The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-31
SUMMER BASEBALL
Brown University Solves Problem
to Its Own Satisfaction.

Brown University Solves Problem
to Its Own Satisfaction.
Students of Amherst college have
recently voted in favor of summer
baseball This only means an ex-
preston of opinion, but that vote
may have considerable weight when
the faculty authorities tackle the
question in a few days. The fact
that those students voted six to one
in favor of allowing their placers to
take money for their baseball SER
vices during the summer vacation
undoubtedly means that the students
are opposed to hypocrisy. They
know, as many more know, that col
lege fellows have been in the habit of
skipping away to some sheltered
town to play for money. They do not
kick on that, but they do object to
hoodwinking rule and there is a
rule at Amherst and many more col
leges opposing taking pay for base
ball. Amherst wants to be sincere
and honest and not hypocritical and
this is the reason for the overwhelm
ing vote against the present speak
easy" system. Those who are in
favor of summer baseball regret that
students must play ball for money.
They also lament the fact that stu
dents, after school is over, must
work for money, but they accept con
ditions as they are.
The unfortunate thing about the
summer baseball question is that the
colleges queered themselves years
ago by their own tactics, ringing in
leaguers and takers so that there was
grand reaction, feeling that the
student teams ought to be composed
of bona fide' students. And every
body agrees to that. The point is
that the opponents feel that fellow
cannot be bona fide" student I'M
less he is an amateur, and one who is
not an amateur is supposed to be
one of that hideous brand styled
professional And when they talk
of professionals they are thinking Of
ten of something crooked. The col
lege have drifted away from the
straight path because when they did
have the pros" they were crooked,
and they APPARENTLY believe they can
not have professionals unless they
become rank again. They want anna
teur teams, but they are not having
amateur teams, as seriously as they
take themselves. AS an instance,
during the summer of 1909 there
were college men from the leading
halls of learning in New England
playing on teams in New York state.
Oneonta had them, so did Coopers-
town, Richfeld Springs, Stamford,
Morris, Cobbeskill and a few more,
These fellows played under their own
names and got away with it too.
Others, more leary slipped South and
made hay.
Brown university is about the best
example of the eastern schools that
stands for summer baseball, students
playing for money on teams other
than league ones. If summer base
ball attracted the professional play
er to Brown, the entrance require
ments and the regular examinations
would be in his way, as well as the
rule debarring men from playing in
organized baseball AS a proof that
Browns ball players do not go to col
lege for baseball alone, it is stated on
competent authority that eight of
every 10 remain in college the full
four years and graduate. A number
of Brown players depend on their
summer baseball earnings to enable
them to continue their college cours
es. The Brown authority asks: IF
a college man can earn $25 week
playing ball and only so at some in
door occupation, why not give him
the SIS advantage and the healthy
outdoor exercise in addition?"
Statistics show that in 1911 out of
Is men on the Brown squad at least
nine stood among the first in their
classes, and this is so every year.
There are no eligibility rules stric
ter than Browns" says the same au-
thority, no examinations any hard
er, yet eight out of 10 Brown summer
ball men weather them every year
and most of them stand high in their
classes. Brown feels that it has TAX
en- the honorable position, as far as
it is concerned: Brown says to its
Students If you can make more
money playing baseball in the sum-
mer than at any other occupation,
play ball. The money will aid you
in getting your education Brown
has taken the step which colleges
once looked upon with awe, but
which they are now recognizing as
the true one. But If you come to
Brown to play ball alone, the exami- |
nations will furnish the test
1T certainly does not lower the |
standard of the sport. Browns ath-
letes are sportsmanlike and this |
every college admits. Brown took
the step and freed its athletes from !
the ban of the assumed shame and 1t
feels that it has solved the problem. |
Other colleges have followed Browns |
course and more will follow"
The present system at other col
leges is a joke to Brown men. |
Browns ball players have played on |
summer mines with students from
other places and while seeing no
harm in the students actions, have |
not felt very kindly toward the col
leges which have put up the false |
front. The summer baseball question |
is apparently worrying the life out /
of some of the college faculties, who
seemed TO forget that If an American
boy or man has something that he
can exchange for casino matter
what the size of his pocket-book-
that be rags, bones, bottles,
stocks and better things or baseball
skill-he will do so.