The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17
Baseball Gossip.

Manager Shaffer has received the slgn- Is
cd contract Of Happy Ecllstone, who q
says he will be glad to return to Rich
mond this season. Eckstone will get him-
self in trim by coaching the ". p, Il, by +,
whom he has been engaged.
Happy" said that he learned a great
deal from Captain Shaffer3 last year, and Is
he expresses much gratitude for the 4
knowledge of the game he secured here
under the direction Of the manager. I1astHt
season was Eckstone's first year out; he
thnd played before only in brush towns.
where the pitcher was considered almost
the only man on the5s team. and where
1T is the custom, whenever he wins a.
game, to carry him about on the should
ers Of admiring enthusiasts. Coming to n
Richmond with the idea that it was tcus-ss
5tomary, to follow out the same rules In
bigger leagues, he soon learned that there
are others on the team besides the pitch-@
ers. ~
In the earlier part Of the season Eek
stone was usually unfortunate, but he
made great Improvement towards the
end. In the last thirteen games he play
led he won eleven, and he pulled UP sos
we'll that ShuGer now considers lie IS a.
coming star.
Eckstone has splendid control Of his
balls. plenty of speed, good curves and
a strong arm. He needs only to be-
properly developed and trained to make
an exceedingly serviceable man.
Gus salye, perhaps, showed the most
consistent speed. He was a little wild. /.
especially IL he were ratified. But his
curves We're all that was necessary, and. y
II he kept his head, lie was able to con-
troll his balls with fairly good accuracy
| lie Is regarded as a coming man in the
box, and he should have no trouble in
| making the team this year.
| y 3
Long was the best batsmani in the
pitching staff last year. and was one
! of the best in the league. The combna-
\ ton Of q good pitcher and q good bats
| man is rarely found, but It was Long
who won the medal given here for the
highest batting average.
Still displayed tho best assortment OF
! curves. Ills drop was peculiarly puz-s
zllng to the batslnen OF the other teams.
and his low ball, just around the knees.
i rarely failed to pass by untouched. Tho
i colonel was also capable Of great speed.
If there were a little chill In the air.
when the colonel always felt at his best.
he could send his balls over the plate
4 with q speed equal to that Of the fastest
men on the staff, His chief weakness lay
4 In his welding of tho willow. He was
q poor batsman, but his excellent quail
4 ties as pitcher fully made UP for>his8
weakness in this respect.
Cassidy is also speedy pitcher. Ho
j had good control, and 1t Is expected
BY his admirers that he will win In
the try-out for the team this season.
in tho Virginia State League would
4 pay almost any amount of salary to
secure Is Hobbs who pitched for the
3 Imporia team last year, Hobbs was
q ono of the best pitchers ever seon in
z baseball circles in Virginia. and last
: season he was offered all sorts of in-
Il ducements to Join any of the teams
4 lin the league, Rutahe steadily refused,
not wanting to SO into professional
ball. He has been offered inducements
again this year, but the various man
ayers who have approached him have
. met with the same determination on
his part. 1t is not known what Hobbs
will do this season, hut heg will proba-
bly, play With Emporia again, II that
town gets out team.
Two OF last years pitchers who have
been sold Will be greatly missed In ths
4 Virginia League. They are Schumann.
who was the star twirler of Ports
3 mouth. and Moser, who WAS the leading
light on the Lynchburg pitching STAFF
Owner Bland, OF the Portsmouth team,
sold Schumann to Connie Mack. OF the
Athletics, receiving full value fort
I transaction. 88
Moscr was sold last year othe
phillies. where he did not quite come
mp to the mark, However,, no had
heen worked pretty hard by the Lynch-
Il burg aggregation, and this probably
accounts for his. falling OFF. This sea-
son he will likely go back to his Old
form and satisfy the expectations OF
/, his admirers.
Still. Moser ana Schnmann were res
/ gnrded as the beat trio In tho league
/ last season, and OF the three the colonel
i 4 will be the only one to return.
!. The Norfolk Club has decided 20 use
Lafayette PaAs another season 6N
Manager Grim, Of Lynchburs, has sign
= !, ed a ninetaon-year-old southpaW pitch,
p en- y, ar.ea Oakley, who made Aim
. record last season with the Wildwood
Club. OF Merchantyills. n, Y.