The Washington herald., 1911-03-03
By n. r. woRLEY.

By n. r. WORLEH.
There will be no Departmental Base
bill League this year. This fact became
known yesterday, when it was denniteiy
learned that the Agricultural Department
would not be represented on the diamond
this summer, and that efforts on the
part Of certain parties in the Interior
Department to organize team had been
failure.
Since the beginning of last season
when the Clerks League hobbled along
with five teams, interest in the depart
mental organization has been on the
wane, and with the advent Of the base
ball season this year few signs of awak-
ened interest have been noticeable.
John H. Anderson, secretary of the
league, and President Merritt o. Chance
have been doing some quiet investigating
for the past two weeks, in order to find
out how the land lay. Treasury Depart
ment signifed its willingness to put a
nine in the field under certain conditions.
Parties in the Interior Department prom
ised to do all they could to start the
baseball bee to buzzing. Things COM
nenced to look bright Then the secretary
of the league ran into the Agriculture
manager. and found out that the Farmers
were through with the amateur game,
at least as far. as the departmental cir
cult is concerned
The straw which broke the camel's
back was the decision reached by high
officials of the Interior Department yes
terday, that there would be no Interior
Department team.
Last years league was composed of
clubs from the Agriculture, Commission
ers, Commerce and Labor, Post-office,
and Navy departments. None of these
league, and in the Navy Department and
Municipal Building the question of q
ball team is yet an uncertainty.
There is the remotest possibility of
some new team coming in at the last
moment and changing the situation, but
at the present time even the officials
admit that apparently the Departmental
League has died a natural death.
With the passing of the Departmental
League, the Capital City League will
naturally be benefited. For years there
has been considerable rivalry between
these two crack leagues over the ques-
tion of players. The clerks in the de-
partment naturally had to give the De-
partmental League teams the preference,
they were afraid of losing their jobs
by doing otherwise, and ii is no secret
that the Capital City League managers
are doing little weeping over the failure
of the clerks to organize. Should the
Capital City League decide to play ANA
teur baseball this year and be fortunate
enough to obtain a playing field, it should
nave little trouble in scooping the best
talent in the city into its ranks.
Despite efforts to keep the matter quiet
it is known that the Capital City League
is seriously considering the plan of quit
ting the amateur commission and strike
out under its true coIors as a semi-pro-
fessionaI league. The argument present
ed is that a semi-professional organiza-
ton could easily exist in Washington, and
that a radical change will have to be
taken one way or the other in the near
future. Bob" Young's determination to
purify the amateur situation has given
the Capital City lads quite a scare,
and they are practically ready to quit
the commission in case the new rules
committee appointed by that body at
tempts to make any sweeping change.
The Capital City League numbers on its
teams more ex-professional players than
and other league in Washington, and a
change from semi-professionalism to pure
amateurism will naturally hurt that
league more than any of the others.
When the grounds at First and NJ
streets northeast passed out of the hands
# the league last month and the Capital
City managers commenced to look around
for another site. the matter of playing
semi-professional ball was again brought
Up, and the two questions are now be
ing considered together. Union League
Park, which it was first thought would
be used bv the Capital City League, will
probably be turned down on account of
its location and because of the clayey
condition of the ground. There is no
question but the league is face to
face with a serious problem in searching
for a new site for a park. The matter
will be taken up again at to-night's
meeting at the Century Building, in Fifth
street northwest.
Owing to the illness OF President Zed
II. Copp, the meeting Of the Olympia
League scheduled for tonight, was post |
Poncd until Thursday March g.
st. Stephens franchise, in the Capital |
City League. has been sold to the Ma
rines, the matter having been arranged
last night The soldier boys anticipate !
placing one of the fastest teams on the !
field this summer that has ever been
turned out from Marine Barricks. Can't. |
+ ). Hardy and Assistant Manager P. |
II. Grain have had the boys out at Sew
enteenth and D streets practicing during
the recent warm SPELL and as soon as the
weather permits they will get down TO /
hard work. Practice indoors has been
the rule during the last few days. the
pitchers being given a good workout and
the material looked over closely to see
what the new men have in the way of |
speed. curves, control, &c. Thus far
everything has been rosy and prospects, |
for champion team never have been
more favorable, it is declared.
John r. Mclean has offered a silver
cup TO the pennant-winning club in the
Bankers League this year Although il is
not generally known, Mr.. Mclean is n |
baseball fan OF the first water and at
tended majority Of the Bankers League
games last year. His offer has made
a big hit with the bank boys and they |
all promise to redouble their efforts to
win, now that he has offered a hand
some trophy.
Herman S. Meyers. president of the
Sunday School League. has called a
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