The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-24
CASTRO De MES
BLANO'S CHARGES
Manager of Pirates, Accused of
Laying Down, States
His Side.
Gil UB B R OK EN-
Says He Let Good Men Go Be
cause Of Instructions From
Headquarters.

Charles T. Bland. principal owner
Of the Portsmouth baseball club and
president and treasurer OF the Ports
| mouth Baseball and Athletic Copper
| alton, charges that Lou Castro and his
Pirates are laying down. are not CIV
ms their best services, and have lost
bail games because OF negll gence and
inattention to duties. That's the g.st
OF two letters received by Castro since
/ he has been in Richmond
Dscord dissention, dissatisfaction.
disputes. and generally disgruntled
set OF ball players. all this was con-
! syired to turn a winning combination
into loser and this despite the best
efforts Of the manager and players
When Charles T. Bland. president ana
treasurer OF the portsmouth Baseball
and Athletic Corporation signed Lou
Costro to manage his club in the Vir-
ginia league. he was congratulated.
! Castro is man Of ability and has
played baseball with uniform success
tor many years.
lie started his season b. winning
games. and only after his winning COM
Z bination was broken up. as no states.
by orders from the club owners. did his
troubles began. Bill Douglas. one OF
the best nrst suckers in the minor
ranks. was playing FIRST lie was &c
! leased, says Castro. becaute he was In
structed to release MIN. julie watson
was brought from the outneld and
made 10 play at tho initial sack. OIL
lie Britton, nrst-class pitcher. was
another of the club to be let out Now
Castro has catcher playing nrst|
base, a pitcher In the outneid ana Il
hrst baseman, Wolfe. playing third
base. The club is q makesAifi the
men have their dobbers down tuck is
breaking against them. ana 10 cap the
climax the principal owner OF the club
charges that the men arc not hustling
Has hustled Hero.
we know nothing OF conditions IN
Portsmouth. but we do know that the
Portsmouth club has always given
Richmond battle. Even when Castro
lost II was only after the hardest kind
OF night His club, instead OF be!n=
s!othiul. is about tho "hustlingest''
bunch seen in action here this season.
Unfortunately. Portsmouth has not
been q financial winner this year. In
fact. there are few clubs in the league
that have made money. II has been a
bad season. bad from every angle but
the playing angle. AS long as every
thing went well ia Portsmouth no trou-
BILE was found. Now that the team is
losing all hummer OF rumo.s are
atloat They had ,hcir troubles in
Newport News. but they swallowed
them ana started fresh.
MI. Bland charges directly that Cas-
tro and the players are laying down,
that they are not giving their best
services 10 the club. That is d mighty
hard thing TO prove, especially Ia view
Of the fact that, II Cas,ro is correct.
IT was because of Mr. Blands instruc-
tons that several men. of material
strength 10 the club were released.
Regardless of anything and everything.
Castro has proved III the series here
that he has not lain down by putting
up two as pretty battles as one would
wish 10 see.
The trouble appears to revoive
around dollars and cents rather than
baseball The season is waning. There
has been some talk of prolonging the
season TO the middle OF September in
iead OF quitting on the eventh. which
is the scheduled closing day. ques-
ton which IS worrying the magnates
Is the extra weeks salary OF the play
ers- Could all OF the magnates get
out of paying the players for half
a months pay. that is. until Septem-
Der II. they would readily agree that
the time to close would be the aay sc,
in the schedule But it is known that
these men must be paid in fun for half
4 months salary whether that half
month is played out or not. In other
words. the contracts OF the players
stiInlate semi-monthly paydays II
the cluD plays ball any part OF that
semi monthly period. IL is entitled to-
pay Tor the whole period. Therefore,
the desire to make the men work for
that pay.
Want 10 Quit.
Roanoke and Portsmouth want TO
quit September 7. The other clubs. in
Guiding Newport News. are willing to-
play the extra week. The reason is
obvious. The losers viii lose more.
while those clubs breaking even or
making little money Will do Just as
well as they have done. AS d matter
of fact, every club in the Virginia
League is obligated 10 take care of
these players. There is no use split
tins hairs or haggling over a few dol
lars. Without wishing to speak harsh
~, Newport News and Portsmouth have
always been disturbing elements when
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