The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-05

CALLED BENNINGTON "YELLow"
Pittsfield Eagle Man Peeved over
the Loss Of League Championship

Bennington won the Berkshire
league, but they SPOILED the honor,
by showing a streak of yellow when
they refused to allow the games oil
yesterday to be called league games.
Captain Shea, under orders from
Manager Higgins, absolutely refused
to allow his team to go on the field
unless the umpire announced thas
the games were exhibition ga mes.
1t was finally compromised anu the
matter of deciding whether the
games were league or exhibition con-
tests was left to the league directors.
The Bennington management must
have known that it was in the wrong
and showing of the yellow marcel
the honor of winning the league
Referee" in Pittseld Eagle.
The Bennington management was
we'll within its rights when it refused
to play the two Labor day games I'M
less q statement was made to the
audience that the contests did not
count in the league schedule. These
games were never in the league sche-
dule, anyhow, but have been persist
emily located there by the Eagle
sporting editor in his baseball COM
ment. When the schedule was ar
ranged in May last it was distinctly
agreed that the league season should
end with the Bennington-Pittsel
game at Fowler park on September
2. The Labor day games were ar
ranged between the two manage
ments outside of the league schedule
and a special guarantee of
S125 agreed upon. In insisting that
the original agreement be carried
out the Bennington management was
holding only to what was fair and
just.
Another instance of the unfair
ness of the Referee" is the attitude
that he has maintained in relation TO
the exhibition game played by Ben
nington at North Adams. This game
was played on short notice after an
arrangement between the Bennington
and North Adams arrangements that
il should not be classed as a league
game. The game was played on a
percentage basis and not for the reg
ular league guarantee. Furthermore
II was played in order not to disap-
point the people of North Adams
who were going to be deprived of a
game through the inability of the
Pitts1eld team TO fill its engagement
for that day. Bennington lost the
game and the Referee" at once in
sisted that 1t go in the league sche-
dule in spite of the fact that the
North Adams management corrobor-
ated the agreement that IL should not
be so considered.
Pittseld played two games with
North Adams after the league season
closed and, as the Pittsfeld team
won both, the Referee" put them
both in the league schedule to boost
the standing of the Pittsfeld team.
Instead of being yellow" because
he refused to stand for any such I'M
fairness a manager who would permit
himself to be bamboozled into losing
fairly-earned championship by
such tactics would be either a fool
or too cowardly to insist upon his
rights.
After all, there is a fairly we'll
grounded suspicion that this atti-
tude of the Eagle sporting editor and
the Pittsfield Management I has been
maintained for the purpose of adver-
Using the Labor day games. The
Pittsfield box Office wanted big
crowd. With the championship in
doubt there would be more interest
and larger attendance. Pittsfield
got the crowd. Bennington won the
championship. so what's the use of
wrangling.