Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-12

oh for a lodge in some vast wilderness
I'm which TO bury our multitudinous de-
feats was what the Johnnie Rebs walled
after Yesterdays game, which resulted
IN another victory for the Athletics, and
If the playing of the local team on yes
terday was any criterion by Whlch 10
iudge of their abilities as ball players
the cranks who sat by and witnessed
their defeat will soon wall, too-not for
a wilderness, however, but for ne"
ball club.
There is certainly something wrong
with the Johnnie Rebs, though just what
that something is, is hard 10 determine.
Tho lads have gotten down to seventh
place and there they seem destined 10
remain. They appear to play hard to
win and the men all seem TO be good
hall players and fighters for the game,
hut nevertheless they don't win, ana
there's the rub. Richmond is too good a
bail town to support a losing team ana
the cranks though they have SHOWN
,,reat natience and forbearance thus far,
will not support losing club
SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.
Something will, therefore, have TO De
done If the patronage is to continue
hut Mr.. Bradley, the owner OF the clup'
is inst as much at loss TO know what
remedy TO apply as are the cranks. lie
hos gotten together nine of men who
have good records, and their movements
on the diamond show them to be what
they are recommended as. but play as
they will. they do not seem able to put
this city's colors where they belong, and
instead of increasing, Richmond per-
centage. like a block OF ice IN the noon
dav sun. is shrinking slowly, but surely.
The team returned here on Monday,
and has played since then six games.
They managed TO win two OF these SIX,
and are worse of than when they came
home. They lost almost every game
PLAYED abroad, but they excused them
selves with the assurance that great
things would be accomplished when they
reached this city. The great things
have. by no means, materialized. Unless
some victories are soon recorded for
them they will be in last place.
COULDN'T TOUCH THE BALL.
Take Yesterdays game. The Johnnies
were up against Ames, the man whom
Mr.. Bradley turned loose last year be-
cause he was not fast enough for the
Virginia League. Either Ames has
ouickened his pace considerably or the
Richmond team has slowed down, for
the Johnnies were. throughout the en-
tire nine innings completely at MS
mercy. and made but four hits. That
was bad enough. goodness knows; Tor
IL is rarely ever the case that -FOUR hlts
will win a game; but If Schmidt, VINO
pitched only an ordinary game, had been
given average support, he would nave
had fair chance of winning his game.
The Quaker City lads had no trouble
I'm connecting with Schmidrs delivery,
and they raped the ball all over the
LOT but in some manner or other their
runs were held down. In the sixth in
ming. however. the Johnnies seemed to
lose their heads completely. and allowed
two men TO cross the rubber who might
have been shut off long before they
reached there. If any kind of playing
had been done against them. Wells left
his bag when he ought not 10 have
done so. and two or three of the men
under him ran aimlessly about the dia-
mond. while the Pennsylvanians trot-
ted around the bags to safety. lf any
one Of the local players had kept his
wits about him, or had thrown the ball
when occasion demanded that 1t be
thrown. any one of the runners who
scored could have been retired and the
inning concluded.
YELLOW WORK, INDEED.
II was in the sixth inning that the
disastrous work was done, but the john
MES might. If they had been able TO
hit the ball at all. have scored enough
rms 10 offset those presented TO Phila-
delphia, but they didn't touch the
snbare On one occasion they had a
man on third and another on second.
with nobody out. but hits were not
forthcoming. and the runners died on
the bases.
There is no use to spin the story out.
The Johnnies are away off somewhere,