The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-20
BASEBALL is
NEARING. End u
Little More Than One.33Week.
Longer Of Play This Season
THE REMNANTS BOTH WON
.Pltsburg and 30 ston, The Rival Cham,
pions, viii Play a 'ost.season Sc.
ries--Order Of Other Teams. g
Fast Fielding Gossip.

Fast Fielding Gossip.
But week remains OF tho baseball
e playing season In the National League,
and Just ten days moro In tho American
Already interest in the two pelnant corr.
petitions has ceased, for Plttsburg now
has surely within It's grasp for the third
successive season tho pcnnant OF the
National, and Boston is even moro surely
tho winner In the American. The remain
A der OF the season Is merely a struggle for
& positions among the other seven clubs
Despite tho competition afforded by two
major Leagues or evenly balanced
strength. both have maintained themselves
well and have pretty evenly divided the
patronage. Owing to- the great improve.
nncnt In tho form OF the New York. Chi
cago and Cincinnati teams attendance IN
those cities has Increased, thus enabling
the older league to hold It's own and
4 even lead tho American In point OF pa
ttronagc.
In the American League the patronage
has been good In boston and Philadel-
phia, but disappointing In New York
where the now team did not develop the
expected strength. while the National
Ieaguc team excelled all expectations
h CLEVELAND has never been strong In pm,
tronage, and 1t is only lately that the
team there has begun TO show It's ability
and to figure i in the competition for
honors.
In the National League New York !.
now In second place but It's lead over
Chicago is so small that the Windy City
team will possibly displace It, oven in tho
few days left for playing. Cincinnati. too,
Is playing at home. and Is putting up q
first class game now. but it cannot nnd
better than fourth. The other teams viii
likely finlsh In their present order
HARD FIGHT IN AMERICAN. 4
In the American race Cleveland is IN
second place and IL likely to stay there,
4, being possible, however. for the
Athletics, OF Philadelphia. to wrest the
place from them. The eastern teams have
tho advantage OF the schedule for the
remainder OF the season in tho American
4 There Is little hope Of Grnith's New
York team landing higher than fourth.
where 1t now stands for Philadelphia
las al even chance OF winning as many
games during the remainder OF the sea
son and will almost surely hold Its own.
Detroit can hardly land higher. even with
3 It's heavy batting and brace OF fine
2 pitchers The other teams will finish In
the order named, This league presents
fine showing OF strength In the fact that
:
aratc teams have won the pcnnant Chi
cago. the first American League pen.
nnnt winner, will hardly finish better
than seventh and the Philadelphia
Athletics last seasons champions. are
hanging on doggcdly In the hope OF cap
turing second place, should Cleveland
slump.
All the teams Of both leagues arc pre-
pairing to strengthen their forces for next
season They have agents out watching
the minor league youngsters for talent
that promises development, and already
a number of new players have been signed
by the ma or league managers The weak
spots In the team are being searched
out. and the feeble hltters and slow fold
ers arc TO be given their release
Washing ton, with a team including some
veteran and some brilliant young ma.
tcrlal has made a very poor showing.
landing in the last hole without COM
petltor for the honor. Team play and
hitting are lacking. Orth. Lee and Town
send are pitchers that would make brill
liant showing with the Boston field 70
support them and its scientific batting 10
make every chance productive OF runs.
VALUE OF FAST FIELDING.
A game recently played by the New
York and Philadelphia American League
teams we'll illustrates the Importance OF
fast and sharp fielding In winning games,
and how pitchers reputation can be
,ayed by the men In the outfleld. In the
game referred TO Clarke Griffith the
manager and star pitcher OF the New
York team was hit safely but seven
times but the three New York outfieders
IS are credited with fourteen put outs.
Il One or two OF these files, II muffed or
n1isjudged, might have changed the re-
4 suit OF tho game. Fultz In center field,
Is credited with seven putouts. a record.
indeed. In another game in which Ches-
bro pitched. the New York outficld had
not a single put out nor assist. The
Athletics got but four hits All OF which
goes to show that some pitchers are more
dependent on their fielding support than
others for their regulations. 4
RICHMOND BASEBALL HUNGRY.
The probability Is that Richmond Will
have n baseball team next year. either
IN a strong State league or In an Eastern
Interstate league. After several years
without league baseball the Richmond
public is said by those familiar with the
situation to be eager for good baseball
and It liz believed by many that coed
club In strong league would be q paying
investment Tho history of local base.
ball-and the large number of major league
players developed here sufficiently attest
the character of baseball that the city
desires and Is accustomed to. w
POST SEASON SERIES, "
The Philadelphia Times prints the fol-
lowing:
@ At the close Of the regular champions
ship season the Athletics and Phlllies
will play a series OF ten games, the two
Chicago clubs. will play one Of fifteen
games Cincinnati and Cleveland VIII play
Tor the championship OF Ohio, Boston and
Pittsburg will play a series Of seven games
pr more for the championship OF the coun-
Try, and 1t is not likely that the Broolslyns
viii play some Of the American League
clubs. Despite this exhibition of good
iort " nj