The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26
GREAT SEASON
FACES VIRGINIA
LEAGUE PATRONS
Each City Satisfied With
Conditionsas to Sal
airy Limit.
ACTIVE PRESIDENT
PLEASES EVERYONE
Prospects Bright - Malcontents
Driven to Cover-Fans Con
vinced That Good Baseball
Will Result From Rctrench-
ment Policy-N rfolk
Ownership No Bother.
Br GUS MALBERT.

B4 With evidence rapidly accommodating
met the Virginia Lea que is about 10
start on scason OF unprecedented
prosperity, the pcssirnisticaliy inclined
are dropping 10 tho rear, and tho low
saalary bugaboo, once SO prolific source
OF cory for tho scribes, has been dis
eipated and has even come TO be re-.
Earded ns the savior OF the league.
Fans who were skcp.ical as to the
class OF baseball which could be Sc
cured under the systcm OF rctrcnch-
nent adopted by the tnagnates at the
4 league meeting are being rapidly CON
vtnced that the great game VIII not
suffer by reason OF the cut White pay
checks Will be smaller this season than
tney nave been SINCE the good old days
OF 1905, ambition vii! take the place
OF The scramble for dollars, and the
Z pay day and rundown" variety OF bait
player vii, be conspicuous b. his abb
SenCc. s I'll
League Can't AFFORD ,Iore.
here In this section OF the State I
rave been practically alone in main
tanning that sl.oo Il month FOR bail
players, exclusive OF manager MAS
ample money to pay FOR q good ball
team, end vas, In fact, as much as the
virginia. League could afford. Indeed
there was time when IN certain quar-
ters II vas regarded as me rankest her
$es, 10 speak out IN meeting. az II were,
and declare for the lower wage scale
Some OF my most intimate friends
ball players, owners or clubs and fans
were out hunting for my scalp be-
cause would, fnrsooth, cheaper
basebuli."
Under the guidance OF advisers who
Knew tho game and knew the conditions
n ,iD N,
the very agreeable position or BENZ,
able To answer mouthy nothings with
argument; was able to present facts
md figures. instead Of perpetua,ing that
old story told Ly Rev. Henry Ward
3Beecher TO the young minister who
wanted to know what the eminent man
did when he ran out OF argument. II
hollon," was the reply OF tho. reverend
gentleman.
al Sections mt Pence.
From every section Of the State comes
the information that both managers
and n.agnntes arc more tNst satisfied
with conditions. A glance .er the
roster OF the men signed by the several
clubs will prove convincing. Each team
In; the league mas from four. 10 i've
players who arc veterans in the game.
but who are still youngsters in point
of years. Given four men who have
had several years experience in profess
sional ball. and an active managcr. no
doubt can exist IN the minds OF think
ing men of llie prospects FOR good
clubs In the league.
Richmond has Verbout Dobson,
Cowan and McComas BAKERY. of last
years team. In addition there will
be twenty five or thirtytyoungsters, In
Guiding four left-handers for the box
work, who will be given o chance to
make good
Whpt Ii pity IL is that SO much good
Ink has been spilled IN misdirected
Effort TO discredit the Virginia League.
w T. Snead. former secretary OF the
Danvlile club, in a story written to a
contemporary, comes pretty near hit
ting the nail on the head when he says
that The Virginia League is in better
shape than 1T has ever been before.
Active President Helps Much.
~ The very fact that the league has
aa Official head N whom complaints can
be made, and who will give his per-
sonal attention to these compla ints and
TO the guidance OF the league. will
4 prove of inesti,nable value. Unfortu-
unable to give such attention. It Is
not disparaging to the work OF Mr..
Welis to make such a. statement. He
frankly told the Inagnates what he
would not be able to do, and in spite
Of this fact was reelected time and
again.
Naturally. sentiment attached to Jake
Wells. He had been identified with
baseball In the State of Virginia for
many years, and many were ioath to
see HIN go But baseball has grown.
1t Is no longer haphazard affair, but
tremendous business organization,
with thousands upon thousands OF doll
lars invested. and that league Is indeed
in poor shape which cannot appeal di-
rectly to It's president whenever he is
needed. The president OF a league
must be on tho ground, He must be
in touch with his board of directors
aud his owners every minute OF the
time "a few hours delay means much.
This is equally true in tho matter Of
utnpires.
So that in this one regard the league
IS In much better shape than ever be-
fore. In fact. there arc many points
upon which the Virginia League is more
stable than Mt any time in It's history.
Always a compact organization, the
several cities >arn now in closer and
hotter relationship than ever before.
Petty differences have been settled.
The Norfolk situa ton has cleared up.
Continued on Second Page.)