The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-04
Jack Grim Gets Fran
chise, Which May Go
to Petersburg.
QUESTION RESTS
ON FINANCIAL AID
Assurance Given, However, That
Petersburg Is Anxious to Get
Club and Will Give It Neces- !
sary Support Richmond
Holders Lose Ports
mouth Stock.
by NELSON ROBINS.

by NELSON ROBINS.
Ocean View. Va. July 3.--The destiny
of the Portsmouth Baseball Club wasi
settled this afternoon by the Virginia.
League magnates, who, in default OF.
the owners of the club taking carai
| of the team, put Jack Grim In chargei
with carte blanche to select any cttyt
| In Virginia as the home town. Grirni
takes charge at once, and will an
nounce his decision as soon as he calt
talk the matter over with basebalE
people. Owing to the holidays. the ems
thusiasts could not be got together.
but 1t is confidently expected that
they will arrange matters by to-mor-.i
row, when Grim will announce his de-s
cision.
From gamblers standpoint the,
odds are 100 TO that Petersburg WilEl
on the uniforms will no longer stand
for Portsmouth. but for Petersburg.
Grim wants Petersburg. the Petersburg
people want the team, and there is5
money plenty in Petersburg to putt
up for 1t and pay all its Indebtedness
Brooks Proposition.
The magnates met this afternoon ont
the veranda OF the Ocean View Hotels
and discussed the matter informally.
Dr. Vernon Brooks, of Portsmouth, was;
present with proposition. He offer-i
ed to pay the debts of the Portsmouth,
club to the contractors. who are watt
| ing with sheriff's papers, and to pay.
half of the Indebtedness of the club tor
the league After it had nearly beems
decided to let Dr. Brooks have the
franchise for Portsmouth, however. he
decided that some of the qualifications
! were not to his taste and wlthdrewl
his offer.
Then Grim placed his proposition be-
fore the league, and 1t looked good.
After the Withdrawal OF DR. Brooks
there was no other bidder besides
Grim. and he had things all his own
way. The magnates talked it over,
and because Grim had not been able to
discuss the matter with Petersburg
people they decided that he should
have the team and place 1t In any city.
able to support II.
folk enough to know that they wanted
the team, and could support 1t. but ass
nothing was pledged he was chary OF
declaring himself before he knew WHAT
he could bank on. He will be in PEE.
tersburg Tomorrow, however, and wilE
find out what the town wants
Richmond People Lose.
incidentally, 1T developed during the
meeting that the Richmond stotkhold-i
ers in the Portsmouth club would ba
left in the cold. There Is a clause ini
the bylaws of the Virginia League.
which makes 1t possible to take tha
franchise away from any owners who
refuse to support the club. 1t was held
that the Richmond stockholders had,i
in refusing to pay the salaries of thei
players. violated the contract. andi
their share in the franchise was nixsl
Everybody who sat with the nag-i
- la, tt~ftt
over the prospect of the franchise go-.
ing to Petersburg. win Clarke mans
ager8 of the Norfolk club. advocated
the move thoroughly. and several f
Portsmouth players. although they had
no say In the matter stated that they
believed the move would be a goodI
one. 1t was shown that Portsmouth
was dead so far as baseball is con-;
cerned. and that the infusion of fresh3
enthusiasm would help the league.
The decision did not come until a3
hard fight had been waged to keepi
the franchise In Portsmouth. Dr.I
Brooks was ready to fight to the lastJ
ditch to keep it in Portsmouth. and
his arguments held the meeting for'
two hours. When the magnatesa
learned what DR.. Brooks was bankings
on, they decided that they could noti
entertain his proposition. and it was3
Withdrawn.
After placing the Brooks offer in thst
discard, the matter had to be gone
over again and gone over in detail.
Jack Grim's proposition was looked
into. and then the visible assets OF
the Portsmouth team We're reviewed..
players who If sold, would bring
enough money to pay the clubs in-l
.debtedness
Leave 1t All to Grim.
Grim was not, however, in posi-
ton to say absolutely whether heia
could raise the money to buy the team.
He was morally certain that he could.
but he would take no chances.
Jake Wells knowing that Peters,
burg was ready and willing to take
the team at fair valuation. offered
charge and allowed to find his town
for himself This was unanimously
agreed upon. and the team was for-
mally given him.
Grim Will take charge at once. and 4
undertake the management He all
ready has three men who. he thinks.
will strengthen the team materially.
and he Will begin to hammer his II
home at once. He will go
to Petersburg tomorrow and SEQ what
the people there have to offer. and ir
Is confidently expected that before the Al
week is ended the Portsmouth fran
chise will be formally turned over to
and the city on the Apo
mattoN will have a. chance at winning
the Virginia League pennant.
Those present in the meeting thia
afternoon weres lake Wells, Secretary As
Gregory, William B.. Bradley. G. n.
Williams. of Roanoke. w, M. Snead VI
and John w. Boswell, of Danyiile. "a,
G. Omohundro and B. Margolius. 8of
Norfolk. No representatives OF Lynch. @
burg We're present. Win Clarke ana
several Portsmouth people who were
ig the matter were In the &