Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-02
BASEBALL GOSSIP.
FOOTBALL MUST SOON GIVE WAY FOR
THE GREAT SUMMER GAME.
Rscbmond and Norfolk Both Expect to
Have Pennant. Winning Teams-Whi
Have SIX or Eight Clubs.

Football, from being n commonplace
amusement, has gotten to be the popu-
lar fad In Richmond as elsewhere, and
to-day the hero OF the gridiron-he OF
many fights and scars--ls worshipped to
a greater extent than are any other class
of men. The fair goddess Of society fair
~ bows down before him. and he walks
brocdces over the land, does as he
please, and no one dares say him nay
All OF this Is an innovation, and as yet
Is hardly realized. Slowly but surely the
football horizon is broadening, and sooner
or later the hrysanthemum-haired gen.
tleman OF Drawn will forsake his Alma
Mater, his logarthms, and Greek verses
and will stalk forth to hold a mighty
sway over the length and breadth OF TINS
grand and glorious country. And why not!
The professional ranks are being cro"ueu
TO death. Every year the universities ooi-
Ieges, and academies turn out thousands
of doctors, lawyers, engineers anu inc
like. Why not grind out a Few profess
sional foot-ballists? -,. -,
The material is in the coiiege' } nc 49,
dents themselves seem to IKE ths s"lne;
the world demands II, or soon WIZ. anu
what the world wants II usuaiy se'',
why not start the mill 10 grinu,ne L..
give MS professional foot-ballists' now
nice Il would be for the girls, VINO 20
,ouch admire the chaser OF the pisshh'
7, ,sn.t always that they have the oppor-
tunity of gazing on real coiIese 10
haII nlayer. and you know they crave
so for this kind OF amusement
no
Richmond for the nonce went ioc 80
mad hut the ever-staid people vi ~
Grand. old city are gradually awaNehins "
tine fact that there Is something ~ nv.
in the world besides foot-paiis anu -
ha,IIsts. the old inhabitant Will soon nave
- causa 70 complain that he can find no
ono who will stop talking about puhtS
ord touchdowns long enough to listen 10
bia war-stories, and matters VIII graou-
oIIv settle down to their normal stale.
mt lust about the time that foot-pdh
hos been laid aside. the ubiquitous base
ball player will make his advent anu
then. for a period OF five months oase-
bI,s home-runs. and beautiful curves VIII
nreyal as the all-absorbing theme. Anu
by the way, there is great PROBABILITY that
these base-hits, home-runs, ana curves
will be more than talk. for. II Is uhuct-
stood, and that upon good authorlty' 'ldt
the league teams next season VIII De lat
superior TO those of last season. anu
Richmond and other cities IN the Staie
will be treated 10 exhibitions of ball
nIav,ng such as have not been seen here
since the death Of the old Virginia teaih'
II Is eminently proper that Richmohl
should have the pennant-winninS team
and from present prospects she VIII. MI
Bradley and Mr. WoOdall will have con-
troll OF II, and Wells, whose ability as
player was demonstrated last season 10
the satisfaction of the cranks generaiiy,
will have full control Of the selection Oh
the men. Already he has signed mum
Der OF good ones, and when the season
opens in April Richmond Will NOT az
was the case last year, start OH with an
inferior team but Wells, who has carte
blanche from the management, proposes
to have pennant-winnerS from the s'"''
Norfolk will have a strong team also
Manager Sommers still has control OF the
franchise for that city. and he proposes
TO put another team In the field. lie
has signed number OF his best players
from last year, and proposes TO srehSth'h
chem with evel better material lroih
elsewhere. and TO Dispatch man lie
raid q day or two ago that he would.
when the latter part of the season OF
1875 was reached. carry the pennant 10
Norfolk. That mighty nice, and we al
hope Mr. Sommers Will put pennant-win-
ners, or at least good players. In the heid,
but he must not be permitted to carry
off the pennant. That would be TOO
bad. Richmond must win it next season.
There IS a strong probability that the
league will be increased from six TO eight
clubs by the admission Of teams from
Portsmouth and Danvile, Such move
would very greatly enhance the interest
in the game. 1t is barely possible, how
ever, that these TWO clubs may come In
TO fill vacancies. and that the number
will remain at six. There Is some little
doubt OF the ability Of the Roanoke and
Staunton people being able to raise sutl-
ciant money with which to revive their
teams, and Petersburg Is even threaten
ing TO drop out. II the stanton team
is run. IT will be as the Newport News
Hampton team, and will be controlled by
Mr. S0mmers, Of Norfolk.
The fences ct West-End Park having
been moved hack a considerable distance
for the late football contest. the improve
ment is apt 10 be permanent, or at least
to continue until the city authorities de-
eide to extend their boundary-lnes out
the street which is occupied by a portion
of the fence. This enlargement will prove
a great Improvement TO the park from a
baseball, as well as a football, stand
point, and will In a great measure enhance
the beauty and accuracy Of the fielding. II
will be almost impossible for a player TO
bat out homs-run, and the pitcher may
be less afraid to pitch slow drop for a
pop fly. This was one thing that hampercd
Keenan, last season. and accounted for 50
many home-runs. In a large field the en-
tire playing ia and should be superior to
that in a small field.
4 Ia