The Washington times., 1922-07-20

i Salt and
i Pepper |
BY r. d. THOMAS.
Dreams Of money.making that
come to nearly every sandlotter
whose skill places him . notch or
two above his teammates may be-
realized In q year or two, II the
present crop Of performers keep In
mind always the things that work
for better baseball.
Something Washington has never
had Is a mi-professional league, or
even enough independent semi-pro
teams to arouse the interest that
makes that sort Of sport succeed.
Until Mai. Brooke Lee organized
the Silver Spring team the Rex
A. c., under the leadership Of
James e. Wright, was the only
semi-pro baseball club here worthy
Of the classification.
Starved for local competition, nei-
ther Of these Is a whirlwind financial
success.
The so-called money evil In sand
lot sports can be made to work for
the benefit Of the game II properly
controlled. This would be accom-.
pIished by the establishment Of .
strictly semi.pro class.
As conditions are, semi-pros mingte
with amateurs and the players as a
whole are termed sandlotters.
The first step In the promotion
Of semi-pro baseball here has been
made In the form Of the city
independent championship series.
The organization Of that has
spurred interest TO unprecedented
intensity. II will. grow and grow,
| " the ballpIayers will stick TO the
job Of making their games more
attractive to spectators.
Whether or not semi.pro baseball
will succeed depends on the attitude
liof the public. which must pay the
| cost. This year, more than ever
before, the fans are supporting the
sandlotters by means Of the collec-
ton hat, an indication that the
public is willing to pay to see some.
thing besides big league games.
Proof Of this was the gate re-
ceipts Of the Shamrock Mohawk
game pIayed st Union Park Sun.
dsy. The admission fee was
thirty.five cents. The Shamrocks
won and their share OF the gate
was something more than 800.
The Mohawks got better than
eighty bucks.
They drew we'll because II was a
game between rivals and well-play.
ing tear,s. But many other rival.
.rtes are stirring interest that in
day not far distant may be capital
lied.
The haltfng Of pIsv to bsit urn.
pires, allowing crowds TO push ton
clcse to the bsse lines through not
having ropes, tsxity OF home teams
| In not controlling rowdvism. yelp-
ing about uapires' de~isions after
| losing games sre q few ~ the
things the sandlotters should COM
bat .. g.,
4 .Poer facilities hamper the growth
Of ssndlot baseball. but they could
ne bettered and in some quarters are
being improved. There are only a
few first-class playing fields, and
some Of these. owned by the Govern
rrent. come under the collection ban
That hurts to beat the band.
In orier to irrrrove their fields.
some II the rluh~ having homo
grounds are dedyrting = portion 81
the coJIectsor. tc M y the exper.es
| ~ improvements. II r,on~v TINS
taken n prope~Iy y.>ent, the c'+v
by next year shouIH h.ve an W
creared number Of suitable dia-
rinonds.
But the big thing rieft now II -
MAY more clean baseball. A hard.
tourht game minus w-a nriing ia y
treat 10 people on the side lines. Tie
more sames like that they see the
more they turn out.
Washington snnrsIiy 1oseS some
ct its best h.u rlave-s heesuss
there n ~ t'eId lccruv .for Their
--rvice. Which n wor.h mc~.y 10
them. They ~ 10 Other r'tie. -
plsy IN minor '~sVues ~ WITH sem'.
~~o teams vNev e~rld ~ krrt
here hy . ~-,iIprofe~~iorsi c~ean'.
ysticn. whether n be q series or
league.
Independents Win.
The ,1-densndents heat Lexington.
~ T. Ptnsi1a farming sixteen. The
Tndenerds-' Sen'o-- want \ rsst