Selected Articles on Athletics (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917. Excerpt: ... Should Any Student In Good Standing Be Permitted To Play In IntercolLegiate Baseball Contests?1 It must be acknowledged that the enforcement of the amateur rule for baseball in our colleges has caused our athletic committees more trouble than all the other sports combined. This is due to the following reasons: First. Because the earning of money by playing baseball during the summer, especially when the person who earns it happens to be a worthy fellow who is working his way through college, enlists the sympathy of a part of our student body and a small minority of our faculty. This favorable opinion lends support to the cause of such baseball men as wish to use their skill for gain. Second. Because the baseball players themselves have made studied effort to prevent their professionalism from being found out, either by playing under assumed names, or by playing in remote parts of the country, or by ostensibly filling business positions for which their salaries are supposed to be paid. Third. Because the failure of some institutions to enforce their rules, whether from imperfect organization or from gross negligence of the athletic management, has rendered the work of conscientious athletic committees correspondingly harder. Fourth. Because the composition of some of our athletic committees, consisting of students, alumni and members of the faculty, is distinctly unfavorable to the enforcement of such rules as will work hardship to their teams. It must also be acknowledged that the enforcement of our eligibility rules has failed more in connection with baseball than with any other line of sport. This is true because there are so many more opportunities for deception in this form of athletics, due to the fact that baseball is played in thousands of cities a...