The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-14
STARTS AMATEUR
BALL A-ROLl|NG
COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION
SENDS OUT CIRCULAR LETT
TER TO CLUBS.
WHITEWASH is NEEDED
STRICTLY PURE NON-PRoFEssION-
AIS ARE SCARCE, so OLD-TIME
FAN DECLARES TO
PROMOTERS.
WHITEWAsH is NEEDED

connected with amateur baseball,
large number OF local baseball play
ers viii need a coat of whitewash
before they can be classed in the
ranks of real amateurs again.
Why, there are some fellows" said
| one of the committee, which Is trying
to shape the Richmond league of
amateur baseball clubs, who will
| need two or three coats. They think
themselves amateurs because they no
| longer play on professional or semi
professional teams.
These men have regular jobs now
| as in business, in trade or at some
profession. and they look upon them
selves as just as good amateurs as
the boys who never got q cent out
of the game.
They never considered 1t a viola
ton of the amateur spirit to grab
a couple of dollars for playing a
game when a manager needed their
| services, and / think you will find the
same thing true of the majority Of
good amateur players"
Pure Amateurs Scarce.
Which is true, IL sad, from a Jas
E. Sullivan point of view. Mr.. Sui
Ivan is the real head of all amateur
athletics and a person who frowns
on any one but the elect getting
dollar out of the amateur game.
Which. however. has nothing to do
with Richmond's proposed league of
amateur baseball clubs.
The committee appointed to take
the preliminary steps toward forming
the league met Monday evening and
had a heart to heart talk.
1t was decided To send a circular
letter to all the managers of base
ball teams who have expressed de-
sire to join the league.
This letter asks. among otheg
things. for a list of players that the
manager has In view, whether any
have played professional ball. and. If
so, who these players may be.
This rather pointed inquiry is not
made with the idea of barring former
semi professionals who have seen the
error of their ways and recanted. 1t
merely is to ascertain just what play
ers beyond the ken Of the committee
may have been classy enough for
crack teSsns.
Work for Committee.
The committee Ia obliged to form
a league of evenly matched teams, and
| although the majority are well ac-
quainted with most Of the amateur
players In Richmond. there may be a
few new arrivals since the last CEN
sus. They. therefore, would discover
these future Ty Cobbs. SO far as II
| may be within their power.
Thus far the prevailing sentiment
appears to be that six-ciub league
will best suit all interests. A club in
each OF six sections of the city is the
plan thus far outlined, and these
clubs will be selected only after every
application Is In and has been con-
sidered carefully.
r." or course, 1t liz not expected that
the findings of the committee will
meet with long and sustained unani-
nous applause, That would be too
much. but the committee intends that
their selections will make represen-
tative league OF representative clubs
and representative players
AS soon as the replies are received
the work of sitting opt the best. af. the
applicants VIII be begun. IL Is ex-
pscted that the eomMittee viii be
able to report within ten days.
Fans Enthusiastic.
ofd-time fans are enthusiastic over
the outlook for the league. Said one
The boys are certainly all stirred
up about having a league. never
| realized how interested they have be-
| There's that bunch that call them
selves the 'Highlanders.' Take it from
| me. they are going to have a real
ball team. They are In earnest, those
boys; IA clean lot of likely young fet-
lows and every one a real bali player.
Just keep an eye on them.
Then there Is the Cardinals. From
what l hear, they are likely to turn
out one OF the best amateur teams
to-, rsv
legians, the Battle-Axes and the
Skreemers can do, but don't be sur
prised IL this Cardinal bunch makes
them sit up.
Church Hill is going to show some
| thing, unless I'm mistaken, and when
you fellows get that league going don't
forget to count them in. They will
certainly have a real ball team. and IL
DIR. Bagby gets his Collegians into
the fold. watch for some hot games.
The Collegians will have no walkover
Praise for virginian.
I'm glad to see the Richmond
| league or strictly amateur players, but
believe me, when say that the prin-
cipal point will be In selecting teams
whose managers are beyond question.
THE main point In to avoid all
graft. As the virginian said the first
| commandment should be, There shall
be no graft Pick the right man
ayers and you win not 60 far wrong
In regard to the teams"
1t Is likely that there will be quite
| little recognising Of teams when
/ the league clubs are announced. The
boys will naturally seek q place on
q league team and the managers who
are selected will be allowed to pick
up such recruits an may come within
their Jurisdiction.
The league. however. will be con-
fined to Richmond talent, and each
team Will be representative OF. the
4 section of the CITY where n halonru