New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-06
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Attack on College Baseball
Irritating but Not Serious.
WHERE THE SHOE PlNCHES
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

of commeLcialism, PROSECUTING deceit ana
other forms of communicating evils. Glenn
Warner. coach of the Carlisle Indians
Professor Beyler, Of Rutgers College, ana
some others notwithstanding. \ week ago
l called attention to the fact that the Viru-
lent attack on this branch of sport at the
evening session of the yearly meeting OF
the National Collegiate Athletic ASsocla-
ton was as III advised as it Will be futhe'
Fortunately. the crusade If such 1t may
be called, will fail for lack OF followers'
but, unfortunately. the association al
though it took no action as body De-
yond the appointment of committee 10
consider the subject, has suffered anu VIII
continue TO suffer indirectly because Oh
the publicity given the irritating EXPIRES
sjons of a few. Glenn Warner advocated
the total abolition of intercollegiate base
ball as a means of curing some OF the
evils which crop out. While Professor De-
vier said that he would cure ii by pre-
scribing a dose of arsenic Ihese Hieii'
with others, who voiced much the same
opinion, no doubt are sincere III thelr pui
pose TO elevate sports OF all xmas o''
they arc like so many would-be reform
ers who would cure only by the use CT the
knife with total disregard for the patent
Baseball and intercollegiate competition
in baseball is far too good sport TO ais
miss so lightly. Evils have crept in' 10 De
sure. and more so perhaps than IN any
other branch OF athletics. but some resu-
lation has accomplished much IN the ldst
few years and more stringent reSuia-
ton would practically effect a cure Al
those in control at the various colleges
were bold enough 10 draw the line sharp
ly between the amateur and the proIos-
sional and were as honest in their puf-
nose as many would lead US 10 beHeNe'
Summer baseball. which has come 10
mean semi professionalism. is acKno"r
edged TO be the root of most OF the eViis
which beset the sport. 1t has come 10
he a problem so hard OF solution. appar-
emily. that the doors are open to radicai
utterances that threaten the very lie
and existence OF a game which, as mat
ter Of fact, needs no defence. one Wouio
think almost that the time for reSula-
lion had passed and that the case was
homeless when all that is needeu Is d
little further education along the etnical
lines Of clean sport and 60 bfldse inc
time when this happy condition can oe
reached a hard and fast rule In when
the line is clearly drawn between the
amateur and the semi-professional'
II seems needless at this time TO again
EXPRESS my views on the much discussed
question Of summer baseball. Person
ally. however, l resent the imputauoh
that association with professional base
hall ulayers has a communicating infiu-
.rce say of nv own knowledge that
A majority of the men who make baseball
a profession are as clean In their way
of living as the average person. There
are exceptions, Of course. but the boy or
Young man is more likely TO suffer from
associations outside Of baseball than IN.
The trouble lies not so much with play
ing with professionals AS in violating
the principles laid down for being an
amateur. There can be no possible OBJ
lection TO a man working his way
through college through his ability as a
baseball player. He should be encour-
aged rather than otherwise. but not at
the expense Of the good name OF his col
lege or his college team. IL a man Is
truly earnest in getting an education and
can help himself more easily by playing
baseball than by any other method Of
employment he should be honest enough
not to 1eopardze the standing Of his col
lexe and in nine cases out of ten he
would be, too, unless encouraged TO vio-
late the ethics of clean sport by those
whose business II should be to guard
them most zealously
Most colleges have rule against the
playing of summer baseball for money.
The proper enforcement of this rule
would soon place the subject beyond the
need OF discussion. II is said that the
enforcement is next TO impossible. This
do not believe, If the captain. the coach
and the faculty representative would CO.
operate. The trouble is that selfish mo-
tives cause these men to close their eyes
and to purposely avoid knowing what
may lie common gossip TO hundreds OF the
undergraduates. The men who could
successfully hide their identity in the
summer would be few and far between
IL the captain, coach or faculty repre-
sentative cared two buttons for what hap
pened between June and October. Those
who were successful in covering up their
play during the summer under any kind
of supervision would be so few that lit
tie or no harm could result. 1t is the
fragrant Haunting Of MISREPRESENTATION
that hurts. and let me say that there has
been mighty little OF this in the last three
or four years. and 1 speak of some
knowledge
In all branches Of sport ii is consid-
cred essential TO draw the line between
the amateur and the professional, but in
none is II so important as baseball. for
the reason that the game offers such a
broad field for remuneration. Why. then,
should there be any hesitancy OF laying
down a simple. straightforward rule and
enforcing it? There is no disgrace In
playing for money. IL II is done openly.
but when an evasion OF the strict amateur
rule is condoned or overlooked it opens
the door TO PROSECUTING the most insidious
OF all athletic evils.
Those persons who contend that IL is
no worse for a college man to play base
ball for money than 1t is TO smash bag
gage. wait on table or work on a farm
to aid in getting an education have not
considered the consequences. IL there
was nc rule against professionalism in
college baseball 1t would not be long be-
fore the leading institutions, in the keen
desire 10 win, would be represented
largely by paid players. Matty, he of the