Connecticut western news., 1909-04-08
SHARON RESIGNS
 FROM THE LEAGUE
LACK OF MATERIAL THE CAUSE
Board of Directors of the Housatonic
 League Met Saturday Y-PIans For a Successful Season Are Progressing FayorabIy-Report of the Meeting.

Successful Season Are Progressing
 FaVOrabIy-Report of the Meeting.
 At the meeting of the directors Of tho Housatonic Valley Baseball League held at the Garfield Saturday it was an nounced that Sharon will not be ablc to place team in the field this year and hor resignation from the league was ac. cepted. A number of applications for membership have been received and after some discussion it was decided to lelve the matter to a committee, which was appointed.
 It was announced that a number of teams are anxious to be admitted to the league, on account of its success last sea son. Among the teams suggested aa eligible for the place left vacant by Sharon's resignation were those of Mil lerton, Norfolk, Great Harrington and East Canaan. Preference was given to either East Canaan or Millerton as pros pective members of the league and it was expressed as likely that Millerton might prove to be the more satisfactory, all things being considered.
 The meeting was called to order by President Robert Scoville, of Salisbury, and delegates were present from Shef- field, Salisbury, Lakeville, Lime Rock, Falls Village and Canaan. The first action taken followed some discussion of the present ruling on the number of blses allowed on Q blocked ball. The ruling was changed to allow one base only on blocked ball. The subject of tae new team to be invited to join the league was then thrashed out and the committee appointed to invite another club to join was composed of H. D. Reed, of Canaan, M. B. Richardson, of Lime R ,ck, and Dr. G. H. Knight, of Lake. vile.
 It was decided that the season this year will open May 15. This will per init of the 20 games being played in time for the final games to be played on Labor Day. There will be games this year on all three holidays, Decoration Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. In speaking of these holidays Dr. Knight, Of Lakeville, made the suggestion that a' Lakeville will be entertaining the hose companies on Labor Day it would be advantageous to arrange the schedule for two games between Lakeville and Salisbury on that day, the morning game to be played at Salisbury and the afternoon game at Lakeville. This suE- gestion will no doubt be acted upon fa- vorably by tho schedule committee. The latter committee is composed of C.. E. Brink, of Falls Village, J. Clinton Rora- back, of Canaan, and s. M. Fox, of Shelf field.
 The matter of obtaining reliable um- pires was then brought up and all agreed that it would be better to obtain paid umpires to act during the entire season, thus obviating the trouble that was oc. casioned at times last year when the umpire selected was prejudiced in favor of one of the competing teams. Favor able action was taken on this suggestion and at the next meeting of the board of directors to be held week from Satur- day a list of available umpires will be submitted. The idea is to select the re- quisite number of umpires who shall each be paid not more than $5 for each game. Each one of them will be assigned to the game which he is to umpire not earlier than the day before.
 J. Clinton Roraback asked that the rule limiting the number of players eligi- ble for each team to 30 be changed to read 40 The question was raised whether there were more than thirty players eligible in any of the towns be- longing to the league. It was made plain that if such were the case the num- Der may be increased to 10. Mir. Rora. back and MT. Reed are now engaged in preparing list of players in Canaan who are eligible.
 Complete harmony prevailed at the meeting and considerable enthusiasm was shown ln discussing the plans for the present season. It is planned to make it more successful even than last year and at present the prospects are bright. It was smphatioally made plain that the league is going to insist on am. ateur base ball from all the teams, and the game is going to be kept clean and sportsmanlike.
 The prospects for a strong team in Ca. naan are good and with the generous support of Canaan s fans and of nll others interested ill the continuation of clean l sport the local team is bound to make good" in the league this year.