolitan journals last week, and bore
date at Yale.
After going through all the details of the
teams makeup, and pointing out its
weakest spots, 1t comes to the horribly
poor showing made here, and forthwith
casts a slur upon the Georgetown Uniyer-
sity Baseball Team, which gave ''Old
Eli'' such trouncing as he had never
before received at the hands OF any team
outside of the big league professional
ranks. The score, it will be remembered,
was 20 to 5.
Continuing With its bluff on the faculty
and alumni, it spoke Of the .'precipice Of
forty feet off right field, and that the
locals practiced batting for that poiut to
make home runs on the hits What Tidicu-
lous rot Is that?
BY actual measurement the edge of the
drop, from the level field, is Just 900 feet
from home plate, and it has been said that
235 feet is conside red q home run hit, or
such a hit as will put the ball out ofsight,
and generally speaking 235 feet IS far
enough to put the ball "out of sight" In
stead of being forty feet deep" the cut
is just twelve feet, with sloping side.
Besides all this, was it not as fair for the
one as for the other? Look up the records
of that memorable game and see if you do
not find at least two of Yale's hits were
over this same bank.
STILL ANOTHER EXCUSE.
Again, the screed goes on to say that on
account of the frequent games on its
Southern trip Yale failed to make good
shall we call this?
1t is a well known fact that Yale played
the first game on its Southern trip with
Georgetown and afterward went from here
to Virginia, and Jared little better than at
the hands of the blue and gray. As for the
excuse that the team had had little prac-
tice, that is again ridiculous. 1t mad had
good practice in playing with the big
teams near 1T at home, and had made
try with the New Yorks for the Freed
man cup.
1t goes still further and speaks of the
Georgetown team as being semi-profes
sional; when it can be proven to any one
who will take the trouble to look it up,
that the name of every man on the team
is duly enrolled student of the college
and i'll daily attendance on his classes, and
four at least are ''star" men. The faculty
adheres very strictly to the rule made last
year, that none but actual students OF the
college shall take part in any OF the
college athletics. Can this be said of all the
big colleges and 'varsities whose teams
have played here this spring?
The fact of the business is that George
town has been playing such game this
season, and especially on the day of the
Yale game, that 1t could outplay and out
bat the best of them.
With Yale's wonderful, though we'll
earned, prestige in the athletic world, it
is no great wonder that the above ex-
cuses were trumped up for her failure here
hno Yks.aN for flal OF
letics of Yale, for she has been the head
and front of all branches of true manly
sport in all its lines, and is likely TO remain
SO, but with all its training it seems to
have stepped aside from the true sports
mans beaten path, and instead of giving
a co-worker the credit he deserves for
! creditable and honorable victory, it seeks
to sniireh that victory with discredit and
at the expense of truth. Such course is
neither sportsmanlike nor manly. 1t is
| bad enough 10 say i'll of a man when he
does not deserve it, but it is much worse
to print it.
PRACTICE ONTHE wATERR ETARDED.
The past week has been so full of rain
and dampness as to take all the heart out
of a rowing man, and it is no wonder that
those i'll training have had the blues
all the week.
| When it began 10 clear away it was
/ impossible to row because of the high
water and terrific current coming down
| the river
The season is a very backward one for
! sports on the water, and local crews will
be sadly handicapped for any of the near
| by events they hoped to be entered i'll.
! The Potomac eight in its preparation
/ for the Naval Academy race, VIII have
to work double time in order to get into
any kind of shape by the 18th instant.
I,-s~a
| the stroke seat IN recent practice and doing
! his work well. His experience of last
| year will stand him in good stead.
| DR.. Cockerille and Ball and Joe Oliver
are holding down their respective numbers
| in encouraging form. 1t is as yet unde
cided how the crew will finally row, but
more than likely those of last years crew
who viii row again will occupy their old
seats.
COLUMBIA ATHLETIC CLUB.
| But little work is being Gone in the CO.
lumbia Athletic Club gym and class work
has been declared off for the season.
| Prof. Crossley is devoting the most OF
his time to the development of Columbia
field and during this week he will have the
100-yard stretch in working order.
The members of the gymnastic and
acrobatc teams have been photographed in
working groups and make fine appearance.
| The several groups Will be ADDED TO the cluD
championship gallery.
Prof. CrosSley is very grateful to all
members of his classes who in the club
aud other benefits and during the season
made such splendid showing and did such
remarkable work.
| Royce Hough will be taken in hand at
once by the profess to begin training for
the all around champion ships of the
| United States which will be contested for
Inlv a nD0ar the G.
| pices of the New jersey Athletic Club.
In addition to his present ecord-breaking
| accomplishments he will have to take up
running broad jump, pole yaulting, and
| hurdling, and he VIII no doubt make good
| showing in each when the date OF the
! event arrives.
1t is more than probable that the club
! will hold its open games about June 25th.
| These will be handicap events, and will
| include all the lines of field and track
| sports The quantity of new material
developed here since games We're given
more than two years ago, is surprising,
| and the event will prove a highly inter-
esting aud profitable one.
/ The May 30th bicycle committee is hard
! at work preparing for the event, and Is at
| present busy with the prize list, which is
| not ouly very large bat a very valuable
| one and will 10 doubt attract the cracks
from far aud near.
I Lieut. Charlie Baker is fast recruiting
his rowing men, and hopes to enlist the in
terest of all the old ana number of new
oarsmen. The coming week will bring
ont the shell crews.
4 Stewart and Jacquette have been out In
the pair-oared terror and sent her
along good shape.
Craig and Wilstead take frequent spins
III one of the club boats.
All the shells have been put in first class
working orderi and now await the coming
of the oarsmen.
CARRAI INSTITIITE TIL ETICS