Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-11
WE ARE CHAMPIONS.
ATLANTIC LEAGUE RACE FINISHES
WITH RICHMOND ON TOP.
pENNANT COMES HERE THIS YEAR.
The Race Was Exciting, But the
Biuebirds Distanced Their Oppo-
nents and Won Out, Though by n
Narrow Margin.

ne pan Is over
The Atlantic League season for 1928
ended last night and Richmond won the
pennant.
The Bluebirds are the champions, and
right well do they deserve the title, for
they are the best aggregation Of ball
tossers ever gotten together with Rlcn-
mond inscribed across their breasts.
The Atlantic League race this season
has been one OF the most exciting ever
played in the league and in winning 1t
the Richmond team fairly covered itself
with glory Still, the efforts of the local
team have not been appreciated by the
public, and the game throughout the sea-
son has been patronized by fewer people
than has been the case any year since
baseball was revived here in 1898.
A MONEY-LOSING SEASON.
The Richmond management has not hal
a gold-mine in It's team. In previous
years since the organization Of the Viz.
ginia State League Richmond had been
a good paying baseball town. and Mr..
w. Il. Bradley, who owned the team for
four years, made considerable money
each season. This year, however, the
owners of the franchise have had 10
figure on a debit. rather than a credit
and they have sunk altogether about
$500.
They do not despair, however. Indeed
they simply attribute the lack Of pat
ronage TO the great interest which has
been taken in the war with Spain, and
purpose continuing their baseball enter
ri I
then. II the people do not patronize the
game, the franchise may be surrendered.
In her losing experience, Richmond has
not been alone. From all the facts now
obtainaole Ii appears that every club in
the Atlantic League has lost money.
The National League receipts were also
very greatly diminished this year, our
oil are expecting great things next year,
and the chances are that their expecta-
tions will be realized. Ii has always been
the case that after a bad season i'm base
ball the interest in the game revived
and the succeeding season was a most
satisfactory one.
HAS HAD A SCUFFLE.
Richmond has not had an easy time in
winning this years pennant. She has had
to compete with strong clubs throughout
the circuit. and has had TO hustle first
last, and all the time. In the first place,
Lancaster was strong team, and was
bent on winning the championship again.
Reading, too, was greatly strengthened,
and from the beginning TO the end Of the
season Denny Longs lads played great
ball Hartford played good ball towards
the tail-end of the season, and Newark,
but for the disorganizaton of the team i'm
July, would have made a drst-class show
ing. Poor old Norfolk though she start
cd of at the beginning Of the season with
trumpets proclaiming TO the baseball
world that she had the finest team that
ever wore a minor league uniform, hasll
not been in the race at all, and turns up
now at the close as tail-enders.
The success OF the Richmond team is
largely due 10 Manager Jake Wells When
all the managers IN the league were being |
interviewed last spring. and were assert
Ing that they proposed TO win the cham |
pionship, Wells kept quiet. He had been |
busily engaged all winter in securing his
players and ne knew that he had good
material but he said nothing ana the 1
first realization the cranks had Of the /
magnificent timber which constituted /
their team was when in Charlotte in April 1
the lads defeated Boston In a thirteen /
inning game
CHANGES IN THE TEAM.
There have beer some changes in the |
Richmond team since this game was play 1
ed In Charlotte. The pitching department
has undergone shaking up. and Schmidt. !,
the man who won this great game has
gone by the board. Bishop has come 10 !
strengthen the pitchers and Lever also
came as farmed-out player from Pitts
burg The rest OF the team remains the
same. Win the exception that Barley
Kain's services In rightfeld were dis
pensed with. and Shannon was put there
That Spike has done his duty is attested
by mo applause that he hiss always re-
ecivec when he mace his appearance on
tie diamond. '"
Altogether, Rlchmond's team ia one y,
the best ever gotten together in n ,ni,or
league. and II Is one OF the handsomes,
teams In the league. toe. II is a hard
hitting aggregation, clever base-run.
ping team, and one OF the surest fieldiny
clubs Ia the league Many Of the boys