Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-16
THE MANCHESTER TEAM AHEAD.

College. 'VVo
THE MANCHESTER TEAM AHEAD.
From these figures 1t will be readily seen
that the Manchesterlans have good lead.
and from present prospects 1t looks as IL
they will hold it. Their main battery
Foster and Blankenship-are formidable
pair and to their joint efforts the success
of the team is largely due. Ked oster
is perhaps the best al-round player IN the
whole league and his work can always be
relied upon. He is one of the heaviest
batters in Virginia and knows exactly
what to do when he is lucky enough to get
his base. Blankenship's curves come over
the plate like lightning. and IN his pitch
ing he generally displays excellent head
work.
Upper. the Forest Hill second baseman.
has done splendid work for his nine, and
few men in Richmond are more thorough
" posted on the game than he. lie Is q
clerk mt the Standard Oil Company and
plays merely for the sport. He does not
receive a cent for his excellent services
and will not accept any pay.
Darby, who sometimes pitches Tor the
Manchester Giants. Is clever little
twirler, and also fills tho positions in the
Out6eld most acceptably. .,
The only newspaper-man who plays Dali
in the league is Dorsey Cullen. the captain
1 i
rarely makes an error and always does
good work. but somehow or other he Is
"shy" with the stick and bats poorly.
KAN and Napier the short-stop and
third basemau. are veteran base-oalnsts,
and long experience has taught them the
game thoroughly. and thew fill their posi-
tions most creditably. The other PLAYERS
on the nine do good work. and the cluo -
hard TO beat under any circumstances.
THE cocKADE CITY FARMERS.
The Petersburg farmers are the biggest
lot Of men in the league and they are tre-
mepdouj sluggers with the bat. 1ney
have a comfortab bic lead for second place.
aud may even crawl ahead OF the Man
chesterians If they continue their good
work. They never appear to get ratified
and play splendid uphill game. Nc
Gam, their second baseman, Is perhaps
the second best player IN the league,
while Keefer, the catcher. i9 hardly his
inferior. The twirlers for the agrlcul-
turlsts are Wilson and Quarles, and both
of these individuals manipulate the horse
hide in n puzzling manner and with
marked effect.
The Virginias, who until recently were
known by the Ignominious name of the
Tailenders. are perhaps the most popular
of all the mines. They are the progeny of
Donatl's once famous Giants, and have
kept up their organization through the
darkest times of trial and tribulation-ln
days when the cranKs seem 10 have forgot
ten that there was any such thing as base
ball. When the league was first started
they played in wretched luck. but now
they are meeting with great success. A
few DAYS ago they secured the services of
Wizard Host" and his catcher, Herrick,
and with this battery their prospects arc
very bright. When the Wizard" abstalns
from cigarettes he pitches wonderful
curve and strikes out great numbers of
batsmen. At times he has but poor COM
maud Of the yarn. however, and his chief
weakness lies in his wild pitching.
SOME OF LUMsDEN's CRACK PLAYERS.
The other battery for Lumsden's Colts
consists of "Puss" Luck. of pantaloon
fame. and Mr. Michael Enright alas Sham
rock alias Marmaduke G6ds Mike. The
former ls reputed to have played his first
game when Noah's Ark rested on Mt.
Ararat 49, certainly, according to the
memory of the oldest inhabitant." he
cades. "Puss" doesn't seem TO get day
older as the years glide by, and his
work is always good. When he dies
the cranks will doubtless erect a
monument TO his memory. AS for. Mike "
Enright, he too deserves a suitable men,
orial after his demise, for he has been play
ing ball for years. He is good in any posi-
ton he holds, and as pitcher he always
acquits himself creditably. Mikes
idea of heaven is pitchers box with him.
self in it and all the batters shifting tine
ethereal" When not twirling he gen.
orally covers the second bag, and few
indeed are the balls that slip through his
handy legs.
Little Harry Leftwich. who plays first
base for the Colts. is the Lord Chesterfield
of the State League. He couldn't lose his
temper OF be any thing but q gentleman TO
save his life-no. not even If " Red Eos
ter were 10 knock him of his base and
spike" him. There isn't q reporter in
town who would have the heart to give
Harry q roast" To tell the truth. though,
he never allows them chance. He rarely
makes an error. and when he does. there IS
generally pretty good excuse for 1t. In
four games that Mr.. Leftwich has PLAYED
recently he had "a put-ou:s, assists, base
hits, and only one error.
SOME OF THE OTHER Ex-TAILEyDERs.
Timothy West. the Virginia short.stop.
is another worthy little chap. He always
looks like he was half asleep. but he picks
up grounders with most alarming speed.
Among TINS accomplishments are cigar
ette-smoking. performances on the Rem
ington typewriter, and marvellous base
running.
Jack Frost, the third baseman for
the ex-Tailenders. was an unknown"
last year. but he is coming rapidly to the
front.
Mr.. William Harper Lumsien. the cap
tain and manager of the team, generally
plays in left field. and catching flies Is like
"eating snow to him. He Is another
man who plays ball for the sport of the
thing, and his untirng energy on behalf
of the cranks deserves q better reward
than he has received-to-wit. freckles.
Mr.. McMann, who buries himself among
the fragrant clover-tops in right field, gen.
orally has an opportunity TO take several
maps before the ball comes in his direc-
tion, but whenever 1t does be is always
prepared to receive 1t.
The other players for the Lumsdenians
are all good men. though x-Oyster-0perer
King has had streak of bad luck lately.
He promises to do better, though. and
doubtless he will.
Captain Billys pets will never be COM
plete success until they get new uniforms.
and if the "rooters" were good, patriotic
citizens they would chip III - and buy
them some new clothes.
ASIcE SET OF BOYS.
The College Spiders. who are now at the
bottommost round" of the league, are
as nice set OF boys as ever appeared upon
the diamond. They are all young. and
consequently their poor standing Is due to
their tender years and light weights rather
than to their lack of skill. To tell the
truth. they play . splendid game, and in
nearly every case they have lost because
they we're seized with the "rattles" Just
ct the most critical points of the contest.
What they need is coaching and self-conf-
dsncs, As for good ball-pisving. they can
furnish that II they have half chance.
PHILLIPS ONE OF TEE FINEST.
The spider third baseman, Walter Phil.
lips, Is undoubtedly the finest in the
league. He has made wonderful record,
and his agility and speed exactly 1T him
for the position. A . base-runner he is
without his equal in Virginia. while be
handles the stick we'll. Walters only fault
- his euicknsss. 6omstimss he gees ct