Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-21
Jake scherer, Staples and other stauntor

Jake Scherer, Staples and other Staunto1.
boys. Joe Fry, popularity known as
Foxy then matchmaker at Romeo
verte. w. Va, was sent for and induced
to come to the town. Then the Washing
ton Young Mems Christian Association
team came along for series of games,
ard with it such men as Erne, Charlie
Hodge, Harry O'Hagan, McCreery, John
son and others. and they liked Staunton
SO well that Erne, Huge, johnson and
O'Hagan stopped there and became at
tached to the local team. There was no
season nor league, but unattached clubs
from Charleston, w. Va, Ironton, O., and
Lancaster, Pa, the last including Ralpf
Seybold, later of the Richmond Athletic
League team, played a series of games
there. Ironton left Rooney" VioX II
town., and Stanton appropriated him
BY and by games were played in Rich
mond, Lynchburg, and Charleston, w.
Va, and the next season baseball interest
lad been so quckened that the Virginia
League was formed. The old Staunton
team brought some promising players int
the professional arena. Dave Futz is
now one of the stars Of the prospective
champions of the American League the
Philadelphia Athletics. scherer for sew
Kissirger pitched in the big league. and
has recently returned 20 the American
League and is pitching winning ball. So
is Jack Malarkey, now with the Boston
Nationals. Efforts were made to secure
Jesse Tannehll. but Cincinnati was &C
quoting with him at the time and he
would not be allured. VioN has since
played in the big league. So have other:
on the old Stanton team of '94
This was the beginning of the revived
State League, which resumed the playing
of professional ball in this State after
an interval of several years. Then Wells
came to Richmond and Smith took charg
of Lynchburg. Both We're preparatory
instructors for the big league, and their
pupils made good records in fast com
pany. AL Ortiz was one Of Smiths best
finds, but he developed and sold several
other players to the major league. Vic
tor Williams was another. The Iank
twirler made his initiaI bow in Richmond
ball at Lynchburg, and the Richmond
team was his first victim. He shut them
out in the initial game at Lynchburg.
Pickering, afterwards with Louisville, was
another of Smiths finds, and Leahy an
other.
w chs 1IS1u dH even more successful rec
ord in picking "comers' In pitchers he
was especially successful. Besides the
three named, there were Sparks. now
with the Boston Nationals; Flynn, after
wards IN the National, and several others
In the leagues now are Harry Berte.
Brownie Elberfield and az number Of
others whose names cannot be recalled,
His record has been one Of uniform sue
cess in baseball, and his subsequent ca
reer as manger of theatrical enter
prises has been even more successful.
L1r: G. V. Donati promises to become
R1chmonds next baseball manager who
Will revive the game on a larger scale
ana Satfer strong team. The games by
local talent recently gathered together
by Tim and the Messrs. Bradley of Man
chester, two Of the most successful of
local baseball men. have served to demon
strate the fact that Richmond is hungry
for Ecod baseball, and there is little room
to doutt that she will have it next wear.
1T may be State league, an Interstate
league, or an Atlantic league, but thu