The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
W%fFFHECOILEGE kHHfEFES
DOiysSR ritz FIgLD or SFORT
AN EiST AND VEST.
The New England Colleges which 10 Not
Fear TO Say They Are for SUMMER base.
hall, - We'll a. One RAre Professor
WAT Declares Frankly for TIE Game.

All
vUas Declares Frankly for TIE Game.
The recent referendum vote on the sub
Iec1 Of summer baseball at Amherst win.
isnlA and MealeYan. probably was a sur
prise 10 those persons who believed from
the statements of professors In those i'm
situations on other occasions that the SEN
thpem tGsre was oil against that form Of
athloto amusement, In all three institu-
lions the students were strongly In favor
II letting the varsity men do what they
wanted TO outside OF college as long as they
kept their academic standing right. Conn
ing at q time when Cornell has declared
mpst emphatlcally against summer base
tell and the entrance Of her athletes into
professional sport Of any sort, the diff
ference Of opinion IL ali the more marked,
The three New England colleges named
arc in harmony With the sentiment at
Rtovn, which some seasons ago declared
M favor Of academic standing as the only
Hahdard for the athletlo requirement.
The vote, II must DO understood, has no
sigDihcanoe other than showing a decided
sentiment on the part Of a majority Of the
snfdents Of the three colleges in favor OF
aynlner baseball. II IL not unreasonable to
sfppose that the college athletic authoh-
ties viii pay heed to the student sentiment
On expressed. A. Williams, In particular.
Iesliug was very strong on the subject Of
summer baseball because the leaders Of
STUDENT thought wanted II expressly I'M
dorstood outside the college that the matter
e shortening schedules and prohibiting
Hipiner baseball was entirely a matter Of
0Hnuliy sentiment. They wanted TO Offset
advertising of Williams as In favor Of all
spus Of changes in the rules OF athletics,
which although favored by the faculty
we're not desired by the students,
Tho votes At the three colleges resulted
a&,fdllovs; Williams, 2S7 to 81; Amherst,
7R7to IS; Wesleyan. lis TO e7-all In favor
of summer baseball. In other words. In
these meetings 10 per cent. Of the Williams
men were lp favor of restricting the game,
N per cent. Of the Amherst men voted
hat way, and 70 per cent. Of the Wesleyan
hen About one-ffth Of all the men In
tha three colleges who attended the meet
lngs were in favor Of making summer
baseball playing an offence, At Wesleyan.
where the vote against summer baseball
Has strongest, the discussion was somewhat
restricted in tone because Of the fact in
large measure that Prof. Nicolson sub
united the brief for the abolition Of summer
baseball. At the three meetings sil votes
we're counted. OF these 642 were for
DINNER baseball and 1859 against the par
liclpstion in that sort Of sport.
H. appears from the college catalogues
lhat4the. number Of men present at these
ihree meetings represented q large part Of
he census Of the respective colleges. In
other words, II was a formal and determined
statement Of the feeling Of the under
graduate members Of these colleges and
-hould be remembered IN connection with
steternehts by members ~ the faculties OF
amherst. Williams and WESLEYAN.
li"rtoIs to the meeting al Williams
there was a great deal Of discussion Of
summer baseball. Prof. Henry ID. Wild, in
charge II athletics Al Williams, was opposed
In ,summer baseball on the traditional
grounds. His point Of view did not at all
appeal to the Williams R'cord. which has
beeB more than usually aggressive IN
asserting it's opinions Of faculty doings.
The. result has been a sort Of campaign If
s~lucation.
Prof John E.. Russell. a friend Of summer
hsseball. wrote several letters 10 the paper
on the subject. putting up a defence of the
game very satisfactory in its own way.
The net result of all this was a more serious
discussion Of the problem. both before and
during the mass meeting, and a vote on the
subject that without any doubt reflected the
student ideas on the subject. DR.. Wild,
who reported TO the recent meeting Of the
&c. A. 4. 4. 5. that summer baseball was
heiug controlled in the New England col
lsges, must have had reason for serious
thought after that mass meeting.
Summer baseball has been the hobby Of
The college athletic reformer in our recent
times. He has declared time and again that
professionalism Of other sorts will creep in
II the mar who plays baseball In the summer
idr hire is permitted 10 compete with his
rurer brother. Now as a matter Of fact
there is hardly another sport which permits
" professionalism and playing for hire as
Ices baseball 1t comes in the summer
season, when the college player is on vaca-
ton and when he has ample opportunities
for taking part in the game. The profess
sionsl Splinter, the professional oarsman,
the professional football player are impos-
siblities in college.
Basketball Is the one sport that permits
n playing under the same conditions Of
money making as baseball. College players
can and do make money playing odd games
through the season on basketball teams.
hut they again are playing in the college
yeor. The most vacation time play they
get lie IN the Christmas holidays, The oars
mar. the soccer player, the lawn tennis man,
are ridiculous considered as potential pro-
~feSsionals. So baseball has 10 be the CRYING
evil TO be attacked. There lie no other sport
played upder the same conditions.
II is not very often that the views Of those
in favor Of summer baseball are set forth
at length. So perhaps for a change what
Prof. Russell Of Williams has TO say will
he more entertaining. In answer 10 Dean
Wild. he begins:
Merely 10 assert that money again
must in no wise be associated with athletics
is hardly enough unless it is clearly pointed
out in what way this particular associa-
lion OF money We are considering is in.
furious to college athletics. Merely 10
Pssert that the present regulation cannot
he removed without bringing down in
ruins the whole ediice erected In the cause
Of pure athletics will hardly suffice for
proof that this particular regulation is