Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-01

Th. new club IL one Of the best In the
ieapua. and will be a strong factor In the
race Manager Sharsig mas cohecteo
nlavers who know the game. ana 80 iar
,hav haye played good ball. Redoy Fes-
ter the Richmond boy whom Manases
wells gave TO Sharsig, Is working nara
Co. Oh. new club. Moran, the little play
49, who was such favorIte here, Is In
Ieft-feld. George Cleve, who played with
Richmond in 1894, guards centre Shoi'-
stop tJlrich, the little man VINO makes
things warm, and Ffrst-Baseman snai-
fer. who was with Norfolk awhiie last
season. are with the club. The new men
shars!g secured are good ones, ana VIII
please the rooters.
Thursday. Friday, and Saturday the
Ions. Newell combination will play the
Ruebir.is. Denny Long had weak club
last season-so weak that he had to DO
better or quit. He would not quit, so he
ala better. He took Jack Newell into
partnership with him; both put their
heads together, and some money! and
Reading has a crack ball club. Reading
has good pitchers and a good fielding
team. slater and Stratton. the two big
fellows whose good ball-playing won
them friends here last season, are PACK
on duty. Cockman, who played with
Richmond q few games last season, Is
with the club. and with big Charlie Nc
Intyre. is taking good care Of the right
side of the diamond.
After this weeks work Hartford and
Lancaster will come along, and then the
Bluebirds will take to the road for few
games.
Richmond has done fine work this sea-
son-so fine that some people who had
grown iukewarm have caught the fever
AGAIN, and are as enthusiastic as ever
The club has convinced every one who
has seen its work that it is composed or
a faithful, Woodworking collection of
players There is no end of team work,
Just the thing that was needed last sea-
son. Players back up every play, and, OF
course make the game go from the very
start The boys are hitting hard ana
fielding beautifully, and the pitching de-
pa:tment is the best in the league. Ricn-
mond will finish better than third place
this season; those PEOPLE who have money
to back judgment, are saying. Lancas-
ter is about the only club to fear, ana as
Rim has been weakened by the depar-
ture of Seybold, Yeager, and Hannivan,
and as Richmond has been strengthened
in every position. the result is, indeed
interesting.
How soon O. favorite is forgotten, and
the enthusiasts pick UP a new idol. Here
last season Elberfeld was the prime IA
yorite. There Is no 'discounting 1t, the
little fellow was q great ball-piayer, ana
his brilliant work was enough 10 MAKE
him a favorite. but Gus Dundon's fine
base
ball public forget all about the ex-third
baseman. Just so with Baltimore and
Washington. After the Demontrevilie-
Reitz deal, there was whole lot OF yell
ing. but Demont has made the Oriole
rooters forget that Reitz was ever with
the ex-Champions, and the great second
baseman has filed the place well. 1t is
hard to pick the fayorite this season.
Tommy Hess is perhaps the most popu-
lar PLAYER on the team, but Gus Dundon
is walking along, and Hargrove has
strong following. They are all favorites,
they are all good fellows.
Eddie Connih, the young pitcher Mana
ger Wells was forced 10 release, because
OF an overstocked pitching corps mas
caught on with Atlanta in the southern
League, and has done some good WORK.
Commit was we'll recommended When ne
was signed here, and in Charlotte on
practice grounds, did some good work
He is not as good as either OF the pltch-
ers now held by Wells. but in another
season VIII be a strong man Tor any
team. Pitchers 60 up and down, thoush.
one of the best men in the league last
season was Osborne, with the Athletics,
and who started out with Allentown TINS
season. but now comes the news that
Sharsig has had to release him because
he was not UP to the standard. Such'
too. was the case Of Stultz, who was Sc
cured by Wells from Lynchburg, where
he was star but here he turned out 10
be a frost. He is now with Mobile.
Tommy Hess, the clever catcher Mana
ger Wells secured for this season, Is
man whose faithful attention TO his DUTY
win make him q prime favorite mere
Tommy is a catcher who uses his head.
and who helps the pitchers out OF nara
places. He has had experience, ana
everywhere he has played has been the
most popular man on the cIuD. hess
works for the interest OF the whole cluo'
and never let's a chance slip TO put a
good turn in for the teams sake. All
the PLAYERS like him, and would do any
thing for him. Wednesday, Wheh inc
season opened with Newark, he coacheu
Chesbro several times, and the rooters
who caught on gave Tom hearty lot Oh
epnlause. Besides his head work ana
catching ability, Tommy hits the pan
GOOD and hard. The general verdlct Is
that he is all right.