The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-13
BY JAY LEWIS.

league will be organized. A commit
tee on organization has been appoint
ed. This committee will receive APP
plications of clubs that desire to en-
ter the league. will give a hearing
to their representatives, and report
at meeting to be announc$d later.
The committee on organization Will
recommend what clubs IL thinks
should make up the league, and ii is
expected that the recommendation will
be ratified.
Thus the first steps have been taken
toward the formation OF an amateur
baseball league.
This action Is the result of meet
ing held in Murphys hotel Saturday
night. To say that 1t was a success
fui meeting is almost superfiuous. The
interest In amateur baseball was
shown by the attendance. More than
one hundred persons were present
and the addresses showed the earnest
ness Of the speakers.
Ball teams from every section of the
city were represented and the spirit
displayed made it plain that each and
every one present desired a league OF
amateur baseball clubs.
Teams Already Organized.
Now 1t developed in the course of
the evening that there are three or
four amateur teams already organized.
their records, especially last season,
have made them especially note
worthy. One club particularly stands
out as the crack team of Richmond.
This team lis the Coliegians. No
one at the meeting appeared to dis
pute that the Collegians on their form
last season was the star amateur base
ball Organization. This team was re-
presented at the meeting by DR.. Bag
by.
DIR. Bagby was by no means eager
to rush in and enter his team in a
Richmond amateur league. He de-
clared that his team expected to play
a good many out-of-town games.
This is to be deplored. for it viz
tually eliminates the Coliegians from
the league. No schedule can be form
ed to allow for out-of-town games
when the dates of the games are I'M
known, even to the manager of the
team.
II will not do to schedule a game
in the Richmond amateur league for
the Coliegians, only to find the team
has forfeited the game to go out of
town to play. II lis not fair to the
other league teams
Either the ColleEians must stick to
the Richmond league or play indie
pendent bali, seems TO be the only So
luton of that question.
The Semi-Pro Spirit
The desire of the Collegians to play
out-of-town games admits of no criti-
cism. 1t Is most laudable ambi-
ton. 1t will reflect credit on the city,
for the Coliegians can play real base
bail. But. nevertheless. the Collie
gians do not represent the true anna
teur standard. Their ambition lies
in the semi-professional direction.
This may be disputed. but the fact
remains that men on the Collegians.
in times past, have played for money,
and that puts the team in the semi
professional class. IL these same men
remain with 1t.
There should be no question OF the
amateur standing OF any player on any
OF the team in the proposed Rich
mond amateur league.
IL is not fair to ask young men who
work at their trade, profession or
business every day. and who play base
bail for the sport Of the thing, 10 CON-
pete with other young men who see
In baseball only another way of earn
ing dollars
The Richmond amateur league
should be composed of teams made up
of bona fide amateurs, who play the
game for the games sake: who seek
only recreation and fun; who are not
on the team TO make a little spending
money. but who will be ioya to their
fellows. loyal to the team and loyal
to the league.
The Amateur Spirit.
II 10 no disgrace to play ball for
money. but the young man who is in
the game for what he can get out of
Ii from a money point of view Ia no
amateur. Any team that is made up
OF these young MEN has no place in
the scheme OF the Richmond amateur
league.
That fact should be emphasized
from the start. There are plenty OF
real amateur teams to select from,
plenty of real amateurs to make up
these teams. so why should II be ne
cessary to consider any semi profess
sional organization, or any organiza-
ton that leans toward semi-profes-
sionRfism
1t Is all very well for the teams to