Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-16
VIRGINIA LEAGUERS
Season Opens Next Thursday
With Players in Poor Shape.
BAD WEATHER INTERFERES
Reduction of Salary Limit Won't
Weaken the 0rganization-Many
Good Men on All the Teams.
Special Dispstch 10 The Star.

LYNCHBCRG. Va. April 15.-Ail
though practically all OF the teams 1t
the Virginia League had their men in
uniform much earlier this spring than
usual. the teams will go into the charl-
pionshp race next Thursday with no
more practice than they have had
heretofore. for the weather for two
weeks was Of such character that Il
was impossible for the men to approarl
anything like condition. The men did
have some good weather this week. and
they made the most of II. and now the
managers are nearer being I'm a posi-
ton to get line on the makeup Of
their teams. This has resulted in adj
ditional releases. and some Of the
teams are getting down to as low a.
men. Most of the teams Will
go into the season with from fifteen to
eighteen men. This is necessary be-
cause so many Of the players are Of
unknown caliber. and the managers
will want to see them working under
fire before deciding some OF the posi-
tons. 1t is not necessary for the teams
to get into the salary and thirteen
player limit before juno j, but Then
President Williams Will put the screws
down as hard as an affidavit system VIII
permit him to do. for the salary limit
will certainly be enforced here TINS
year. or the team heads VIII be given
frequent opportunities 10 swear to pay
rolls which do not conform to facts.
Those critics who spent portion OF the
winter knocking the maguates for de-
creasing the salary limit by 500 month
are probably beginning TO realize that
the game in the Virginia League is COINS
to be as fast or even faster than last
year despite the smaller salaries. Ger
orally speaking. all OF the clubs have
inc Ing h.a IN a
and higher minors in the exhibition games
than they were able to make last sprinG.
Here the Shoemakers held the regulars
Of the Boston Nationals to ~ y and II
took couple of bases on balls for the
Doves to make the score that high. The
Norfolk Ears held the same team 10 for
runs, while Richmond and Petershurs
made good showings against the New
York teams. Down in Danville the first
time Manager Laughlin got his Red SoX
together they beat the second team OF
the Toronto club. . to 1. Then Norfoik
waIloped the life out of the Tri-Staters
from Altoona. though that was the first
game the z class men had played to-
sether All of the teams have fast ma
terial from the semi-professional and am
ateur ranks and the game here this year
will be faster than last season. because
the youngsters have regulations to Inahe
and none to hold their jobs on. 1t does
not seem amiss, even at this early date.
to forecast that the Virginia League viii
send more youngsters to faster company
next fall than went from here in the
past two OF three seasons combined.
Buck Hooker, who played center held
for the champion Danville team last sea-
son. has signed with the Norfolk outlaw
team. Hooker was recently released oy
the Danville club because he would not
sign at reduced salary. AT that time
he put up big cry for freedom because
he had a number of berths waiting him.
These berths seem to have petered out, or
Hooker would hardly have Joined an out
law organization, even if he were q fret
agent.
There Is no longer any doubt IN the
mind of the doubling Thomases over the
fact that the Tidewater League would De
treated as an outlaw organization be-
cause of it's opposition to the Virginia
League. The thing that brought this con-
dition squarely up to the doubters was
the instruction from Secretary Farrell 10
Manager Dahlen of the Brooklyn Doves.
to cancel a game scheduled to be played
with the Newport News team of that cir
cult. The Norfolk scribes took the ground
that the league would not be an outlaw
one. but just why this stand was never
taken is not clear in the mind Of q fan
who knows the game as 1t is organized
TODAY It is still a secret how Secretary
Farrell ascertained that the game was
to take place in Newport News; eu. IL -
sufficient to know that he called II or
The Montreal Eastern Leaguers may
have gotten themselves into mess ny
training on the Newport News grounds.
but 1t is doubtful if any action viii be
asked for against the Canadian team by
the powers in the Virginia League.
The Norfolk team of the Tidewater
League has twenty conflicting dates with
the organized team and these include all
of the games on the afternoons of Holt
DAYS Memorial day, Fourth or July ana
Labor day. The Portsmouth team. which
is also in Norfolk territory, will possibly
has been maintained that the league was
ONLY an independent circuit and not an
outlaw organization.
In Heating. who played short last year
for Raleigh. in the Eastern taroiilN
League, Lynchburg has man who wa
one of the five players with the hignesl
fielding averages I'm that position IN or
sanized ball last year. A glance at the
official averages shows that turner OF
Cleveland fielded at -973 for the season:
The next highest man was Branch or
Arkansas City in the Kansas City state
League. who fielded at 9!l in nineteen
games. Third was Gooechaw or terrs
Haute in the Central League, who f1elded
at af5. and then, tied for the next posi-
ton arc Heating of this club and Moorse
of the Edmundson team OF the western
Canadian League. each telding at a"t
the locals. and il he continues as he has
started the Shoemakers will have the best
third sacker since the league was formed.
In twelve times at bat In the first three
games he figured in he walked three times
ard got six hits, all of them being clean
drives excepting one infield' scratch. which
he beat out nicely by reason of his fleet
ness. Half of these hits were secured
off Maps Rucker OF Brooklyn and Mat
tern of Boston, both of whom were pitch
ing to keep the Shoemakers from getting
on bases.
The signed contract Of First Baseman
Bart Woolums of Denver. Col, which was
received recently by President Wilkinson.
brings all of the old men desired by the
association into camp. Although WOO
huns has signed, 1t is by no means GER
tain that he will be retained. for Man
ager Stocksdale wants to look Var1ey IN
Ohio lad, and Boyne, who halls from
Shippinsburg. Pa. over carefully before
sending transportation to Denver. Woo
lums has a great future. despite his ONLY
fair record here last season. While n"
only hit at about 100 for the season, his
stick work during the last month
was up to .2S2. or about the best
on the team during that period. He is Il
six-footer. with long reach. and n
natural-born first Sacker. and should he
be sold some club will get a man who
looks sure to go TO the big leaguers with
a few more seasons Of experience. Woo
lims is lad of splendid habits. and he
will work his head off for a manager
who will give him Drdner treatment Tile