The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-13
BASEBALL SEASON
OPENS SATURDAY.
Lipe's Men Make Their First
Appearance Against
Danvillc.
ALL CLUBS SEEM STRONGER
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p:.L,,,r,1 Aerorneyat i,,, CtiIl
ALL CLUBS SEEM STRONGER
Richmond Aggregation S
Weak in Spots, but Is
Improving.

with Danville In Richmond. Ports
mouth I'm Norfolk and Lynclburg at
Roanoke. the Virginia state Baseball
League VII open the schedule next
Saturday afternoon. when at o'clock
Mace. Westervelt and Byron VIII give
the signal play ball" and the play
ers will settle down to the long battle
for the pennant. All the leagues In
tho country will opon this week, and
the sound of the swatted ball, the
deep call OF the umpire and the shrill
cries OF tile cheering fans VIII be
heard afar through the land.
Baseball is more popular than ever.
Every back lot has its coteric OF play
e.rs and It's small sized diamond, and
not a day passes. II the clouds Keep
away. that the future league player.
now no higher than his fathers waist.
does not 20 forth to perform ms
stunts and lick HIS rivals team I'm
thusiasm is rife In every city. me
big league cities are all ready tor
their first games, and srandstands ana
bleachers. not to speak OF fence Tops
and knot holes, will be crowded WITH
rooters going out TO witness tic nrst
exhibition and make Judgment on their
players. In the Virginia cities interest,"
In the league is greater than ever.
.yor before. The teams are believed TO
be faster and to be under better man
sgett,cnt. Every club seems TO be con-
adent. and perhaps the chances are
about evenly divided. The Richmond
team is still weak in several respects
but there is still time for improve
rncnt and Owner Bradley has PROMISED
that he will spare neither money nor
effort to place his team on proper
level
The weakest places seem to be short
and second. Morgan Is suffering with
a bad hand. which has greatly inter-
fered with his work, and 1son seems
to lack experience. He tries hard
enough. plays with every ounce of
energy in his body. but he experiences
ecrne difficulty in making the ball STICK.
Eanzler Is showing up well at hrst,
and will undoubtedly be fixture. BIZ
Iieffron is the star of the bunch, ana
In him Richmond has treasure me
struggle is still on for right field. but
seems to be narrowing down to Strader
and Far-icker. riggs Is making fine
centre. out has not yet quite gotten up
IL. his old batting form. OF the pitch
ers. Jackson. Sparks. Archer and Reyeiie
are showing the most promise. though
Tho others have not yet been given
fair opportunity in which TO prove
their worth. On the whole, the field
ing. except little weakness in the
intield. is good. but the batting must
be improved upon. No weak-hittins
tom, can expect TO win--unless all the
other teams are as weak in the hitting
Zinc Iipe seems 10 be handling his
men we'll. and has in every way given
satisfaction to the owners and to the
fans.
Buffalo will he here to-day and to-
morrow. The club VIII have no games
thereafter until SATURDAY., when they
begin the regular schedule.
The opening games of the leagues
this week are as follows:
National League Tuesday.
Boston at Brooklyn.
New York at Philadelphia.
Chicago at Cincinnati.
Pittsburg at st. Louis
American League Tucsdny.
Detroit at Chicago
st. Louis at Cleveland
Philadelphia at New York.
Washington at Boston.
Southern League Wednesday,.
Little Rock at Memphis.
Mobile at New Orleans.
Birmingham at Montgomery.
Nashville at Atlanta.
A American Association Wednesday.
st. Raul at Columbus.
Minneapolis at Toledo.
Milwaukee at Louisville.
Kansas City at Indianapolis
Virginia League Saturday.
Portsmouth at Norfolk.
Danville at Richmond
Tvnchhurc at Roanoke.