San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06
':SSandlot" Baseball Federation
Includes San Antonio in Plans
City Would Be in District
Eleven Of National Organ
ization to Decide Amateur
Oh ampionship and
Worlds Great Busher.'

The National Baseball Federation,
organized nine years ago for the pur
pose of promoting, FORMULATING and
perpetuating amateur and sand lot
baseball, has through its secretary, ].
Gourley, officially invited the
amateur baseball organizations of San
Antonio to TAKE part in the work of
the organization.
After nine years Of experience vi
conducting the national amateur title
series, the Federation is certain that
amateur baseball has developed to
such a stage whereby its plan of seq
tional organization is at least feast.
BILE and practical one.
There are more than 800 cities in
which the federation is certain that
there is a real sandlot baseball inte,-
est. The basic rule for membership
in the national body is that the.e
be at least four-team league which
shall play through a schedule in order
to qualify its winner as representa-
tive in the national series. In all of
the 300 cities referred TO, besides the
interest mentioned. the population
warrants the belief that at least a
four-cub league is possibility.
Zero Hour Is Here.
In over 100 big cities there is to-
day some sort of organization con-
Quoting amateur baseball, Mr.. Gourley
reports.
Thus with the existing number of
organization and the number of cities
in which an organizat ton is possible.
it is believed that now is the time to
make known the tentative plans for
the zone, district or sectional bodies.
Each section establishes under the
guidance of the national body an or
ganization which shall parallel the
nationwide body.
San Antonio would be in distrlcr
No. II. or the Southwestern distr;ct
composed of % cities in Texas. IL
in Oklahoma and four in Arkansas.
The Texas cities in the district are
Austin. Beaumont, Brownsville. Dal-
las. FL Paso. Grcenville, Galveston.
Houston, San Antonio. Texarkana.
Waco. Amarillo. Corsicana, Marshall,
Mount Pleasant, Sherman, Sulphur
Springs, Longview. Mexia, Lubbock,
Marlin and Fort Worth.
Tournament For Title.
The winners of the Southwestern
district will assemble in the fall in
one central location and tournament
held to decide the national champions.
The district winners will hold a ma
tional meet.
In addition to participating in
the play for the national champion
ship, each city in the United States
is invited TO choose its greatest ANA
teur bail player and to send him to
the national tryou.- to be held Mon
day, September %, at Cleveland,
Ohio.
The winner Of this tourney of try
cut will be given an opportunity Of
witnessing the world series without
expense.
A variety of plans are suggested
by which to choose the greatest ANA
teur in each city. Any of the plans
suggested will result in the selection
OF bOna-fide amateur ball player
who will have the majority opinion
Of the amateur fans in each city in
accord with the selection made.
Big League Scouts Try'em.
A thorough sizeup will be given
each player sent to the national tour
ney by big league scouts.
BY whatever plan the best amateur
ball player is selected in each city,
it offers an opportunity of arousins
general interest among the baseball
fans. Besides this, it gives to the play
! ers selected in the final trials in each
city and honor that will live long in
their memory, and to the man select
ed and the runncr-up it gives such at
tention that, regardless of the fact
| that he may or may not be selected
MS the Worlds Greatest Bushcr," he
will receive the attention of the
scouts of the big leagues and thus get
a chance at a professional career, Mr..
Gourley points out.
And bona fide amateur within the
| jurisdiction of the amateur associa-
ton of each city is eligible.
Each player selected must also
qualify with the rules of the Nation
al Baseball Federation. which OrganI-
zation has legisla ted for the welfare
of the amateurs for the last decade.
Must BE IS Years Old.
Any player eligible by virtue of his
amateurism as described should be at
least Is years old.
| Players only are eligible to the ma
tional try-outs who have been the Sc.
lection of the city's best amateur bali
players.
John /. Simmons, catcher of the
Western Union team of Washington,
ID. c., reigns as the worlds greatest
amateur baseball player for 1924
This player was selected at the ANA
teur player tournament held at Cleve-
land during September of 1923.
Representatives from II cities took
lpart and each representative was the
selection of his city as the best ANA
teur ball player. The judges were
Lee Foil of the Boston Americans,
Carl Weilman of the StsI.ouis Amer
leans. Pat Monohan of the st. Louis
| Americans -Iacl, McAllistnr of fhr