The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-18
BRADLEY IS BACK
FROM BIG CITY
CCOmlnued From EDcsf 1880

N0M ~ VI vi
ecoht,nled From lSlrst Page.)
sistance OF sullivan. Owner Bradley
signed mp youngster by the name OF
Witt. an outfelder who halls from
are at hand
Many likely ball PLAYERS we're Of
1ered the Richmond magnate while he
wanted too much money for Virginia
League purposes and so the kind Of
ers had to be turned down There
were some trades proposed. too bl
these also did not appear good TO tile
Richmond man. But the trip was q
success from watever angie. And
Richmond has a manager.
More Talk About Norfoils.
And now for some further expostu-
lations about league affairs In general.
Norfolk is still the stumbling block.
nearly adamant as arc the. men who
have Incorporated the Norfolk Base.
hall Corporation. But remember that
for the port OF Norfolk / know sal
that before but / don't want you to
forget It.
the incorporation, or rather the act
OF organization, means that the Nor
folk people will listen to reason and
are ready to talk business. At any
week owner Bradley and President
Williams will take quiet trip TO Tar
vile and talk 1t over with .Gonsolvo
pect that some conclusion will be
reached; Let's, hope. so.
But if President Omohundro. of the
meant what he said about not being |
in any league of which Roanoke and |
Danvile We're part II looks mighty /
s aqeehs roT f. srndiey that he viii
S 95 eia5s ' ssP5 tns
he would be willing to let Portsmouth
buy Lynchburg, provided Lynchburs
Lsnchburs Won't Sell.
From private Information | am re-
no idea Of getting out Of the league
In fact, one man. very close in touch
with the situation, SAYS that there Is
not enough money n Nm t cnbu 2 % fran
chise | always did believe that, ana
l believe II now. Now where are we
at? Danville and Roanoke are posi-
Portsmouth wants to get in, and Nor;
folk won't stay with Roanoke and
Danville a part of the league. ln ma
words, everybody and. everything in
folk.
Let's recite little history. When
Otto Wells and Billy Harmon and tne
president of the Norfolk street Rali.
way com mp Nyorfok el kh0w sove r
period Of three years, the team made
money. 1t lived within its means
played good baseball. ana IN >, at iaa e,s
crowds. Portsmouth was In the league
Consolyo Enters.
Then Consolvo and his associates
bought the team lock, stock ana par.
manager. Then ensued season of ad-
lversity Economy was forgotten, eX-
pensive habits We're INDUCED In, the T.
team did not play quite ~, as g9Nu o afl
fairs of the club became involved, so
much so that the home papers In Nor
folk took little interest in the game
and gave it only perfunctory pub
Naturally the public, largely, inhu-
enced by the newspapers, stayed away
from the, ball park; the 81 team nn,h ipSl
on their investment, and there YOU are.
This was the season in which Nortolk
lost the pennant by one game, on a
game which had been transferred from
Portsmouth to Norfolk,
Last season Clarke deteTm IN, Il to
enough money to do i'll have not
got the books. of the Norfolk club. but
do know something , about the the men men
whose aggregate salary was a least
$1,000 a month. Here they are Jack
son, Chandler, Murdoch, Bonner. Bush
and Munson This Is the minimum INV i9r
Ianey worked for much less than 5000
a month That's just one form of ex-
pense and one reason why the team
couldn't make money. And to make
It worse, the men whom have named ]
We're signed with non-reserve clause
contract, which means that unless they
as the air to go where they pleased
when the playing season closed. You
don't give ball player non-reserve
eaqss unless y SIa want am
for trying to win the pennant, but |
do blame him for putting the club in
a hole and ] do blame Consolvo. for
ing a losing club on railroad fares. 1t t
isn't fair and it isn't sportsmanlike. ,
=. Tar,illc Responsible. Ii
Let tls- blaine go where it belongs.
Norfolk failed 10 make money for two
Of the proflIgate and spent money /,
recklessly regardless of salary limits
or laws or anything, else. charge
that the manner In which the Norfolk {
club has been conducted for two years :
is largely responsible for the depleted ;
treasury of the league at the end OF
the present season. And believe that
Had Norfolk not tried TO pull the wool
over the eyes of the other teams in !
che league By ,sgnn up me hen Mn9
prescribed by the league. thereby.
forcing the other teams 10 do almost
the same thing or lose out in the pen
uant race, there would have been no Is
cry Of poverty.
Norfolk would be desirable ac-
nuisition to the Virginia. League. The
town IS a good town. and would make
money If properly handled We want ,
Norfolk. But we are not going to
and that is Just what Norfolk is try
ing TO do. There arc other available
sites for ball park in Norfolk The
owners of the alleged Norfolk fran