The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-16
The AGONY HAS BEGUN
And The Virginia League Teams Are In
II Knee Deep, From Now On.
NORFOLK PLAYS PORTSMOUTH TO-DAY.
Lots OF Fun and u Great Game 60 be
ExPccted-Confercn of Captnins
and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the
Teams Notes OF the Diamond :
Minor Bascbnllic Conaicfs.

In the spring young Americas fancy
violently turns to thoughts of baseball.
This isn't Tennyson, but IT Is true. There
Is no fad, Fancy. or fanaticism like unto
the baseball fiend when 1t strikes fair,
ana mat IS the way 1t seems to have hit
Virginia In general, and this corner of
II In particular. The Virginia State
League. the most successfully managed
Oh It's class last year. opens to-day a
season which promises to DE the hotties I
ana most exciting of many years. 1t
Is claimed. and with reason, that every
team i'll the league Is composed of bet
ter timber than ever before. National
leagues have already been taught what
they never knew before. that they can't
monkey with the Virginia buzz saw
Zach city Is roofing as never before for
Its boys, and each firmly believes that
mis- pets are the pennant winners. Ger
tain 1t Is that the club which does bring
down the trophy will have n long pull
hard pull and pull altogether before
the goal Is won.
Roanoke plays Richmond to-day at
the Capital city: Petersburg crosses bats
with the Hill Climbers at Lynchburg.
ana the Portsmouth Changers will meet
McFarlnn's boys on this side of the
1 river In the first engagement of the sea-
| son. OF course this last event is most
| important. as far as concerns the neigh
borhood round about the Eliza beth, and
| the result of the game will be most
anXiously awaited. y number OF even
bets have been made. and 1t Is UNDER
| stood that considerable money Is at
stake. This. however. is n fact of minor
| snoment when one considers the inn
mense amount of feeling at work on
both sides OF the river. There does not
exist In Norfolk or Portsmouth to-day
L hnl n. a 1.t,
poor or rich white or colored. with soul
so dead that he has not to himself (and
everybody else) said: We've got the
team"
Everything points to "a great game.
The Norfolk boys are In prime condition
and anxious for the fray, and every in
dividual one of them expects to go in to
win Pfanmiller, that wizard OF the
wonderful arm. Will be I'm the box, and
Armstrong. the redoubtable. will eaten
him. Those who have seen this battery
ut work know the size of the combna-
ton The other positions will be filled
precisely as in the game with Brooklyn
Turner, b.. WentZ. . b.; Ramp. 3 b.;
Langsford. $. s.; Schmidt. T. l.; McFar-
/ Ian. c f.; Stephenson. l. +. Meredith's
coaching will be feature.
! AS to the personal of this aggrega-
| ton. the Norfolk public is already sur-
] liCltnilS lntITcWltn. mo
boys have shown that they can play
league ball. and the Virginia team that
is looking for a snap wants to keep off
the grass.
Our friends from across the river
will line up somewhat thusly: Leach,
p: Rollins c.; Mari. l b.: Hall or Nc
Namara. > b.: Burke. b.: Glenn. +. f.:
Hargrove. C. f.: Reman. !. T.. Heilman,
s. $.
a dspassionate glance at the above
must reveal the fact that there Is "hot
stuff" there. Manager Mari is an old
National Lacquer of Columbus and Gin
cinnati fame: played with St. Paul last
season. finishing With Nashville. which
won the championship of the South
with Mari on first. Burke was the lead
ing first baSeman of the Southern League
| last season. playing with Evansville
Hall was With Richmond. PetersburS
and Portsmouth, ana is wcll-known here
Rollins was bought from the Fall River
pennant winners, and stood fourth in
| fielding in the New England League las;
season, with good batting average
Holman finished the season with Mays
VILE. and has a record as Il fast fielder
Rieman and Glenn were obtained from
the Cincinnati Shamrocks. which won
the amateur championship of Ohio from
the Manhattans. They are both said TO
be crack-a-i Jacks. AS for the others. they
are too well-known here to require men
ton.
Mr.. O'Ne!ll was indefatigable yoster-
day in his efforts to get everything I'm
apple-pie order. and was able TO say last
night that he had succeeded. A force of
carpenters We're at work during the day
enclosing the field, extending the fence
that runs along the front of the bleachers
| so that anyone getting into the diamond
VIII have TO jump the fence and he viii
| do so at his peril, for the reception that
VIII greet him Will be so warm that he
Will not forget 1t for q month. Such an
offender VIII be elected from the grounds
peaceably If possible forcibly If nacas-
| sary. II he tisnt prosecuted he mo,.
thank his lucky stars
| Justice Hawks has promised 10 have
! twenty specials upon the grounds DIVINE
| the game TO prevent any possible ont
break. 1t Is hoped and anticipated. how
| ever. mat their services will not he re-
| CURED. and that the battle will go off In
a spirit of gentleness and brotherly lave
! TheTe are those, though, who say II wont
| The grounds have been scraped ral,oo
and rolled until they are in snlenS,d
| condition. The left field has hem
smoothed until 1t is almost as good q 6 Tho
centre and the sole places in the dia
mond are all, or nearly all, rolled hard
The diamond will be sprinkled before the
game. '''e