Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-27
DISTRICT TEAM
FORMALLY ADMITTED
Directors of Departmental
Base Ball League Fill
Vacancy.

At meeting of the board OF directors
OF the Departmental Base Ball League,
held last night in the Office of the presi-
dent. Merritt o. Chance. the machinery
was formally put In action for the sea-
SON Of 1909. The following officers were
unanimously reelected for the present
year: Merritt o. Chance, president: Theo-
dore l.. Wood, vice president; John H.
Anderson. secretary, and Edward c. Rob-
inson, treasurer.
A letter from the chief clerk OF the
interstate commerce commission, stating
that the commission would not put
team on the field this year, was read and
the question of securing a team to take
the place of the Railroad Regulators
was considered Several local teams had
made application to the league for fran
chfse, and after quite a little discussion
1t was decided to admit the District Com
missioners and grant them the franchise
surrendered by the Interstate team. This
fans. as it will give them an opportunity
to pull for team made up of Wash
inston boys, while the other teams in
the league are made up of government
employees from all parts Of the country.
The games will be played On the White
House ellipse and the league will be COM
posed of teams from the following de-
partments: Agriculture. Commerce and
Labor. Interior. Navy, Post Office. Treas
ury. War and the Municipal building
The season will open Monday. May 8, and
the secretary was instructed to draft a
schedule calling for three games between
each team. Eight games will be played
each week, double headers on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays. Saturdays be-
ing left open for playing off postponed
games. The contemplated schedule will
call for total of eighty-four games,
which will run the season to about Au-
gust ].
BILLY" Belts, the peerless one, who has
handled the indicator in the Departmental
League for the past two seasons, was
again the unanimous choice of the board
for that position, and Mr.. J. Fl. Coli
flower, who is we'll known in local
amateur circles, was chosen to assist Mr..
Belts on the days double-headers are
scheduled. Mr.. Collifower is an employee
of the municipal building. and the friends
of the Commissioners had hoped to see
him at the initial sack, but now that he
has been appointed an Jump the Dis
trict team will lose his services as a
player.
1t is the intention of the league to have
all the clubs as evenly matched as pos
sible, and 1t is proposed to let the weaker
teams secure players who are In the
government service and not connected
with any other team in the league. This
arrangement should enable each depart
ment to put a strong aggregation on the
have to play some ball. Much enthusi-
asm is shown by the managers Of the
various teams, and 1909 bids fair to be
the most successful year in the history
of the league.
Manager Strain of the Commissioners,
who are now the babies of the league, is
very optimistic regarding his chances for
landing the bunting. Il am very glad to
hear that the Departmental League has
granted us a franchise" said Mr.. Strain.
I'VE have good fast team and are going
right after the flag at the sound of the
gong. / think my team compares favor
ably with any In the league"
Manager Robinson of the Treasury can
see nothing but his boys. and Manager
Shoemaker of the Laborites insists that
his team will have to be reckoned with
before the winner crosses the tape. 1t is
rather early. however, to make predictions
and many surprises may be sprung before
the curtain is finally lowered at the end
Of the season of 1909.