The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-06
FIRST GAME SCHEDULED FOR
NEXT THURSDAY WHEN THE
COLONIES WILL PLAY THE
ELKS; PHILADELPHIA HERE
ON THE 18TH
(By Robert E. Dundon, Sporting
Editor The Louisville Times.)

Editor The Louisville Times.)
In order that Lakeland people may
know something about the Colonels,
now training here, it may be well to
state that the American Association,
of which Louisville is a member, now
has the promise of the National
Commission of admission to be a
third major league, along with the
National and American Leagues. At
present. the Colonels are subject to
draft from the major leagues, that
is. at the close of each season, the
two big leagues" may take one
player from the Louisville club.
paying for him the sum of $2,5OO.
Should this draft be removed, the
association automatically would be-
come a major league. AS it is now it
enjoys the highest possible rating in
the SO called minor leagues, and the
club will demonstrate by its play
ing In the local series of games that
1t can hold its own with the major
leaguers training in Florida.
The American Association is com
posed of Cleveland, Columbus, Louis
vile. Indianapolis, Kansas City,
Minneapolis. Milwaukee and st.
Paul. The largest city in the cir .
cult is Cleveland. which Is sixth in
size in the United States. and the
smallest is Columbus. which has a
population of about $4,000 esti :
mated), Louisville, with it's suburbs,
New Albany and Jacksonville, Ind.
across the Ohio river from that
point, has a population of 900, 900,
and last year had the largest paid
attendance of any city in the asso =.
citation
Residents of Lakeland who have
not had the opportunity to see a
league club training may think that
the modern baseball club is com :
posed Of rowdies. who win by rough
tactics on the field. by umpire bait
ing, and oher methods which disgust
the spectators. Such, however. is
far from the case. The Louisville
club is composed in considerable
part of married men, who make
large salaries out Of their baseball
playing, and who save their money.
Many Of its players have had COL
lege educations, and are members Of
fraternal organizations. The young
er and unmarried element have the
same standards of behavior, and 1t
would be hard to find q more we'll
behaved. gentlemanly set Of athletes
than those who wear the Louisville
garb They are a credit to the city
and to Kentucky, and are one Of the
best advertisements that the city
has.
So high a premium is set upon
this good department by the man
agement of the Louisville club that
this season Manager Hayden has
that any player starting
an argument with an umpire and
being elected from the game by that
official will be punished by the club
far more vigorously than by the
league president, for. on account of
the limited number of players who
can be carried this year by an asso-
citation club, the Louisville team will
have to maintain its full playing
strength on the field all of the time
and can brook no conduct which
would lead to suspensions.
What a change has been made in
standards in the last twenty
years, The average player in the
Association, unless he be a
who has his reputation
to make, earns $500 a month. The
stars are paid more in proportion,
and there is only a slight variance
between the association and major
league salary bases. In fact, many
players earn as much in the ssso-
citation as they were paid when in
the National or American Leagues.
But the big change has been In