The Washington times., 1926-09-07
FORESIGHT
NEEDED
BOWLING
By q. D. Thomas

The stitch in time that saves nine
has been taken by the sandlot base
BAN leaders. Captain Bob Cleland,
president of the Capital City Base.
ban Association. announced today
that virtually all Of the weekday
leagues had agreed to arrange their
schedule for next season to start ana
end at the same time.
All have set August 10 as the
deadline for settling pennant races
and making entries in the post-sea-
son championship series. Thus the
difficulties that have marred the
city title competition Tor years WiH
ha obviated. The boys viii play
their big games while the baseball
fever Is stfli alive. No more schem-
Ing and battling over schedule with
the object In view Of getting the
business over before football time
arrives. No more rushing and wor.
rying to get IN five innings ere
darkness stops the games.
Lack OF foresight year after year
has made the end of the sandlot
baseball season, which should be
the most interesting period, almost
the dullest. The most important
games have been played while the
tang OF football was in the air.
The Independent teams, too, win
Be- swung into line for 3 shorter
season. It Is the plan Of the Cap
ltaI City Association to organize
the independents early In the
spring. if not In late winter, and
have their various championships
settled In time for grand clash
between the independent title Win-
mer Of the unlimited class and the.
winner Of the infer-Ieague play
off. IL such final series is
played this year IL win come
when baseball spirit is about
dead.
Captain Cleland ana his noble
assistant, Walter Haight, secretary
OF the Capital City Association,
have put sandlot baseball on the
right track this summer and next
season they expect to give Il q
powerful shove forward.
Which brings us around to the
bowling situation. This game, too,
Is IN need Of a foresighted policy,
II some OF its leaders are TO be
needed. Each season the bowlers
wait until the campaigns end to
make arrangements for their an
nual tournament, an event that
Is OF inestimable value to the
sport.
The Washington City Duckpin
Association officials seldom have
any idea OF the number of teams
and individuals to compete until
almost the last minute entries
close. In order to make a good
showing" they hustle from alley
to alley urging the bowIers to
enter. This requires time that is
valuable to them in their various
businesses. It is time ana effort
that they needlessly sacrifice.
Hundreds Of bowIers fail to enter
the big tournament through sheer
neglect and procrastination.
II thought my team captain was
gonna enter me, but guess he
gorgot It." is a common plant
after the entries have closed.
The Masonic League has set an
example that Il followed by other
leagues, would end q tremendous
amount of work and boom the
annual tournament beyond any
PEUpOEGk0uS II mas even k0OWns
The MasOns have just voted to
set aside enough money to enter
al OF its teams In the city tourna-
ment.
Some leagues that go in strong
Tor cash prizes might balk on cut
ting down their prize and banquet
fund for the purpose Of entering
their organizations bodily in the
big tournament. But they might
find 1t q popular innovation to col
lect a small amount from each
bowler at each match throughout
the season to make up a special
fund for that purpose.
Harry Krauss for years advocated
3 system by which the leagues
would provide in the FALL for the
entry Of their bowlers in the city
tournament, months before the
tournament arrived. The duckpin.
ners were just beginning to see
their way to this point when there
came a schisrn in their ranks that
made any unified action out of the
question.
The bowling war appears to be
sau over now and Krauss' idea
once more appears to be practi.