Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-06
JOHNNY REBS BACK.
WILL REAPPEAR TOMORROW
AFTER THREE WEEKS ABSENCE.
WILL MEET The HARTFORD LADS.
pbiIndeIphin VIII Play Here the
Inst Half Of the Week, and Then
Richmond Goes on Another
Tour.
T'Ou r.

After having travelled over the entire
Atlantic League circuit, and lived among
their foes for three long, dreary weeks,
and after having dropped from fourth
to seventh place In the percentage
column. losing on the trip l35 points, the
Johnny Rebs will return here tomorrow,
Whit Monday, and with two games-one
in the morning and the other in the
afternoon-wll inaugurate a series of
four contests. with the heavy-hitting
Hartford lads. They will wind UP the
week with three games with the Phila-
delphia Athletics. and on Monday next
will 20 to Reading for a return engage
ment with the tail enders.
The games tomorrow will, no doubt.
be literally patronized. not alone be-
cause the day Is "a holiday, but because
the cranks are all hungry for ball, and
want to see for themselves just what
is wrong with the Richmond team. II
anything be wrong. The Johnnies have
not achieved as many victories on their
trip through the North as the patrons
OF the game here had reason to expect.
but they have played good ball all the
time, and for that reason. the drop in
the percentage column is just little bit
inexplicablc.
WHAT is IN THE NEW MEN?
The supporters Of the game here have
every confidence In Jake Weiss man
agement, and they believe that he has
gotten together a team that is capable of
l.
10 see the team as reorganized since its
departure from this city. and ascertain
lust what is in the new men who have
succeeded some of the old favorites.
The Little Men, who have been play
ing the game here during the absence
Of the big fellows, have carefully and
studiously reproduced the plays on the
northern diamonds, and the cranks have
kept as well posted on the doings OF
the Johnnies as circumstances would
permit; but still. looking at the Little
Men and being on the field Of play are
two entirely different things. Lots Of
things are done by the big boys, and
by the umplres. too that are not shown
In the Little Mems game, and 1t may
be possible. as many are inclined to
think. that Richmond has not been treat
Ell as literally by umpires and scorers
as was their due.
SOMETHING WILL DROP.
All this being taken into considera-
ton by the people who so TO the games
in this city, they have very wisely re-
Trained from any adverse criticism Of
the team until its return here. Then,
after one or two games have been played
on the Richmond diamond, and the john
MES do not show up as wei as the
cranls think they ought to, something
IS going to drop. and the thud will
be heard outside the Broad-Street Park,
too.
There IS hardly any probability OF this
happening, though. as Richmond Is I'M
| doubtedly represented by a good, strong
team: and that fact will be proven this
week. The Johnnies are not destined
10 stay down In sixth place. they do
not belong there, and the chances are
largely in favor of their climbing up.
| at least 10 fourth place, If not to third,
before this week ends
Manager Wells writes that he Is we'll
pleased with his men, and says they
are playing winning ball. notwithstand-
| ing their defeats. Wells usually knows
what he is talking about, and though
he doesn't say so in as many words.
he does not consider that all the games
he has lost were taken from him fairly.
He says in securing Steelman and Nc
Donald he has greatly strengthened his
| team. and assures the Dispatch man
| that he has the best infeld in the league.
THEY MUST PULL UP.
The scores OF the various games,
whether they recorded victories or de-
feats. showed this to be the case, and with
n change of luck, or a fair shake from
| the umpire, Richmond ought and Will pull
m ont of the bad hole into which this
trip has dropped her. But 63 points sepa-
rate us from fourth place, and two VIC
tories may put US there
Norfolk. the sure winners, according TO
| the cranks, who We're dissatisfied with
the Johnny Rebs when the season first
! opened has been faring equally as badly
as has Richmond and her team also re-
turns home tomorrow, thereby giving
! those interested in the game an oppor-
| tunity of seeing what both clubs are capa-
| bic of. and of comparing their relative
merits and dement's. 1t was said early
| in the season that Billy Smith had a bet
| ter lot of hitters than Richmond even
| the old league managers giving utterance
| TO such statements. Now, however, II
| is admitted that Richmonds team Is
composed of the best hitters in the league,
and certainly their fielding averages have
! been as good as the next What, then. Is
| the matter with the team, may well be
asked. and If Jake Wells can't answer
echo will have to do so.
SOMETHING CERTAINLY WRONG
Hhere is certainly something radically
wrong. If it lies with the team Presi-
dent Bradley has pledged himself 10
remedy il: if IL lies with the umpires
President Barrows will undoubtedly cor
rect IL. He Is not slow 10 rid. his staff
| of n poor or unfair umpire, and he has
already made sev.ral changes, for the
good. IL IS hoped. OF the league. Let the
| good work go on until II becomes a pos
| sibility for a game 10 be played strictly
on it's merits, and then if Richmond can't
! hold its own 1t will be time for Mr.. Brad
ley to act.
GREEKS, IS; TURKS. r.
Ont on the rain-soaked grounds OF
| Rroad-Street Park yesterday afternoon
the Greeks and Turks played a holly
| contested game of baseball. Some
seventy-fiye or more lusty rooters and
nartisans occupied the grandstand
| from which coign of vantage they cheer
ed their mud despatched favorites with
| a zeal worthy of a more numerous
| gathering.
| The Greek battery poured hot shot
| across the plate for nine innings when
| the Turks ran up the white flag and
negotiated a treaty of capitulation. The
| terms of the treaty permitted the Turks
TO depart with their boomers and fezzes
They fought bravely. even desperately
bnt were completely outclassed by the
| - crooks The scnre was IL %