The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-05
CHEAP BASEBALL,
is NOT POPULAR
Richmond Fans Would Welcome
Peaceful Demise of Virginia
League, Preferring No Games
to Kind Played Last Sea
son-Meeting Monday
May Bring Relief.
BY GUS MALBERr.

The so-called annual meeting OF the
virginia League will be held in Peters.
burg tomorrow afternoon. beginning al
o'clock.
Loglcally great interest should at
tach to this meeting. Really the inter-
est is purely nominal and is limited ia
those who happen to be financially in
'erested In the six clubs making UP the
circuit of the Virginia League
1t Is by no means pleasant to state
the truth about the lack OF interest In
baseball. 1t is far nicer to paint tho
baseball situation In roseate hues and
to tell OF future glowing with prom
Use and fraught with the possibilities,
yea, even the proba bilities. of good
baseball for Richmond in 1912 But the
stars do not read that way. To put ID
BADLY, unless some radical action ia
TAX, taken at the meeting tomorrow, base-
pail prospects are just about as gloomy
as they have ever been.
ihdulginS In the same assertion for
'ne-Well. anyway. for more than once
-hichmond TASTED the poorest morsel
OF baseball in the season which died n
few weeks go II was possible to serve.
and Richmonds baseball appetite Graves
something just trife better than tha
baseball bareback and water which
mas been its lot Therefore Richmond
IS IN state of baseball rebellion.
Conditions Are bad.
This rebellion Is not 90 much against
an individual as II Is against s condi-
ZION. Richmond. with the ability to nav
Tor good baseball is forced throuhc-
the condition existing, to suifer along
with those whose pockethooks fail tn
ADMIT OF something better and, while
Richmond's baseball loving public la
not seeking philanthropist or man
VINO is going to do charity. Richmond
rs looking for some one who, for a fair
profit, Will be willing to at least at.
tempt to supply Richmond's baseball
needs
Getting down to hard pan, the f1rst
and foremost proposition before the
maGnates will be that of salary limit,
The sum now allowed-S1 800 Ia non
enough. Let those that will shout that
IL Is from now until doomsday, and the
fact Will still remain that II ts NOT.
The best test OF the pudding Is thu
tasting OF it," said the old woman. and
Richmond has tested the $500 salary
limit and found 1t wanting Therefore
the salary limit should be raised. Bun
1t won't. because Danville end Lynch
burg and Roanoke can't afford to pay
more money. and Richmond must pay
the penalty of the inability OF these
cities TO stand the strain OF the cost OF
hrst-class baseball.
Kept Out of Faster Company.
Further. Richmond Is unable 10 aea
set on the Richmond franchise ,s out
of proportion to Its worth, except to
the present owners, who could easily
set into faster company for half the
money 1t would cost an outsider. How.
ever, Richmond is going TO trail along
Just as Richmond has done for several
seasons But this goes and eoea
straight: If the salary limit IN the Vir
sinta League Is not raised or II Rich
mond doesn't get better baseball than
was delivered the past season, the
days OF the Virginia League are NUNS
bered, and none would be Sc glad an
the fellow who sees every game.
sut Richmond's woes arc not the only
ones TO be heard at the meeting. c.
r. Williams. present head Of the lea que.
is candidate for reelection. In all
probability he will be- reelected IL
he is not his successor will not be,
unless he says so. for Norfolk, Roanoke
and Petersburg will vote for him, and
even IL Richmond, Danville and Lynch
burg vote against him. ha Will retain
office for the reason that he holds over
until his successor Is elected. wh:lu
nothing Is definitely known as to what
VIII happen IN Petersburg so far as
the presidency OF the league Is con-
cerned IL is well known that there ara
some OF the magnates who would shed
no tears were Williams displaced.
Public Losing Confidence.
This internal dIssentio-, this COM
tinual throwing or mud az the man
who heads the league is not doing
the organization any good It IS cor
tainly not adding anything to ita
stability, and IL is Just as certainly
creating a spirit OF unrest among tho
teams. Another thing which the pub
lie knows is the obvious distrust with
which some OF the masnates regard
other fellow magnates. Disguised
with mediocre baseball. how much moro
Will the public be disgusted with the
Internal dissensions and sQuahblss
among the magnates
However, there are other matters
which Will occupy the attention OF the
meeting A report from the schedule
committee will be received. The corn,
mittee on transportation ard hotels
will also say few words, Blu, thesa
things are not really vital. The ono
thing which the masnates must do II
to try and improve tho game
Unquestionally the circuit vii,
cause trouble. Dsnville persists IN
declaring that she viii remain In tho
league There is no wax 10 oust TIM
Gown unless the owners are willing