The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-20


short days ago. that person would
nave been dubbed batty, loony, light
In the top floor, empty pated or any of
the many other polite expressions sig
nifying crazy, and the party SO dub
bed would have earned the title As
matter of fact. a few days ago it
would have been impossible for the
Richmond team to accomplish any such
thing. The Colts. say ten days ago,
could no moro have taken the lead
away from any team In this league
than Mt Mckinley could be torn from
Its moorings in one night by the aid
of needle
Then why this remarkable change
within the past week, and particularly
within the past three days? The
team is the same. or practically So
True Steve Griffin Is now a member
of the team. and though this writer
thinks we'll of Steve's playing ability.
1t Is extremely doubtful whether he
has added one iota to the actual play
ing strength of the club. In other
words. Steve Griffin is no better fielder
or hitter than Richmond has had at
the same position on previous occa-
sions. Priest has been shifted to first
base. but no one excepting those who
allow their opinions of merit TO be
swayed b. a te inl's winning or losing.
will say that he Is better at first than
the departed Dobson
Summing 1t all up. Richmond with
a team not one whit stronger than 1t
was week ago has. for tho past four
or five days been playing baseball of
the kind which makes every other
team In the league look like weak
llngs The club has been going dur
ing this brief period In a. manner
which proves conclusively that the
opinion often expressed BY this writ
er and by every other Aba seball writer
In the city. that Richmond had the
very best team in the league. was
correct But even the most cnthusi-
astlc of enthusiasts gets tired of issu-
ing the same preachment daily. It
doesn't sound reasonable to the aver
age man that the best team in base
ball league can so persis tently and
consistently lose games. The spec
tator likewise feels that something or
somebody Is wrong. 1t had arrived at
the point where patience ceased to be
virtue and then-Steve Grinln came.
Other players had come before. AMI
still others had been let loose Those
recruited seemed to be little. II any.
| better than those turned loose. So
on II went Now barking back to a
previous statement and assuming tina.
statement to be correct. Richmond as
a playing aggregation Is no stronger
to-day than It has been at previous
periods during the season. yet Rich
mond Is playing 100 per cent. better
ball, and the question is again asked.
why Is It?
The answer logically forms itself
into the fact that the trouble was
psychic rather than physical: sub
! dued mental condition rather than In
| ability. The team was not playing UP
| to itself and all because the men felt
| that they were unable to do better.
In the vernacular OF the tribe they
had their dobbers down. Steve Griffin.
| bringing along with him confidence
| and his coming heralded by his abil-
| !ty as a field general. inspired the men
to do things which they had not done
| before. He gave snap and vim and
ingenuity and Individuality TO the
play. He knows the game of baseball.
and, what Is more. the men know
or think they know that he knows It.
| What wasn't worth trying for before
| he came is now accomplished without
serious trouble. A game that was
| lost heretofore is now doubly worth
winning just because the zest of
| battle is added to the sport II is
simply great mental upheaval. and
we may we'll thank Steve Griffin for
It. The pity Is that his coming. or
the coming of some man of equal
ability. was deferred until It is too
late to accomplish much.
i Twice in many days have tbs
Colts come from behind and won in
q walk, and both times the winning
score came across in the last few min
utes OF play and after hope was near
~ gone. No wonder tine fans felt glad