The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-02
Mr.. MILLSOPP(SES
BASE BALL ON
SUNDAYS
Letter Giving His Objections To
The innovation
is VIOLATION OF LAW
Congregational Pastor Thinks That
Sunday Games Hurt the Sport
and the Community

Editor of the Banner:-An out of
town paper headlines an article on
baseball Bennington minister ia
vors Sunday ball" The report per-
sists in some local circles that the
ministers here are either Indifferent
to the scheme of Sunday baseball
this coming summer or that one or
more of them approve it. 1t is time
that misunderstanding was corrected.
The ministers in Bennington are
unit in opposition to tie plan of pc
fessional Sunday baseball playing
They do not IN any sort endorse the
program of the so-called Tudor Park
Sunday games. and view with regret
and apprehension the movement UNI
der way to fa1ten upon bennington
this illegality c. sleh a public organ
lied scale. 1t is Surprising that any
other understanding should have
gained currency.
I may recite my personal observa-
ton. Returning from my vacation
last summer was disturbed to find
Sunday baseball in full swing 1t had
been almost slyly foisted upon the
community The report that the
ministers had been consulted in re.
gard to Ii and had made no objection
was not true. Three of us were out
Of town and knew nothing of the plan
whatever | was personally very sor-
~ over the situation For | believe
/ In the game with all my head and
/ heart; | have been baseball player
| myself In an amateur way, and de-
! light as much as any man to see a
/ good game now 1t seemed to me
4 that the regular Saturday afternoon
I game with which the season opened
/ was fine. wholesome thing for the
! town. The management was especial
| ~ TO be commended, the players were
a self-respecting and manly lot of fell
lows, and there was the promise of
as credtable baseball season as any
place could ask for.
What vas the result of the Sunday
! experiment? What began well end
ed Ill. The attendance at the Satur-
day afternoon games fell off, their
quality of baseball deteriorated, the
receipts diminished And in spite of
the seeming popularity OF the inno-
walton Of the Sunday game. | believe
the management had to pass the hat
at the end of the season. The Satur-
! day game was spoiled. The Sunday
game was poor substitute. And a
large number in consequence lost
their interest in baseball
Now, | think these considerations
will be increasingly obvious as we
give the whole matter intelligent
thought
! l. In the long run Bennington will
not support, even with the interest
which at first being in league may
inspire, two games a week. Many
in our community are opposed to
Sunday ball and many more are go.
ing to be. / find on talking with bus
mess men and representative citizens
that the sentiment is not by any
means on one side. There Is a
strong undercurrent of feeling
against the Sunday games. If the
present plan is persisted in, con,
stituency will be alierated from the
support Of baseball at all whose good
Will and generosity the management
cannot afford to lose. 1t is a great
pity to divide our community on this
question. Waving the moral issue
it is poor financial policy; It will kill
the goose that lays the golden egg
?. But the moral issue cannot be
waived. Now, think the manage
ment last year cannot be too strongly
praised for the attempt to eliminate
the betting evil from the games. And
| have no doubt of the good intention
for this year. But that is a big pro
position to handle. Remember the
crowds that would be expected at Tu
,dor park from across the state lines
Who is going to do the policing? Pet
ty gambling in Bennington is one Of
our present curses, And 1t is motor
ious that gambling which isn't petty
is under way much Of the time here
( Even an unsophisticated minister
sees some things and hears some
,hings Anybody can see and hear
who will keep his eyes and ears
open. That man who has faith tC
believe Sunday baseball can be run
in Bennington without any gambling
attachment under present conditions
may go tell his faith to the Danes
He may be believed at Copenhagen
but not in Bennington just now.
Testimony from outside sources is
that commercialized Sunday baseball
in small places at least, inevitably
brings in decentralization. And in the
East most of our big cities do not
allow It. What an unenviable repu.
tation we shall have if We try 1t on
A. | am unwilling to think that our
good citizenship on second thought,
will stand for this proposed open, or
ganized, defiant violation of the stat
ute law of the state. Just what the
Sunday law in Vermont is, it would
be well to have stated am not
| lNortiouad m fifth nappl