The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-03
BOOSTERS BOOST
THE HOME TEAM
soMETIMEs IT'S RECORD II NOT ONE
TO FONT TO WITH PRIDE
BUT nOOgT. ''.-' "----'-7
CASE In RICHMOND
ASE IN RICHMOND
DUTIoOk voR NEXT SEASON FROM
Uses WELL NOT ONLY FOR
R0YAL ROOTERs DCT
BUSINESS BOOSTERS.

BUSINESS BoOsTERs.
While the boosters were boosting
Richmond in the city auditorium last
evsning they might have referred.
hopefully 1T least. to the Richmond
baseball club. To be sure. the record
OF the team the past two seasons was
mot ono to which they could point with
pr1de. Rather It Is to be viewed with
alarm, but there was a timo when the
grandeur that was Greece and the
glory that was Rome did not outshine
the grandeur. and the glory OF Rich
mond baseball teans-the teams when
Jake Wells played first base. Chesbro
pitchsd Tor waa It Leever?) Socks Sey-
bald played the outtieid and Kid Ell
bsrfeld guarded the third corner.
Them was days!
But next years team promises well
and u worthy boost from the boost
ers. ID not Steve Grimm to lead 1t?
And Isn't he getting together the
ErAndest aggregation OF Class Is
loaSuers that ever played on Class c
teAm7
He il. He is so.
Richmond IN going to have a great
team next year. grand team. 1t Is
xping to win the pennant with a per-
centags of-weil. the fans can fill In
the dgures, each to his own liking.
So while the boosters are boosting
Richmond don't forget the home team.
OF course all the royal rooters are
natural boosters. but the business men
should not forget 10 boost the home
team. It is considerable Of an adver-
tissmant for any city to have a rep
resentative team and championship
team II big ad. When a young play
or makes good and goes to a higher
league 10 q follow up ad, top Of COL
umn. next to pure reading matter.
And there you are.
The idea can be followed cut 70 Its
logical conclusion as the gentlemen OF
the high and wide brows remark.
Boost the home team.
The philosophical fan who argues
that the Roanoke and Norfolk and
Petersburg clubs should receive as
much considers ton Is the Richmond
and Lynchburg and Danville clubs. of
the Virginia League, Is correct az far
- hts premises sc. The fact Ia, how
ever. that Roanoke club and Norfolk
club aro one, 10 all intents and pur-
pose. while Petersburg Is another.
making the count In the Virginia
League three TO two.
Conditions In the campaigns of the
BIZ leagues now are almost reversed.
Formerly the american League an
joyed most Of the tight races. while
the National League pennant winners
~ . rule cantered home with a sub
stantial lead over the rest Of the
field. The records for the last ten
Gears show that In tho American
League seven races were closely con-
tested. white in the National League
onty four were or a sensational char
acter.
The tight American League races
were In 1909, 1904, 1906, 1906, 1907,
1895 and 1909. Tho National League
had strenuous campaigns in 1903 and
1911. while the races In 1903 and 1910
wero fairly interesting. II being a
foregone conclusion early in Septem-
Der that the Pirates would win.
The most wonderful races were run
OH In both leagues In 1908. That
WAS the year in which the Giants
and Cubs were tied for the lead afGr
the Merkle Incident BY defeating
the Giants in the piay-of game the
Cubs won the pennant by six points
over the Giants and Pirates, who We're
tied for second place.
II would have been almost I'M
possible to have n closer race than
This, but the American League cham
pions Of the same year--the Detroit
Tigera-won their pennant by only a
four-pofnt margin. On the last day
OF the season the Tigers and White
Cox fought 1t out for the pennant.
Had the White Sox been successful
In that memorable battle they would
have won tho championship by two
points. BY losing they fell to third
place, five points behind the Cleve-
land Maps. who finished second, and
mine points behind the Tigers. In
this great race only 4: points sep
Arated the Champion Tigers and the
fgHEth place Browns.
Ns Tho biggest runaway race In tho
last ten years was In 1903. when the
P1ttaburg Pirates finished 1875 points
lhs3d Of tho Brooklyn 6upcrbas; who
were second. Other teams to finish
more than 100 points ahead OF the
II4lald swsr4 The Cubs nc IsNA ard len1
and the Boston Red Sox az 1908. IN
1t3o Chances MACHINE finiahed 131
Delnts ahead OF the Giants, while the
following year lis points separated
tbs Cubs and the Pirates. In 1908
the Boston Americans made history
~ winning the pennant by moro than
loo points They finished lea points
.AhAAA -o1 tia Athletics. -...------.4--.--..---.
ss~s When such staneif National
.xnAGNAEn n Eapa .AnaQn and Frank
Chance say It will take at least two
oe three years. before any team can
hopo - wfest the cham pionship from
$hA Athletics. Il must be admitted that
the 1914 pennant prospects or tho
-Uther tsnms In the American League
are not particularly fiattertng to their
owners.
The Weather