Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07
LEAGUERS
Teams Shaping Up for Open
ina Games of the Season.
ALL PEACE AND HARMONY
Nagnates and Managers Have
Buried the Hatchet for
All Time.
Special pispatch to The Star.

LYNCHBuRG. Va, April 6.-An OF the
Virginia League clubs are down to hard
practice. some Of them having advanced
to the stage OF actually letting wonders
go who were hailed as XII Tobbs and the
like during the Stove League season. The
weather has been so so. 4. e., raining.
with q few hours Of sunshine sandwiched
In at times for good work. Most of the
weather has been warm. and the late
spring seems to assure the clubs OF
spring similar to the one the league en-
joyed in 1905 when the conditions were
ideal through the training season. some
thing that has not happened since.
Too early yet, OF course, to get line
on the relative strength OF the teams.
but in those cities where the scribes
have been on the job less than two
years the pennants are all but won. The
older scribes. who learned long ago that
It was the better part Of vaior TO wait
and see, are just waiting. saying only
such things about the recruits that can
do no harm.
The league has settled down to real
business and one has to so back In the
dusky memory OF two or three months
ago to recall that the circuit occupied
the center of base balloon for SO many
who were fighting each other even to the
breaking up of the league rather than
yield. have forgotten their differences.
as far as appearances go. and Harmony
tspell il with q big H) reigns supreme.
There has been no fuss and feathers
about the organization since the circuit
was thoroughly reorganized, and II any
thing has happened to displease any OF
the magnates they have been able to keep
their displeasure under tight cover up to
this time.
All Of the managers-Stocksdale. at
Lynchburg: Griffin, at Richmond: Castro.
at Portsmouth; Grim. at Newport News:
CASTOR. at Danville: Shaffer. at Norfolk.
and Busch, at Petersburg. and Joe Hol-
land, plotting for Pressly, at Roanoke.
for a week-are on the Job. but the men
have hardly had time to get the soreness
out Of their joints. SO it is only the alb
solutely unpromising man who has been
let go. The real weeding-out process will
come during the coming week, when
most OF the teams will get into something
like eighteen men. Some OF them viii
be less
There il an abundance of new material
In all Of the towns. and II all the reports
are to be taken without a grain of salt
all OF them have some mighty good re-
cruits. Pitchers seems to be the cry, for
in nearly every case each team viii
have q majority of men who are new to
the Virginia League. II Efrd returns
to Roanoke, and that is doubtful. the
Tigers viii nave three old fingers with
out using Draper. but with Draper and
Enrd not In camp the Tigers are as bad
OF as nearly all OF the other teams.
Roanoke seems to have had more trou-
the other teams. q condition due to the
fact that nearly the whole l911 team was
expected to bear the brunt OF the 19l2
burden. and the vets" were unwiliing
burg only five old men have been re-
tanned. and 1t IL about that ratio around
the circuit
curve dispenser from the state OF
Crackerdom, is the envy Of the local
camp, for he has an ash that was pre-
scented to him by Ty Cobb. Bagwell has
past. and regards him as his personal
friend. He is using the stick exclusively
and to the exclusion Of others in camp.
The release of the veteran Billy Keio-
ter did not bring sorrow to local fandom,
for Lynchburg fans have had their full
Of players drifting down hill. They want
some real fast ball around second. and II
pace. had he come here. he would have
led q miserable life for the time.
The Lynchburg directors have coughed
up $500 to start the team this spring.
this being necessary by the fact that the
club just broke even last season. But
for the burning Of the clubhouse which
destroyed nearly all of the teams equip
good a couple OF hundred dollars. The
team viii be rugged out In two uniforms.
white with cardinal trimmings at home
and gray trimmed with blue for the road
ramee The new clubhouse Is fitted up
Tor the comfort and convenience of the
players In a manner which causes the
men to show their appreciation. The
local crowd Is game, and the fans ap-
xt.2 vhn
have made the game possible without
canvass OF the city
Blaine McCorkIe, who did some good
work last year for the Virginia Christian
catcher for Roanoke. McCorlkle is lacking
in experience but he may develop into
rood man for the Tigers. He is a Vir-
ginian and lad Of splendid habits
Private john. Allen, the Berkeley
Springs (W. va.) HEAVIER turned over to
Lynchburg by Washington, is getting all
sorts of notices from the funny men. and
it will not be long before ne VIII De
known as an outlaw. because he happens
to bear the same name as the clan which
shot up the Carroll court In this state
several weeks ago. From Aliens looSs,
he may be expected to shoot up good
many Of the Virginia Leageu teams be-
fore the season is over: He fs about
six feet, weighs 100 pounds, and has red
hair. What more could q pitcher wantf
''Scrap Iron George Cowan. the father
Of Virginia League ball players, because
he has been in the league every season
since its organisation. can't be downed.
Last tall one Of the frst things Steve
Griffin did after signing to manage Rich
mond was to let George 80. It looked
like his days In the circuit were over.
but when George Kircher had to go to
q hospital for appendicitis Manager Shat
fer was glad to pick Cowan up, and he
will be used as general utility man.
role Cowan can play mighty well.
Arthur Shelton OF Gotham Is showing
up nicely In the Norfolk middle garden.
He is fast. but his Job will depend on the
development Of his sticking ability.
The Richmond scr1bes appear to like
the looks Of Claude Brady. the WASH
ington pitcher who Is trying hard to make
the Colts slab star. Brady was tried
out last spring by Danville. but did not
remain because he could not locate the
plate. He seems to be overcoming that
trouble this spring.
Danville win go to Winston Salem for
games with the Carolina Association
champions April IL. II and Ii.
The Roanoke Association is putting its
ball park In good shape for the opening.
which Will include arrangements for