The Washington herald., 1911-02-24
By n. T. WORLEY.

! When the meeting OF the Olympia
League was called to order last evening
at 615 Fourteenth street northwest, the
managers of five clubs, which will be
a part of that organization this year
were present, while three others, through
their representatives, applied for admit
tance The managers voted unanimously
to affiliate with the amateur baseball
commission, and Secretary Sweigler was
instructed to officially notify President
Bob Young of the commission, to
that effect.
Harmony proved the rule and the
business of the evening was quickly dis
posed Of in good shape. At the sugges-
ton of President Copp, the election of
officers for the coming season was post
poned until the league Npets again on
Thursday. March ;, at O'Clock, at the
same place.
The five clubs which obtained fran
chises last night were the White Havens,
Sligo Athletic Club, Trinity, South Ends,
and KniCkerbOckers. A committee on
grounds was appointed consisting of n.
w. Wilson, chairman: G. F. Gormley.
w. +. Maupn, and ]. Flaherty, while
X. G. Schweigler. N. Black. and +.
jackson were named to revise the con-
stitution OF the league.
I All of the managers voted in favor of
d
eight team organization when that matter
was brought before the meeting by the
president
During the evening the Olympia League
officials and managers were agreeably
surprised to have II. V. Shurtlief, secre-
tary Of the amateur commission. and W.
c. Thacher. an eX-member OF the boaru
of arbitration. drop in for u few minutes
and address the meeting.
| ErIo.,fan 90 nFf;oo--
Although no officers were elected at last
nights gathering OF the Olympia League,
the reelection of the present officers is
almost certain when the managers meet
/ Thursday Zed II. COpp. who is the presi-
dent of the Georgetown League. has
/ labored steadily for amateur sport in this
, city and his work has been largely done
where it was most needed. among the
! younger element Mr.. CCpp's popularity
| has had much to do with the success at
| tanned by the Olympia boys in spite of
handicaps that would snatter the Hopes
and plans of the average youngster.
| Besides taking an active part in the
| Olympia organization. Mr. Copp is pas
| tor of Bethany Chapel; chief Juvenile
officer of the District: member OF the
| Board of Trade: chairman of the curfew
committee: a member of the Monday
Evening Club; the Charitable and Phi
lanthropic Society, and the Georgetown
| Citizens Association. He attended the
! Bridgewater Normal School and after
ward the Shenandoah Normal School.
and was the crack pitcher and captain
| OF the last named institution during his
! course at college. After completing his |
education. Mr. CopP> taught for several !
years in the Shenandoah Valley. and was
! the organizer of the Public School |
| League which has proved a big success. !
| The Olympia League is fortunate indeed |
| TO have such an Industrious and able |
man in charge of its affairs.
President Herman A. Meyers has called |,
| a meeting of the Sunday School League |
| this evening at the residence OF Dr. |
Mlllard F. Thompson. 4& Maryland ave |
! nue southwest, at O'Clock. when Off |
! GERS will be elected and the personnel |
| of the league determined.
District baseball fans will be sorry to |
learn that Charles Kraft. last season |
manager of the Manhattan team. will |
not lead that nine again this summer. !
Mr.. Kraft was a natural born fighter in !
baseball, and he won many TO his side |
| by the earnest way in which he con- |
scientiously fought for the welfare of |
! his team and for clean baseball. When |
Manhattan lost the Independence League |
pennant by one game last fall it can |
| truly be said Mr.. Kraft had the sym |
pathy of every one, including his OPP |
] ponents, and he leaves the game with |
record Of which he may justly be proud. |
Jimmy Donnelly has been mentioned |
as Mr.. Krafts successor.
! What will be the effect of Bob !!
Young's determined stand to stamp out /!
semi-professionaI bali in Washington" |
asked a well-known manager of a local |
amateur team at an informal gathering |
OF amateur players and fans yesterday. |
| viii he get the support of the league |
presidents. or will he have to back down |
when the stand comes for a show |
down?
without the votes of the league pres |
idents, who form the amateur commits |
| sion Mr. Young can do nothing" he |
added, ''and in the past the amateur mo- |
| guIs have shown a decided tendency to |
talk much and say and do little. Sup |
pose that a rule Is passed prohibiting |
those who have played professional ball |
| in past summers and who have already |
been advertised as going away this spring |
| from playing on the teams under the |
rules of the amateur commission, do you |
think those players, many of them the |
| best ball tossers in Washington, will |
remain idle all the year? Should they |
I be excluded from IHe
amateur games an outlaw organization |
| naturally is bound to spring up, and will |
| flourish, not in spite of the amateur COM
mission, but because of 1t. /
Fans Want Good Baseball.
washington fans want to see good /
baseball" said the manager. and the |
brand put up by some of the leagues is /
not of the kind to- hold the crowd every |
evening during the week. AS rule, the |
man who likes good game is willing to
nav 10 or Is cents for the pleasure he
gets out of it, and there are enough |
OF this type to maintain fast inde-
pendent organization"
We print the above because 1t is worth
considering, and brings up that old
question as to whether fast semi-pro-
lfessionaI league could be run on pay
ing basis in Washington. There are
enough "semi-pros'' here to make up six
teams. and it is the opinion of the writer
that should they get off to themselves
l-and play under their etrue colors. the
amateur players and managers would
welcome the move.
| In the past x has been proved that the
mixture Of amateur and professional
players on teams posing as amateur ag-
gregations has only sown the seed OF