Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-16
THE CLUBS DID WELL
Three Of Them Made Money and Three
Suffered Slight Losses.
PROSPECT FOR NEXT YEAR.
Should Prove Even More Success
full Than This season.

full Than This Season.
There can be no doubt that the State
League has paid well this season. 'Tis
true that only three OF the clubs have
made anything over and above expenses,
but the net earnings Of these-Richmond,
Petersburg, and Norfolk-will great deal
more than cornterbalance the losses OF
the other three. Neither OF these three
clubs have consented 20 make public the
amounts that they cleared, bit 1t is known
that each Of them made several thousand
Collars. That the Richmond club proiited
lai sely by this season Is evidenced by the
large crowds that daily hocked 70 see
the games at West-End Park. The man.
agement were put to heavy expense in
securing and fitting up the grounds and
In getting play but the attendance
upon the games would have justified them
In going TO even greater expense had
they fourd t recossary.
To WHOM CREDIT IS DUE.
The history Of the league has been an
interesting one. ard IT. organizers havc
y 81 with many vicisstudes. The f0rma-
ton Of state association was largely due
10 the efforts Of Tim West and Mr.. ".
y. Bradley. These two gentlemen frs.
conceived the idea OF organizing a State
league. At first the proposition met with
Allie favor; but in n short while matters
began 70 assume a more definite shape.
and carly I'm TIE spring the organization
was perfected with six clubs-ilichmOnd.
Petersburg. Norfolk, Lynchburg, Staun-
ton, and ROl1Cke. 1t was originally in
tended 10 have the league composed OF
only the four first-namei clubs, but over
lures being made by Roanoke and otaun-
ton for admi isicn. they were. aftcI some
d. .Cusson, permitted 10 come in.
\ meeting OF the maragers of the six
clubs was then held ir Petersburg, and
Mr.. SOmme.s, of the Norfolk team, who
IS an enthusiastic baseball man, was
elected president Of tho Virginia League
Association. with Mr. L. S. Woodall. OF
Manchester, as secretary. \ schedule
providing for the playing by each club Of
I'D gamesz-G0 on home grounds and CD
away from houe-was then prepared, and
on the sd of April the season was opened.
GREW IN INTEREST.
The attendance in all OF the cities was
nt first very small, due In a great measure
70 the inclemency OF the weather AS the
summer approached. however. and the
teams demonstrated that they proposed
TO play ball In earnest. the patronage IN
creased. In Richmond tho attendance
ranged from COO 10 600, and up TO last
week the accommodations at West-End
Park frequently proved inadequate for
the crowds that throngcd II. The aver
age attendance in Norfolk, while not so
large as that in this city. was about 1900
or l.i0D. From a standpoint Of patronage
Petersburg ranks third in the league with
an average Of about COO or 700. Lynch
burg has averaged 400. Roanoke 80, and
StauntOn not over 800.
Petersburg started out at the opening
Of the season with a frst-cass club, and
has made fewer changes than any Of the
combinations Norfolk also had splend d
material, and 4Ir. SOmmers spared no
expense 70 make OF It tho best team IN
the league. In this he failed. however
but he succeeded In taking second place
with little difficulty. Richmond's team
was rather inferior TO the other two al
the start, and 1t vas some time after the
clubs had begin to play before the man
agement awakened To urgent necessity
Of releasing weak mon anA signing bette
( ones. Then, too. great difficulty was ex
perienced In getting desirable and reliable
players. Eventually the weak places Were
strengthened, and for a time the clul
played pennant- winning ball. When they
had gotten their hands almost within
reach Of the coveted banner they made
a slip down the pole, and their descent
was only broken by the termination o
the season. Manager Vests lack Of con
troll over his men when not on duty ap
pears to have been one Of the chief causes
Of their going TO pieces. The other three
clubs have been what IS commonly calle'
tau-cnders throughout the season. Lynch
burg. after the collapse OF the SoutherT
League. secured a number OF good players
and tried hard to push to the forefront
III luck attended them, however. anr
the season closed with that club bringing
up the rear
HAMPERED BY ILL LUCK.
To certain extent the Richmond clu'
has been hampered by Ill luck Several %
the best players were injured. and thereh.
placed on the sick list ard others wer'
kept from the games FOR several days by
fatalities which occurred In thei
fanilles-all of these at critical stages O
the season, when TO lose game meant I
great deal.
The league season. rs a whole, has no
been entirely harmonious The feelini
among some of the clubs has been IN
tense, and several disgraceful scenes haV
been enacted which tended 10 throw
damper over the arlor Of the cranks
whose interest in the national sport ha'
been worked up to feyer-heat.
This was very unfortunate, and greatly
.sfT llfFF al
OF professional baseball is the delectatloi
Of the public. without the support o
the public the league could not exist
and some consideration should be accorde
those who contribute 10 the maintenanc
OF the organization. Good. clean ball j
what they pay to see. and good. cloai
ball IS what should be given them.
TO CONTINUE THE LEAGUE.
The prospects now are that the Nirglnii
State League will be continued next sea
| son. and that the same clubs, under aDou
| the same management. VIII compose II
| II would be enterprise on their part an.
| commendablc enterprise. for them 10 -
| select their players and 70 50 construc
| their rules as 10 preclude the posslbillt.
| Of undcrhand playing.
The meeting Of the managers last Sa'ur
! day night decided to continue the league
| and IL was stated that there was s-Os
! siblity of team being put in the heI
/ from Portsmouth.
Mr.. Smith, manager Of the Roahok
( team, In discussing the proposition Z
continue the league next year, maze
| common-sense speech, In which IL adVo
Gated q more equitable adjustment OF IN
receipts and earnings OF the CLUBS ina
has obtained during the past season. II
! submitted a proposition taat az the al
! tendance was more than sufficient I
| support .he clubs I'm Richmond, Peters
| burg, and Norfolk. and was totally mace
! quate for the demands OF the CLUBS l
| Roanoke, Lynchburg. and Newport News
| Hampton, an arrangement De mao
| whereby these aforementioned CLUBS Whe
| playing in either Of the three larger cite.
be given a percentage sufficient to enaDl
them at the end OF the league season [
close their accounts without a dehci
This proposition met with favor, ana IN
probabilities are that such an arrange
ment will be effected.
TO HAVE STRONGER CLUBS.
All Of the managers have signlfied the
willingness to enter the league, ana nav
asserted Ii as their intention 10 put !
the field next year the very best team
that can be procured. Some time ak
Mr.. Ted Sullivan, who was, prior 10 II
disbandment, the manager or the AtIiI.i'
club. was in the city and stated Una