Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-31
WHO THEIR PLAYERS ARE.
Norfolk's players as signed up to date

Norfolk's s players as signed up 10 GATE
are:
william A. Smith. Knoxville. Tenn,
outfielder and manager. Batting average
last season, 254: fielding average, 9.3.
Manager Smith was a decided success In
Lynchburg and there appears to be no
reason why he should not be the same for
Norfolk.
Catchers-B. F. Snyder, Rockford, Ill.
Batting average, 254; fielding average, 929.
Snyder is considered one of the best
catchers of last years Western League
NJ. f. Heyden, Paris, Tex Batting
average. 352; fielding average, sl3. An
other of the Ernie Hodge kind.
George Il. Me. Ludlow. Ky. Batting
average, $50; fielding average 9i3. Me
played with New Bedford last year and
is a first-class catcher.
Pitchers-Guy Wilson, Leona Kan. No
record OF his batting or fielding average
is at hand, but he pitched 3S games last
season and won 35 of them, and that
counts.
Fred. W. Clausen. Louisville. Ky. the
left-handed twirler, who won many
friends and some games here last season.
George Pfanmiller. of Louisville, KY,
Norfolks "Old Man Steady of last
season, who gets warm hand on every
appearance.
John Gilroy (Old Jack), Washington,
y. G. Batting average, 1893; fielding ave-
rage. e39. Gilroy is one of the most valu-
able men in the profession. II there is
any place on the diamond that he cannot
play ii has yet to be discovered.
r. O. Sechrist, Ludlow, Ky. Sechrist
IS at home I'm the pitchers box, and it is
expected will make a good showing this
coming year. He won nineteen out of the
thirty-two games he pitched last season.
The last OF the pitchers list IS Il. J..
Newton. Of Hope, Ind, late Of the West
ern League and the Eastern. He is a
South Paw OF good speed and staying
qualities, and won twenty out Of the
thirty games pitched last year
For shortstop. the redOubtable Dan c..
Leahy, OF Knoxville, Tenn, will officiate
between second and third bags. He is
an Al, and has a batting average Of Sl2,
with a fielding average Of 9l6.
First base and captain, Charles A.
Schaffer, Scranton, Pa. An alright man,
as his averages show-batting. 800; field
ing 97l.
"Old-Reliable" Jack Wentz, of Norfolk
will cover second bag, and cover it as
well as he always has. Jacks averages
size up as follows: Batting, S08; fielding,
81.
Third base will be covered by Al. We'd
dige, Erie, Pa. with averages of batting
S57; fielding. SCI.
In left-feld Jake Weihl, Of New Bed
ford, Mass. will dominate the swarhp-
swamp no longer, howeYer-and the
bleachers will be his friends from. the
start His demonstrating. $50; field
ing, SSS-show him hustler.
The other outfielder will be Claude Nc
Farlan. last years Norfolk manager.
KIND WORDS FOR US.
Mr.. O'Nein, the Norfolk clubs owner
in a letter TO the Dispatch. says:
THE Norfolk team is certainly under
obligations to you for the many nice
things you have said about US already.
The Dispatch is certainly working on
the proper lines in keeping the two Vir-
ginia teams of the Atlantic League right
to the front In public attention. You,
of course, understand that the success
Of Nirgnla's retaining its membership in
the new league depends altogether op
the support we receive from our respec-
tive cities. and we all realize that it is
within the province OF the press to bring
that desired state Of affairs around.
1--WE have every confidence in Billy
Smiths ability in selecting a team: and.
as we have given him absolute control
In the selection or his men. we feel that
Norfolk's interests will be well looked
after"
Mr.. O'Neil has always been an ardent
admirer of the national game, and in
1855 when Richmond and Norfolk were
I'm the Eastern League, was appointed TO
a position on the Office force of the Nor
folk team. selling tickets, attending the
gate. or anything that might be assigned
him. That position was retained by him
until after the league went 10 pieces.
With the exit Of baseball in his city.
and not having anything especially to
interest himself in, ne turned his atten-
tion 10 bicycles. which were at that time
in a most unnourished state of infancy.
AT that time, 1856. he was one Of the
four owners OF a bicycle i'm Norfolk His
brother. c. W., and himself bought out
the only bicycle business in the city. and
from that time 10 the present they have