Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-09
THE WORLD OF SPORT.
CONSIDERABLE GOSSIP CONCERNING
MANAGER wELLs's NEW TEAM.
The CRANKS are ALL WELL PLEASED.
The Chninless Wheel Makes It's Ad-
vent Here-The Chain VIII Not Di.-
appear, However-DOings of Wheel
men Throughout the Country.

Now that Manager Jake Wells has an
nounced the makeup of his 1898 team
, the cranks all over the city have been
furnished with nice morsel of baseball
gossip to discuss, and the nine has been
dissected and considered from almost
every standpoint. The consensus of opin-
ion seems to be that IL records count
for anything the next team which dons
the Richmond uniforms will prove the
heaviest hitting club that has yet played
for this city.
Hitters are what the Richmond cranks
have been crying for for years. II has
not hitherto been in Manager Jake's
power to furnish this class of men, be-
cause hitters cost money, but he has
been given carte blanche in the matter
OF getting his team together by the new
management, and he has spared no pains
nor expense to get The proper sort of
men.
While hitters win games. Captain Wells
also realizes that it is very essential
that the hitters should also be able to
Held their respective positions properly
and he has not lost sight Of the needs in
this direction. So far as can now be
judged, every position will be well looked
after, and with good fieiders and good
hitters, Richmond ought to finish next
season way up in the race, If not quite
at the top.
The pitching staff will certainly be a
good one. The ability of a majority of
the men thereon is already well known
here, and as all the men now under
contract TO do the tossing will not be
needed, there is certainly no probability
OF the team from this city being any
weaker in the box than last year The
two catchers engaged have good records,
but then one never can tell what ball
player is worth until he has been seen
In a game.
There are some experiments in the in
field, but all OF the men come highly
recommended. and all of them have ex-
cellent records as flrst-class minor league
ball-players. Elberfeld will be missed at
third base. but the good work that Leahy
will probably do in short field will proba-
bly, make up for any deficiency elsewhere
In the infield.
There is no experimenting in the out
field. All three OF the men engaged for
the gardens are first-class in every re-
spect, and II anything gets away from
them II will be because 1t goes over the
fence Hargrove and Seybold are both
frst-class batsmen. and will do much to-
wards putting Richmond's colors up near
the front In the race. Kahn, while not
so sure at the bat, is a wonderful base
runner. and win probably cross the home
plate as often during the season as any
other man In the league.
Taken as a whole. Richmond will be
represented by as good team as ever
went out In the Atlantic League. and II
Manager Jake coaches his men in his
usual manner. and no accidents happen.
the pennant ought TO float over the
Park grandstand next fall.
Chainiess wheels have gotten TO Rich
mond, and several are being ridden here.
A well-known bank clerk, who received
one several weeks ago. has been riding IL
regularly ever since, and says II gives
him more satisfaction than any wheel he
ever straddled. His wheel is gesred up
TO u. but he will run II up 10 SO in a |
few days. He says that whereas he used |
to have to walk up the steep hills of the |
city when using the old-styie wheels. he