The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-20
COLTS. CHAMP ON BITS
EAGER FOR THE FRAY
Danville Will Start After Pennant Right at First
Tap Of Gong Barker Against Hanks Catch
er-Managers Will Begin Champion
ship Battle

for tho teams to get a line on each
other. 1T is going TO take every bit
OF q month. and mayhap a little longer.
From The spectators standpoint, IL
they never get on TO each others
style of play II will be much better II
VIII pit the wit Of one manager against
the wit of another. 1t Will develop
lines of play. both extensively and de !
fcnsively. never seen before in this
league This would not be true under
any other conditions than those pre-
vailing In the Virginia League, where
each of the leaders Of the teams Is an
old. experienced hall player we'll up
In the tricks of the game. and ready
to change his style of play at mo-
mcnt's notice. f,'
The biggest advantage to these lead.
crs-and they know it's that they
are dealing with youngsters There
will be no disturbers who stand around
saying. When I was managing the
K'bosh team In the Bulcon leag que did
so-and- so.' or some wise guy who will
kindly impart 10 the rest of the team
that he knows more In minute than
The manager does in year. Instead
the manager Will have a band OF
tractable youngsters. who will do what
he tells them to do. There's not to
reason why: there's but o do and dic"
or words to that effect
All comment at this stage is OBJ
viouSly odious. for the good and suffi-
cicnt reason that 1t Is unfair 10 form
any estimate of Il team. even admit
ting that such m estimate could be
made. n supposition not at an in con
sonance with the facts. L take it that
pretty nearly every ono interested in
the game in this State is in practically
the same fix ] am-knowing absolute
IL, al, Il -,
Richmond will enter the field with
the same lineup which has appeared
in the several exhibition games. Suli-
van Is going TO start behind tho bat,
and he will catch young Barker.
Cowan will he al frs, base Egan will
cover second. Mares, shdrt, and Baker
third. Maths, Wallace and McCabe will
he ,hc gardeners. 1t is not saying any
thing to the disparage cement of the
team 10 admit that Richmond is much
stronger extensively than defcnsiyely.
The team rs n whole has been bat
ting hard and consistent. as the aver
ages made against the big lcaguers
will show. Some days the boys have
played a magnificent game defensively.
but at other times there has been n
tendency 10 blow up when In tight
places. Whether this was due to the
weakness OF the pitcher al the time,
or to some stagcfright because of the
higness of the opposition is not for
me to say. But il did happen. and
it's no secret. for every ono who went
to see the games was able TO judge
and sec Just what saw,
All OF this is going TO be overcome
In time, You can't expect a new ma
chine TO rim as smoothly as one which
has been broken, nor can YOU expect
a set Of youngsters TO start out With
that !machinc-like precision which
makes a ball team great II Is going
to take time. The rough edges will
gradually disappear. and when they do
] will miss my guess il James Sullivan
doesn't pilot the team which Will win
the nennant in the Virifinia League
this season.