The Washington times., 1915-08-30
One Team Rule Advocated by
Managers and No Smoking
Law by Officials.
YEAR IS VOTED SUCCESS
Competition Keen and Number
of Players Developed Speaks
Well for Game. ,
BY BRYAN MORSE.

With the post-season games for
the amateur championship out Of the
way and the four contests with the
Portners remaining as the after
math of the season little remains
for the sandlotters Of 1915 save to
give promise Of better things next
season and to talk of achievements
during the past five months.
One or two changes in the anna
teur code may be brought about be-
fore the opening Of next season. The
first Of these is modification OF the
tvo-team rule for a player. 1t has
been argued pro and con for the
past couple Of months that there is
too much elasticity in the present
code in the matter Of contracts and
releases.
Another question which is thought to
be for the betterment OF the game Is
the question of players IN uniform
smoking on the bench or on the field OF
play. Amateur Association officials
have been driven almost to the point
where a call-down Of the offenders has
been necessary.
None of the Amateur Association men
, want to be set down as reformers in
any sense Of the word. Few are inter-
ested in the particular fortunes of any
! one team, yet all are interested in the
proposed changes. The managers Of
the various teams will have to bring
about the first change. that Of tying up
players to but one contract, and the
officials are likely to insist that games
be conducted with the NO Smoking"
injunction strictly enforced.
/ Much OF the trouble laid at the door
OF amateur baseball as 1t Is conducted
here has been due to the fact that the
two-team rule has claimed the services
OF the weaker players, No manager is
going to hold out a good man in favor
of a weaker player, and when the
stars show. up. the team in the other
league having an off day. the manager
Is going to show preference.
In several respects the season Of 191s
has been fine one. The growth ot
partments Ia bound to increase interes,
in amateur baseball and bound to de.
, yelop players. The inception of the Idea
GSEycS fSr younger ger Players as In the CatholiS
have a beneficial Influence in developing
! class Of strong players.
1t has been noticeable all along thu
line that the veterans are giving way tt
! that an age limit can be put on prac
tically all of the leagues. There Is g
vast difference between amateur base
ball for boys and for men.
Whether or not the brand Of baseball
has been better than In other years will
. never be known. Certain 1t Is that al
! successful conclusion ali Of their sched.
ules. Blows have been infrequent
! There have been moro amateurs in the
ranks this season than In other years
and. taken all in all. the season has
been q SUCCESS
y Fancy batting averages in practically
al! Of the leagues would argue that the
pitching has been ordinary. The work
Olcott. e. Thompson, F. Thompson. Blan.
ton. Stack. Nolan. Kuhnert, Rawlings
, and others has been exceptionally good
at times: With better support In In.
stances. these pitchers could win almost
any game.
Among the catchers Govanneti. Strait
Fraser. Doleman. Roger. Williams and
Howard. Minis. Beard. Downey. Miller
and Mccarthy have been as good al
the best Of the first sackers. Shugrue
Murphy. Gerard; Dyer and Roundtree
, sackers.
stearns. Cahill. Harris. Lemeric. Pur.
dy and Moran have reached the top OF
the heap in shortstopping. In the out.
field Walbridge. Pee. Carroll. McCar'
thy. Raba, Beatty. Prince and Myers
have been exceptionally good.
No attempt has been made to classify
the players in the order Of ability
Washington might we'll feel proud OF
the players 1t is developing. There has
been n decided improvement in the mat
ter Of commercialism and truer anna
teur spirit than in other years, which
is step in the right direction.
The battles with Richmond will bt
fought out here on Saturday and II
Richmond the week following. JUS
what the AEgies will do is a matter o
question. Manager Eidsness will booi
several contests during the week to keel
his players on edge The rest ma!
prove beneficial after the strain Of tw,
weeks of championship baseball.
pitt AhOut Qeadv