Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-01
THE YEAR IN SPORTS
Unusual Increase In Interest
in Different Athletics.
BASE BALL IN LEAD
PROFESSIONALS AND AMATEURS
COMPETED FOR POPULARITY.
Running and Trotting Races Viewed
With Favor - Bowling Leagues,
Tennis and Golf.
BASE BALL IN LEAD

Notwithstanding the unprecedented adj
vance made in the way OF sport In 1904,
the past year has still greater gain to
record. The great prosperity Of the couu-
try is doubtless responsible for this con-
dtion OF affairs. but 1t Is a known fact that
there was not report but what showed
improvement in 1905. The District of CO.
lumbia kept step with the remainder OF
the country, the attendance at games Of ALI
kinds being unprecedented and the prizes
donated were handsome and costly. Base
ball and racing led the procession of sue
cesses. and foot ball, tennis. bowling and
rowing were close up. Remarkably favor
able weather conditions played big part
in the general success of all the outdoor
sports, the summer months being notable
for the many pleasant days.
Base Ball.
The splendid achievement of the WASH
ington base ball club In climbing out Of
last place in the American League cham
pionship race, a position it had held for
three years, was one Of the notable events
of the year, and the new management came
in for all sorts of praise. at the begin
ming The Star gave the fans" off the city
chance to nickname the club, and the
Nationals" was decided upon after hun
dTeds of suggestions had been put forward.
This title proved unusually lucky, the
team, under the able leadership of Man
ager Stahl, shot to the front at the OPEN
ing of the season. and remained in the
first division long enough to create I'M
usual enthusiasm and coin a barrel Of
money Sickness and accidents then over
took the manager and different players and
the team finally dropped into last place.
The fans" were in despair for time,
but the Nationals rallied gamely in the last
month Of play, and managed to crawl out
of the tail-end position and push the weaker
st. Louis Browns to the rear. The most
notable affair in connection with the early
success of the Nationals was the big re-
ception rendered the team upon its return
from successful trip to Philadelphia, New
York, Boston and the West the avenue
being crowded with thousands OF enthus-
lasts. much red fire being burned. and an
elaborate banquet wound up the festivi-
ties at the Regent Hotel.
At the close of the season the board Of
directors gave out the news that the Wash
ington club had paid off all Its indebted
ness, and in addition a fairly large divi-
dend was declared. Declaring dividends is
new move for Washington base ball
club and demonstrated the efficiency Of
both the directors and managers. Manager
Stahl was given unlimited power to Sc
cure new players, and his first move was
the signing Of Third Basemat Lave Cross,
who captained the champion Athletics last
year. This bit of enterprise was hailed
with great delight by the Washington en-
thusiasts. and the outlook for next sea-
son Is most promising.
Among the amateur base ball players the
season was unprecedentedly successful
Never before were there so many leagues
or clubs, and on every vacant lot where
diamond could be laid out base ball was
being played last summer in Washington.
There were seven fully organized leagues,
with memberships ranging from sixteen
down to eight clubs, and the Independent
teams were almost countless. The winners
In the different leagues were follows: In
the Sunday School League Gunton first
a. IT, ,,I,f - A ax,1
then defeated the fifth Baptist team the
victors of Section B. At the meeting of
this league at the end of the season for the
distribution of prizes, Mr.. Tom c. Noyes,
on behalf Of The Evening Star Newspaper
Company, presented the Gunton team with
a handsome silver cup, and promised an
other trophy for next season 1t was the
first time that the Sunday School League
had been divided into two sections, and the
plan was so successful that it will prob
ably be repeated again next season.
In the Departmental League the Agri-
cultural boys came out on top after gal
liant struggle down to the last few games,
In the Metropolitan League the Eastern
Empirses finished first in an interesting
struggle for supremacy. In the Capital
City League the team representing st.
Stephens Institute proved the victors. In
the Marquette League St Martins finished
first and in the Episcopal League Epiph-
any Chapel boys were the winners. The
games In the Government Printing Office
League were unusually exciting and inter
esting, and the Cowboys finally carried off
the honors after a hard battle. An effort
was made to bring the different amateur
clubs together to settle the championship
of the District, but the players were
mixed up with the different leagues and
teams that cold weather set In before the
games could be played.
The Georgetown University base ball
team had one of it's most successful sea-
sons, and yet II was not entirely satisfac-
tory on account of the mixup over profess
sionalism The Blue and Gray boys played
thirty-one games and won twenty two, CIV
ing it .709 percentage Of victories. Three
of these games were played with profess
sional clubs-Washington, Wilmington and
Commissioners. Another was played with
the Fourth Presbyterian of the Sunday