The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-28
CLIR,S STANDIN

With all the pitchers, except Derby,
going we'll. and no one yet showing
lany signs of that most detestable Oh
all diseases to n ball player and the
fan, a slump either in batting or field
| ing. it would seem that the rain alone,
which kept the crowds away from the
ball park yesterday afternoon, was all
that stopped the run Of victories
which has been the good luck of Man.
ager Skaters Colts So far old man
Pluvius has been the only thing that
| has prevented the sporting editors
about the circuit from putting another
mark in tho won column OF Rich
mond's records unless perhaps tho
Portsmouth Truckers can be given the
honor by having tied the Lawmakers
! in that burg last week.
| However. it has to come. Cassidy.
Salve and Long can't pitch every
| game, and except when this young
man Derby and Colonel Still are In
the best possible shape. and these
times have yet failed to develop. 1t
leaves Shaffer in the predicament of
having but these three and Eckstone
on whom he can rely They cannot be
expected to win even half of their
! games without an even break In the
way of support from the fielders
throughout the season. AZ has been
noted before in these columns, Man
ager Shafrer has undeniably gotten to-.
gether an aggregation that should be
heard from and give the teams that
win from 1t an argument worthy of
deep consideration all the way
through; and Notwithstanding the fact
that SO far but four OF the pitchers
have shown good form, 1t must be con-
sidered that the season Is but little
more than q week Old. and Derby ard
Still have not haA q real chance -
show their worth. Manager Shaft0 10
confident Of their ability. and during
the coming week will give each fair
trial.
Too Early for Prophecy.
The Lawmakers have met only three.
OF their competitors, 1t Is true-Dan-
| vile. Portsmouth and Norfolk-but
these three have in turn had their, set
tos with the remaining clubs. and
from reports of the games 1t would
seem that none have SO far shown the
class that the home team has exhl-
bited. 1t is also true that Richmond
has had more practice than probably
any other club. and 1t Is safe to say
that this has had no small influence
on the showings made. What will
happen when these other Ave clubs
really fall into their strides is hard
TO prophesy. That oil, the teams are
stronger than last year is admitted
by all. and 1t would be impossible at
this time to foretells with any degree
Of certainty just how they class with
each other until each has met the
other.
That tho locals have had little diff
Guilty In finding the other pitchers Is
E best illustrated by the batting aver
ages OF the home team since the start
of tho State League season. True. a
man may bat 800 or over and another
who hits less than ESQ be OF more use
to a team than tho former by securing
his hits at more opportune tines.
This is an axiom of the game. but In
the present case 1t can be said that
the men who have been hitting weil
have in the majority of cases regis
tered at times when hits meant runs.
Not only have the men hit and feldeS
WE'LL but they have exhibited won
derful knowledge of Inside ball" that
Is seldom seen In the average minor
league player. On several occasions
Richmond has won purely on heady
baserunning, and tho scores ofgathe
opponents have been held down by no.
table fielding. 81
Following are the batting and Held
Ing averages of the home team In
games, including that OF Friday:
PATT'JNCS ANEE3IAESECS tgfff