BASE-BALL ASSOCIATION.

Last fall the Base-ball Association was in debt in the sum of about $725, with no money to draw upon. This necessitated a very large subscription list to carry the nine through, the past year. The receipts for the years amounted to $4609.30, divided as follows:

Subscriptions, $817.50

Season tickets, 234.50

Gate receipts, 2321.90

Miscellaneous, 235.40

Total $4609.30

The expenditures amounted to $4553.06, divided roughly as follows:

Travelling expenses, including all expenses of nine when away from Cambridge, $1735.00

Home expenses, including advertising,

printing, board, umpires, uniforms,

care of gymnasium, cage and Jarvis field carpenter, police, etc., 2093.06

Last year's debts, 725.00

Total, $4553.06

This leaves a cash balance of $56.24 in the base-ball treasury after all bills are paid. There is due the association some $300 in unpaid subscriptions, and $15 from other sources, but I have taken no account of these in my report as my successor will have the trouble of collecting the money which is not yet paid in.

In one or two items a large saving should in my opinion be made in the future. No arrangements should be made to play any extra games in New York or vicinity, unless it is necessary to play off a tie with Yale or Princeton. If this is necessary, let the nine go to New York and play that game and then return without playing any other games. This will be the most convenient and much the most economical arrangement. The Harvard-Yale series should consist of four games, two played in Cambridge and two at New Haven, and only if necessary to play off a tie be played. Bitter experience has proved the extravagance of the New York trips. Last June-July, after the close of the college year, our nine made a trip to New York to fulfil their arrangements, and notwithstanding the most rigid economy prescribed by Mr. Winslow excellent, and followed out by the members of the nine, over $400 was lost by the association, owing principally to bed weather. According to the constitution of the Base-Ball Association the vice-president is scorer ex-officio. The captain of the nine suggests that the manager, or one of the substitutes, could often score, and thus a considerable item be saved by taking no scorer on some of our trips. I should suggest therefore that the vice-president be no longer scorer ex-officio, but that the captain shall appoint a scorer for each game, or series of games.

I have one other suggestion which I should like to make to the association, The executive committee consists of the president, vice-president, manager and captain. In former years the manager has had full swing, though nominally under the control of the executive committee, while the captain has had full charge of his department.

I now suggest, with the approval of Mr. LeMoyne, that not the captain alone, but the executive committee, who would undoubtedly be largely influenced by the captain, select the Harvard nines for the future. This will relieve the captain of a little responsibility, and will give the college at large more voice in base-ball matters, while it will prevent any persons from complaining that the nine is run in favor of any class or clique. The captain should of course have full power when the executive committee cannot meet.

I desire to thank Messrs. French and Carroll for their assistance in collecting money and in other matters last spring, and also Messrs. S. E. Winslow and B. B. Thayer for nine on its last New York trip, which I found it impossible to take. I can only say that I wish the nine of 1884 the very best success, and at this mars our prospect for the championship, which we have not held since 1879.

T. J. COOLIDGE, Manager.