Evening star., 1924-01-12


Although there were enough play
ers available to form fessional
league in the early part of 1905, this
was not done because no responsible
heads could be found for such an or
ganization. a few brave spirits,
though, determined to try the money
game and Sam Shreve, who had been
prominent in early basket ball at the
Washington Light Infantry, organized
a quint to represent that OUTFIT, while
Jimmy Shorty Hughes and some 9TH
ers formed a St. Stephen Institute
team.
They decided to stage a three game
series in the cage at the old Wash
ington Light Infantry Armary with
out any assurance that the contests
would be well enought patronized to
make the effort a paying proposition.
The first game between these profess
sionaI quints was held March Z, 1906,
and The Star of the next day had the
following account of it:
First Pro Tilt Wdrm Amir.
1.-The first professional basket ball
game played in this city took place
Hast night at the armory of the Wash
ington Light Infantry, the quint af
which organization defeated the team
representing st. Stephens Institute
by a score of % to 81. The game was
hotly contested and at the end of the
first half both sides had piled up fif-
teen points. Capt. Shreve. the captain
of the Infantry team, made the win
ming goal in the last minute Of play.
Hughes and Moffitt of the ST. Ste
phen's team did well and LOTUS,
Robey and Shreve did the best work
for the soldiers.
The series was, a heated affair that
went four games instead of three.
The second engagement ended 1928,
while st. Stephens won the third. 23-
10, and the fourth. 1915. LOTUS.
Taylor, Robey, Shreye. Wallace, era
mer and Woodhead sported the colors
of the w. L. 1. and Moff1tt, Hughes,
Helsen, Moriarity, Demar, Barker,
Handiboe and Dunn did the battling
for ST. Stephens.
This series was so successful ar
tistically and financially that in the
fall of 1905 the Greater Washington
Professional Basket Ball League was
launched. with Maj. S. Porter House
as president and Lieut.. j. B. Baker
as secretary-treasurer. Four teams
Commissioners. Light Infantry. East
ern Athletic Club and Ordway Rifles
were given franchises and a thirty
six game schedule started October
(24 They played the game early and
late in those days.
Planned "Good Clean" Game.
In announcing the organization of
the league in the newspapers, the
officers said: 81.
"This is the first professional bas-
this city and the players engaged
by the four teams in this league are
the best players in this city, as It
Is the intention of this league to fur
game as 1t should be played. and
not as 1t has been played by amateur
teams heretofore" -
/. That was high sounding stuff and
| not very complimentary to. the anna
teurs, but the league meant well and
did provide much entertainment dur
] ing the winter Of 1906-07. As to
| good, clean" exhibitions, cotempo-
rary newspaper reports are not In
accord with the league announce
ment. Games were bitterly contested
and frequently bogdered on free-for-
partisan, too, and often police de
tails were necessary at important
.The race for the league champion
| ship soon narrowed to one between
| the Ordway Rifles and the Commits
sioners, and these teams came down
| to the last month of the season with
] ten wins and five losses each. Then
| the Ordways spurted and took pair
of contests, beating the Light Infan-
try and Eastern. Finally came the
Commissioners turn to meet the In
| fantry. The soldiers surprisingly won
| and that ended the league season
| abruptly, for the Commissioners were
Through"
| Pros. Really Helped Sport.
| According to an account In The
Star, that 44h to 32h victory oyer
the Commissioners was not easily
earned. 1t states that conside rapie
/ roughness marked the contest, mostly
lin the last half, when a player of each
1 team was put put of the game for .un-
4 fair tactics. The W. L I. manage
ment was unable to furuixh y Snbstt-