The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-19
RORFOLK'S NEW TEAM
Owner 0'RellI Officially Ghes Out the
Names Of the Players.
EIGHTEEN PLAYERS so FAR EEGAGED
The Names Of Most OF Them Were
Given in The Sirgininn Ten Days
Ago Baseball Gossip Through.
out the Couutry--Notes About
Well known Players.

Owner O'Neill last night gave out the
official list OF the players signed by Man
ager McFarlan for the Norfolk team
the coming season. In all eighteen men
have been signed. including seven pitch
erS and three catcherS. one OF whom
Will be a sub-iielder The list as given
out by Owner O'Neill is as follows:
Catchers-F. B. Armstrong, Phillip
Geier. C. Il. Schmeltz.
Pitchers-Georgc n. Weeks, II. w.
McFarlan, George Pfammaller, George
Buckman, ]. NJ. Kennedy, Frank NJ. La
throp. and Harry a. Dunn.
First Base-William II. Ramp.
Second Base-Frank Reddcn.
Third lsa.se-C. +. Meredith
Shortstop-Richard Langsford.
eft-Ficld-James Hughes.
ht-FieId-Thomas Turner
Centrc-Field and Manager-Claude
hcFarlan.
Substitute for iniield and outfield-
John Thornton
The names of seven Of these players
Were first published exclusively in The
Nirginian ten days ago. but the fol-
lowing day the list was denied by Mr.
O'Ncill
Mr. O'Ncill. In speaking of the new
players, said last night:
Scforc the season opens n sketch
will be given OF each player and the
public will be thoroughly posted as to
what material the Norfolk team oil nc
Will consist of. All the players will be
REQUIRED to report before March 18TH
rms VIII give n month for practice
and exhibition games and by April 18TH
which is the time for the championship
season to open, Man? ger McElrlan will
be able 10 cali out the very strongest
aggresaiion OF ball players that has
ever represented this city"
AS to the individual records of the
men the following was given:
f. B ARMSTRONG who is to wear the
mNer.lad, was star catcher of the
Southern League in -. In aggressive
playing he may be compared with Cc;e
81 las; season. He never fails to be in
MS position unless iniured ~ accident
In seventy games played last season
he had IL fielding average Of 96l and
batting average OF .%2i
l.an%sfOrd. vino IS 10 play short was
with Memphi; Of the Southern League,
and during the season of - ne had a
fielding average OF 920 and batting ave
rage OF .3Gi.
William Ramp, who will cr.er frs;
base. is :: years of age. His eession-
al career "s - baseball llnycr ..nn i'm
the spring of ~ with Tho Georgc;own
cub, OF the kentucky Blue Grass Lea,
cue. ana made reputation as u htie,
and all around maa. and second 10 none
III The League. His percentage in field
inG was .'S2 and batting $50 During
the senson of "a he was engaged hy
the Nashville Club. OF the Southern
i'VhSu VT anu III preliminary WORT. made
Il good showing, but before the season
was far. advanced he was injured to
such an extent that he had tO retire
nom the diamond for several weeks
Having secured his release from the
southern i.caSu@. he signed with the
Cairo Club, Of the Southern Illinois
IeaSuc.wnere he remained throughout
the season. His timely batting won
many games for tina; team ana aided
materially in winning the pcnnant for
- ~ no
and batting $3.50. Ramp stands five feet.
eleven inches and weighs 175 pounds
Is man of excellent habits. and OF
such gcntlemanly behavior that he Is
favorite wherever he goes.
When the Virginia League magnates
get together iii Richmond next month
il Will be matter of policy and self
protection Tor them 10 adopt measures
against the farming out" practice
Ihe other minor leagues are taking
steps TO this end and should the Vir-
GINA League not do so, the ma jor lea
que clubs will naturally look 10 Vir-
Einia as farm for their surplus play
ers, to be called in whenever il so
plcascs them. club thus tcmDorarily
strengthened ut the expense of the
major league club whose players are
being used, would have an undue ad-
vantage over the other clubs. The Vir-
ginian suggests the adoption of the fol-
lowing rule:
mo player under contract with. or
reservation to any club of any other
organization under the National Agree
men shall participate with any Virginia
League club. upon penalty OF the loss
OF each game in which such player shall
engage and n fine of s1O0."
This would prove a preyentatiy of
the evil mentioned.
It has been rumorcd that Petersburg
might not be in the league the coming
season. The difficulty of placing the
necessary amount of stock is asuribed
as the main reason. In conversation
with one of the League owners yester-
day upon this subject we were assured
that should Petersburg drop out of
the circuit there would be no difficulty
or delay in securing city to take the
franchise and keep the six club league
intact. Danvillc, Newport News and
hampton are eager to accept the privi-
lcse II offered to them.
Norfolk and Portsmouth fans" will
nave the pleasure of seeing Ted Sulli-
vans New Haven aggregation before
ne taxes his men North. lie has ar
ranged TO play exhibition games with
the, Norfolk team on March 25. 26 and
2th, and In Portsmouth on the 2S. 30
ana 3lst. As his team is composed
largely OF Virginia.. and especially en-
Norfolk players. his coming viii be