The Washington times., 1911-12-30
BASEBALL
IS FACING CRISIS
intercollegiate Athletic Asso citation of United States Is
Deciding Whether or Not Summer Players Can
Represent Their Colleges
By THOMAS KIRBY.

College baseball is facing a real crisis.
The perennial discussion as to whether
summer players shall be allowed to
represent their respective institutions
was at It's height in New York, where
the Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Of the United States was In session.
For q score Of years there has been
no feature Of intercollegiate athletics
that has proven more troublesome than
summer" baseball; still a solution OF
the problem he's yet to be reached.
Summer baseball, in the general ac-
ceptation of the term, is nothing but q
hypocritical form of professionalism
tacitly fostered, sanctioned and encour-
aged by faculties that are supposed to
be intoxicating in the minds of their
charges the highest ideals of moral and
general manliness.
1t is true that those who are supposed
to be the guardians OF the honor Of the
students and institutions with which
they are Connected, are often misled; 1t
is equally q fact that in the vast ma
jority of CASES the sin Is allowed to go
unnoticed when the suspicion and cir
cumstances are of such strength as to
remove the reasonable doubt Of guilt.
10 be An opcn professional Is no dis
grace. but whom q person. by deceit and
false swearing. will disguise himself as
Al amateur he IL placing himself in
the class from which banks cannot
safely draw handlers Of large sums Of
money, but from whom invitations for
socisble carl games might be safely
withheld. Professionalism Is profess
sionalism, and smateurism ts amateur
ism. and the sooner the professors. to
whom Is assigned tho duty Of deciding
upon eligibility. come face to face with
this fact the better of will lie the whole
spirit and morale of American ath-
letics.
In desperation scnle unive stiles have
let down the barriers and have inserted
in their codes cla,ipe permitting pro-
fessional hall players. under certain re
strictions, to remain eligible. That this
Is the answer Is q much mooted uIes-
ton, still to these colleges should at
least go the credit OF having put them
selves square with the world by flying
under their true colors. The men from
these universities may play for money
end return and continue to indulge in
the game without vflatirg the ethics
kgaibst them may lie arrayed others
who are equally professional, bot who
hold themselves on a higher plane be-
cause of the indifference OF those re-
spOnsible for eligibility. That the open
Professional is in a much more favor
sble tight than the near-amateur is a
question that Is not likely to be dis
puted by those who have reasonable
conception Of what constitutes Ameri-
can spcrtsmanship.
Fatal Mistake.
The fatal mistake the colleges that
rave adopted tho pro-pro rule make Is
that they are showing favoritism in
favor II the baseball player as op-
posed to the athlete who engages in
other sports. If ball player Is al
lowed to compete when professional,
why should not spr;nter be permitted
to accept money; an oarsInan 10 row
for a cash prize, or 4 football player to
take financial remuneration as an Of
fetal or for participation In rost-season
games? This Is one OF the most flag
rant Inconsistencies OF the section par-
mitting open professionalism. In oase-
The same institution that, under the
plea that II cannot control summer
baseball, permits it, would hardly ad-
nit that II would sanction gambling
and other evils that obtain In some
of undergraduate life cannot be ellmi-
mated, but they can be and are controlled.
This is all that is asked by those who
believe in clean athletics-if summer
baseball cannot be entirely wiped out
something that is being done in few,
very few. colleges Of importance i'm the
East.
In the West and extreme South prog
ress has been made on the summer
baseball question. The athletes are
given to understand that they can play
during the summer on their home teams
alone, and then II that team should
be . professional club they must pass