The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-26
THE MINNEAPOLIS. JOURNAL
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rHu SUMMER baseball problem

71HH SUMMER baseball problem
= promises to make trouble for the
western college conference. Gordon
Lewis, captain of the Wisconsin uni
versity baseball team, is accused OF
playing professional baseball last sum-
ner with a team in the upper Michi-I
gan peninsula. The charge is prac-
tically admitted at Madison, and As
sistant Coach Cochems threatens to
present evidence which will result IN
score western college athletes, If the
charges against Lewis are pressed.
It Is urged In defense Of Lewis
that he. is working his way thru col
lege,, and that he can secure more
remunerative employment on the base.
ball diamond than on the hayhelds.
The argument Is sound as far as It
goes. But, while 1t cannot be denied
that playing professional baseball Is
q perfectly honorable way Of earning
money to pay college expenses. it does
not necessarily follow that the athlete.
should be allowed to compete in col
lege athletics, in which the amateur
line is very tightly drawn-the oreti-
cally. The conference can, hardly af-
ford to ignore this question. II Lewis
plays on the Wisconsin team, it means
that the whole code Of eligibility rules
must be discarded.
Several men prominent in western
college athletics have within the last
athletes record outside college should
be ignored, and that a simple set OF
rules should be adopted, with a view
to insuring that college players should
be .bonafide students. It is admitted
that the present code not only does
not keep out the undesirable class Of
professionals, but does often result in
the disbarment Of men for some
trivial offense against the letter OF
the law. IF the men at the head of
athletic. affairs could be trusted
which often they cannot-to subordi-
nate the desire Of victory to the in
'terests of clean sport, the problem Of
framing and enforcing a simpler and
more effective code than the present
one would be easier of solution. The
Lewis case promises to result in a
stirring up Of dry bones and possibly
an overhauling of the eligibility code.
This is a contamination devoutly to
be wished. The western colleges have
too long allowed their athletic policy
to be framed by Caspar Whitney.
whose ideas are distinctively English,
and contrary to the spirit of all Amer
lean institutions. s.-.e - -
w ITHIN the next few days the
w Minneapolis baseball team will
begin training for the seasons work.
Players, and fans who make a. close
study Of the game, agree that the
team selected by Manager Watkins
is most promising. The past records
of the men engaged certainly justify
the conclusion. The best guarantee
of q successful season, however, is the
record of the manager himself. Wat
in the. country in point Of experience,
and in his many years Of service has
never developed a loser. He has in
vested a large amount Of money in the
Minneapolis club, and fully realizes
that the baseball public, it's patience
exhausted by a long line Of losing
teams, will insist on winner this
year. If it is ever safe to predict
victory for a team, the present Min
neapolis organization looks like a
one-two-three bunch.
|THE contest between Messrs. Pierce
l. and Titus for the checker cham
zpionsl1ip Of some place or other has
reached the tertiary preliminary
stage. In. default Of a better system
we are forced to classify checker con-
tests as we do pugilism, thus. IS
Primary Primary, I can lick
you;:, secondary preliminary, you're
another; tertiary preliminary, you
dassen't come out of your. own yard;
quarternary, knock that chip off If
you Qare. y
These pre1iminaries are often con-
tinued ad libitum, but lack Of space
forbids following out the customary
course Of the negotiations. After the
gladiators finally get together, and
one is defeated, the aftermath may be
briefly classified as follows: SIS =;
IL Primary, you cheated; secondary
you dassn't come out again.; tertiary
It'll tell my big brother and he'll show
you something, ETC., etc., to the ex:
cruciating agony Of q long-sufferine
public. Thor.
BASEBALL
Spring freshets on the Illinois river have com
I PEELED change in training plans for the Mil
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