Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-13
ALL KINDS OF BALL.
FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, AND HAND
BALL DISCUSSED.
pIGSKIN RIOTERS In 1T NOW,
Baseball CranLs Are Patiently Walt
Ing for Their Time to Come-Pros-
poets Of the Coming senson-Rich-
mond VIII Have Good Ball.

Football rooters are having their in
nings now, much to the disgust Of the
baseball rooters, or a majority OF them,
anyhow. The baseball rooter doesn't
take much stock in the gridiron game,
and sees nothing interesting in downs"
'punts," or the like. a baseball rooter
at a football game might get little wild
when some fellow bucks the line. breaks
through, and dashes 30 or 40 yards down
the field, but when the football rooter
yells and screams when there is a mix
UP, the baseball rooter is quiet, and
mumbles. dirty ball"
a real baseball rooter takes very little
stock in football, but the football en-
thusiast goes on just the same Yester-
day was good day for the plgskin boys
and they rooted merTily.
The football man can look forward TO
a treat again this month. when Virginia
and North Carolina meet on Thanks
giving Day, but the baseball man must
wait ninety long. cold days before base
hits. doubles, three-baggers, home runs.
sensational catches, and daring baseball
come again.
And Richmond will certainly have base
ball. Virginia League or Atlantic League
one or the other, sure.
-
Close followers Of baseball have been
busy of late keeping, or trying % keep,
tab on the general baseball situation.
The National League may see n change
in 1899. There is some talk Of cutting off
two clubs, though this will hardly be done
But IT is more than probable that Cleve'
land will drop out, and new city be
taken in. In this event the Eastern or
Western League will be called on to fur
nish the town. The Class minor
leagues have not shown much activity.
The Eastern may be hurt by the New
England, and the Atlantic circuit broken
by the Virginia.
The Atlantic League has applications
from Wilkcsbarre, Scranton, and one or
two other towns, but what will be done
is an interesting question. The Texas
League will be reorganiZed. and a num-
Der of Glass i leagues will be formed.
Captain +. ii. Cunningham. of Norfolk,
owner of the Norfolk Atlantic League
franchise. who has declared his intention
TO resign from that organization. and
take berth in the new and popular Vir-
ginia League, was in the city last week.
Captain Cunningham Is president of the
Virginia League, and there could not have
been selected better man to handle its
affairs. He has had a good baseball
training, and knows well the ms and
outs Of management. Captain Cunning
ham is enthusiastic over the prospects
Of the league. He says all the gentle
men associated with him are good bust
ness-men and have the money to get
good clubs, and take care Of them through
the season. The popular baseball mag
nate says that Norfolk and Portsmouth
are baseball hungry, and that Newport
News will be 81 good town.
The league will hold a meeting here
Thanksgiving night. when everything will
be put in order, and a schedule commit
tee appointed. Members will pay their
protection money, which will be sent at
once to notwithstanding Young, at
Washington.
Baseball enthusiasts are waiting pa
tiently the result of this meeting. for then
it will be known positively where Rich
mond will be in 1899.
The remarkable decrease in batting IN
the last season in all the baseball
leagues. and especially in the big one
has been a puzzle 10 everybody interested
in the game. Doubtless, as some contend.
the fielding has improved somewhat, and
the pitching has also improved, but It
cannot be conceived that the pitchers all
along the line. like Nichols, Rusie Maui
McJames. Griffith. Hawley, and Bret
tenstein. many of whom have been pitch
ing for years. should all Of them suddenly
improve so wonderfully az 10 make such
a difference in the batting. As Tor the
fielding. some teams-notably Baltimore
did worse fielding than for five years, it
being disgracefully poor at times, while
only few teams have shown any mark
ed Improvement I'm their work I'm the
field.
Manager Hanlon was disposed earlier
In the season to blame the balls. but they
were examined and FOUND all right. The
batters couldn't bat, and that was all
about ii.
This IS a more serious matter to base
ball interests than might be supposed
While the public does not like "slug-
glng" game, in which a dozen or more
runs are made, and the time IS taken up
bv the fielders chasing the ball, neither
do the spectators like TO see every man
go up and be put out with monotonous
regularity. They like 10 see one or the
other team do a little timely hitting NJ
some stage Of the game, and get five or
six runs. II the batting slump continues
the league must either put the pitchers
slab farther back or make the ball more
elastic. or adopt some other plan TO help
out the batters.-Baltimore Sun.
Joe Kelley. Of the Baltimores. Is one Of
the most observing players in the bust
ness. and with his knowledge Of the
game and OF players II would not be
surprising TO see him blossom out as a
manager I'm the next season or so. When
the Reds were I'm Washington last week
Kelley gave the reason for the Baltimores
winning the championship so often. "Of
course" said Kelley, I'VE played great
ball. but behind it all was a serious pur-
pose that spurred US on. and made our
good playing effective Take the Cleve-
lands. and while they are a good team,
they Will never win a pennant. because
they are not thoroughly serious in their
purpose. Captain Tebeau will make PEN
nant claims. but he IS not serious i'm it,
and the men Of his team know 1t. With
Hanlon It was different. He talked to us
In way that convinced US OF his conf
dence in our ability to do big things, and
We used every effort TO deserve that con-
fidence. The result was three champion
ships in Baltimore. and the loss of an
other by fluke. "-Cineinnai Times-Star.
Gus Dundon. the clever little athlete
who PLAYED such good ball for Richmond
nj third base last season. is settled at his
home in Columbus, o. IN letter TO
friend here Gus expresses pleasure thar
so many Of his comrades have gone 10
the front. lie Is surprised that Cleve-
land let Seybold go. Gus says he re-
Gently received a letter from Gus Klopf, |
telling him that Richmond's last seasons
short-stop VIII play with Detroit
Billy Smith. who managed so success