Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-03
SULLIVAN ON
THE AMATEUR
BALL PLAYERS
Why Punahou Men Can't Play
in Professional League and
Keep Amateur Standing


Keep Amateur Standing
A rule is rule, according 20 the
powers that be" I'M amateur athlet-
les, and for this reason The men who
play ball for the Punahou Athletic
club In the Oahu league will be con-
sidered professionals. This is the de-
cision Of James e. Sullivan, secretary
of the Amateur Athletic Union. and
while he sees many extenuating cir
cumstances in the local mix-up. Sulli-
van believes that the only way to han.
die the situation is to keep the bars
up.
II Is not likely that this ruling will
scare off Al Castles players, for with
one or two exceptions they are men
who are through with the more siren
nous forms Of college athletics Be
ing Chased as professional ball play
ers viii not keep them out OF anna
teur tennis. golf or kindred sports,
and The fact that they WIN not be al
lowed to compete in A. A. u. track
meets and swimming events will not
seriously worry them. There are one
or two still in college sports who
/ will drop off the team. but there
should be others ready to fill in.
In the following letter TO John f.
Soper OF the registration committee
9of the local A Al u, Secretary SUM-.
van explains the ins and outs OF the
Ppnalou situation:
New York. No. 81, Warren ST..
May -. 1914.
Mr.. J. F. Soper.
p o. Box 6S4,
Honolulu
Dear Sir. ~ have your communica-
ton OF the 18th and very glad indeed
TO hear from you, and note your
troubles. You have them; in fact,
all new associations have had trou-
bles. Personally. believe you should
be firm and draw the lire, and in a
year or so you will have the situation
well In hand.
think your association would have
q perfect right to make a decision In
the case Of any man on the question,
that he had not professionalism him.
self That is good decision to make,
because ! know you would not make
Il for a man who signed q contract
20 compete Tor pay. Some men COM
pete In uhsanctioned games and do II
unhnoWingly. They are not PROBES
SIGNALS and know you would not,
call them such.
would love to pay you a visit and
] am going to before ! die. From all
hear Of your country ! am sure L
will like IT, Now, in relation to the.
p. A Baseball Club, that is peculiar
situation. 1t Is professional league.
Its opening sentence is. that some
time ago they posted a rule that any
team playing Oahu team became pro-
fessionals. That establishes the status
of the league. 1t is quite true the
A. A. ". laws allow all amateur teams
to play all professionals, providing
the amateurs do not receive money
and If gate receipts 60 to the treasur.
er of the club That Is all right.
Now, we find this man asks you for
tile privilege Of entering an amateur
team in a professional championship
contest. He says so himself: there
fore competing for that prize against
professionals. and they cannot do Il.
There will be an awful mixup If
they try It. appreciate the position
they are in, but figure out what 1t
would lead to. Suppose for instance
q club here should ask for the same
privilege? Suppose the Crescents of
brooklyn or the New York A. c.
should get together an all-star college
team and enter the National, Amer
lean or Federal leagues and play un-8
der the same conditions? Every man
would be declared professional.
Now. believe this-if you allow
this team to enter a professional
championship. ali of those players
would be recognized as professionals.
Perhaps some day one of them,
would become famous athlete at
Yale or Harvard and make the 0lym-
pic team. They would be protested
and barred So II is better in the long.
run to keep the amateur and profess
sional apart and don't see how you
can allow it.
Amateur athletics will never be
benefited by lifting the bars, so far
as pertains to competition between
amateurs and professionals and com.
petition by an amateur team in a pro
fessionaI league. There is between
the amateur and professional the clear
dividing line that must always be kent
prominent and lasting, and personally
/ think il would be all wrong TO al
low this amateur team to play in a
professional league
Nevertheless, If you feel this should
Eo higher up. I will be glad to SUBJ
nit 1T to our National Registration
Committee. OF course they could CON-
pete by not entering the league. and
lust playing exhibition games, but as
far as being classed as one of the
competing teams in a professional
league il would never do. 1t would
lead to trouble. IL.
Yours very truly. 49,.
LANES e. SULLIVAN, ,.