The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-04
Pertinent Comment
BY GUS MALBERT

Ominous rumblings. portending COM
ing events. came to climax when
James w. Sullivan gave up his lob as
manager of the Colts last Saturday
and left yesterday for the North with
! his wife and daughter. Truck Egan,
| very close to Sullivan, and, as a mat
ter OF fact. his brother-in- law, went,
too Sullivan claims that ne has been
handicapped; that he has realized all
along that he needed pitchers. and
that without them he could not hope
TO win games.
For more than month the present
state of affairs has been going on
sullivan has been taciturn. not to say
morose He has kept TO himself and
; has brooded over his troubles. That
something was wrong every man who
went to the ball park to see the games
knew But few of them knew what
was wrong. They knew that the ball
games We're not good, and to tell them
/ that they were good games would be
an affront upon their intelligence
Nor would they be satisfied with con-
tinual excuses They wanted some
thing tangible. and now they have 1t.
Sullivan says he got out because he
knew the public was blaming him for
losing games, when, as a matter of
fact. he was not the responsible party.
owner Bradley says that Sullivan does
not tell the truth. But the fact of the
matter is that conditions did not get
ans better and they We're really get
| ting worse.
Another striking point of diverg-
ence between the manager and the
owner is that Sullivan says he quit
Saturday. while owner Bradley says
he agreed to remain. 1t was known
in this Office Saturday that Sullivan
and Bradley had been together. II
was further known that they had q
stormy session. II was still further
known that Sullivan had rendered his
resignation. But. in order TO confirm
IL all. Mr. Bradley was called over the
telephone and asked the question. He
did not deny that Sullivan had re-
signed, but he stated that everything
was all right, and that he would re-
main Evidently some one was mis-
taken.
The men playing with Sullivan liked
him Men who know baseball say
that he is a good baseball man. He
kept the Lincoln team in the race in
the Western League last season. He
had a good hitting and a good fielding
team here. But he didn't have pitch
ers. The baseball players knew 1t
themselves: the fans knew it, and in
iac:. everybody knew 1t hut some who
would not see. Sullivan's action may
be open TO criticism. but IL the facts
are as he states, he took the only
course open to him.
So stormy was the session between
the manager and the owner last sat
urday that the fact that it was pay
day was forgotten and the men do
not receive their salaries until yes
terday What was said at that con-
ference will never be FULLY recited
And the statements of the two men
most concerned are SO much at vari.
ance that a true conclusion is hard
TO reach.
Criticism never hurt Sullivan. &C
cording TO his statement, except as he
knew that IL was justiiable, and yet
ne was unable to rectity the cause of
the criticism. The obvious cannot be
hidden. Richmond with the best ball
team in the league was and is losing
TIC inferior organizations and some
thing is the matter. sullivan says he
knew what was the matter. but that
he was kept from improving condi-
tons.
George Cowan is now in charge OF
the team. The local maSnate says that
he is trying by hook and crook TO
land a man to take charge OF the Colts.
\ message was sent to Tommy Stouch.
manager OF the Augusta team, of the
South Atlantic League. who was re-
Gently released. and he wired back
asking terms and other details. Other
messages have been sent to other
prospects.
A hurry call has been put in for Ar
thur Irwin, of the Yankees. in an en-
deavor to get Priest here as quickly as
possible. Pitchers. too, so it is said,
Will be coming soon. Until the arrival
of the new manager. Cowan will be
in charge.
The team is badly handicapped. The
pitching department. never of the best.
is now cut short by one man, just
when Dobson is back N the game.
Rapp must be used at second. which
leaves Revelle, Verbout and Pierce to
do all of the work Dutch may be
relied upon, and Verbout will proba bly,
do. but Pierce must improve a whole
lot. True, the game yesterday would
not have been won without somebody
pitching for the Colts who was doing
the shutout act. But Pierce was hit
hard enough and opportunity enough
to lose any kind of game REGARDLESS