The Washington herald., 1911-12-31
AMATEUR SEASON
A GREAT SUCCESS
FROM EVERY POINT
Best Year in History of the
Game in the District.
GENERALREVIEW OF1911
by c. w. SWAN.

view
More ball clubs and leagues were under
the commission, the circuits cleared more
money than in previous years. and, taken
all in all, the class of ball was higher.
While it is true that the season was
marked with many squabbles among the
managers and presidents, there were few
nights that really amounted to anything,
the majority of the scraps being nothing
more than hot air.
The only real fights that broke out
curing the season were the squabble
over Joe Engel, the Suburban League
controversy, and the Wilkerson affair.
In the first case, Engel was made the
property Of the Manhattan and the An
drews teams, but was later barred from
playing by the commission for the bal
Gnce of the season.
The Suburban League pennant was
awarded to PetwOrth only after the
Silver Spring aggregation had put up a
hard fight. and then the board of arbi-
tration thrashed out the evidence at two
meetings before ratfying their first YER
dict.
Johnny Wilkerson preferred charges
against several ball players, charging
them with receiving money to leave his
team. This was the most sensational
case of the year, as it was brought up
before the commission at practically
every meeting from the time it was
started. The charges wound up by be-
ing dropped. as the committee ap-
pointed by President Young failed to
find sufficient evidence to convict any
OF the parties concerned.
All Expenses Paid.
In the majority of the leagues. the
running expenses OF the year were
paid off. old debts settled, and money
was left in the treasury Nor next sea
son. All but two or three circuits
lost money-the Departmental and R.
r. Y. NJ. {. A. leagues being the only
ones to go deep into the hole. and they
had no source OF income.
When the amateur mOguls first
started TO get together last spring 1t
looked very doubtful if the Depart
mental League would be in existence,
but Manager Shoemaker and others
connected with that circuit put their
shoulders 10 the wheel and Uncle
Sans clerks played ball on the White
Lot. the Commerce and Labor aggre-
cation taking the pcnnant and then
losing it in the Play-otf with the Post
Office team.
The Commercial League, under the able
presidency of Charlie Graf. cleared more
money than ever before. sported the best
individual ball players of the District,
and in every way upheld their standard
While the Andrews club failed to show
a great deal Of class in the pOst-seasOn
series, the CanaTics were crippled by the
loss of their star battery. and a good
showing was not expected.
President Roakes, of the Independence
League. succeeded in having one of the
closest races Of the year. the title not
being won until right before the begin
ming of the pOst-sCaSOn series.
The Manhattans won the bunting. beat
ing the Kendals out by one game. and
in the post sea son series the Independ-
enCe League champions were the only
ones to hand the Bankers, who won the
amateur title Of the District. a trim
ming.
Walter Is Disqualified.
It looked for a time as If the Manhat-
tans were going TO give the Bankers a
rub for the title. but Monk Walter was
disqualified by the commission. and the
Manhattans were out of the running.
The Cornell Tigers, after getting off
to a bad start in the Capital City cir
cult. manag gcd to overhaul the Pumpers
and capture the pennant with room to
spare. Toward the close OF the year the
PapSrhangers had everything their own
way in the league. and had they not
lost two Or their stars who were counted
upon TO do wonders in the post-season
series il is 10 to that they would have
landed the District title.
In the Sunday School League the
Ninth Street team withdrew. after los
ing to Hamine. Infairncss on the part
OF Umpire Jimmy hughes was the cause
given for this action. and. as the league
and the board Of arbitration upheld
Shorty" Ninth failed to get into the
post-season series When the trouble
started, the Christians had a safe lead
on the other clubs, the kid Ingrams
being the only aggregation that had any
thing on Manager Loves team. and
Elmer Smith. the youngster who twirled
Eilt-edEe hall for the Tenth street club.
managed to hang il on the heavy-hitting
bunch from Lincoln Park twice, being
beaten once in return.
The Sherwood tribe managed TO beat
out Hamfne on the day the post-season
series started. winning the Sunday School
League pennant at 2:3O o'clock and beat |
ing the Post-OffiCe team at p. m. Man
ager Love had a bunch of youngsters
on the Sherwood aggregation, but they |
showed plenty Of fight and when the |
bell rings next season he promises to
have the same team on the field.
AIOysIus Has a CInch.
Aloyius Club won the pennant in the |
District League having 1t rather easy, |
as the only team that really stood a |
chance with the Blue and White aggre- |
cation was the Adams nine, and Man |
agef-'Wslters had a hard time getting !
his team together.
Taking the lead in the Marquette |
League at the start. the Naval Medicos |
handed the st. Stephens nine beating |
after beating, and wheh the final game |
was played they had the pennant sewed |
up tight. In the post-season series they /
lost to the Southland tribe, but II was |
generally conceded that the Medicos were
the best team in Section B, and that |
they lost the pennant on a duke.
In the Olympia League the Southlands
won the pennant in a close race the
Braddocks and the Silver Spring team
putting up good fights, but the South
lands managed to keep ahead. and won
the title not only in the Olympia League,
but also In the Section. B OF the post
season series. In the play-off, rain took
a hand, and after losing to the Bankers
the commission decided 20 drop the
SouthIands out OF the intersection
games, with the consent OF Manager
Litchield, and the Bankers and Cornell
played on the games, the Bankers win
aing two out of three.
Petworth was awarded the pennant in /
the Suburban League after the league
had dropped four teams, and the Silver
Spring segregation had brought the case