The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10
Richmond People Have
Not Been Asked for
Anything But Faith.
UNFA r REPORTS
ARE ALL DENIED
Prospects Were Never Brighter,
and Local Fans Will Have OPP
portunity to See National
Game in Properly Built and
Equipped Park-Land-
graf Back.
BY GUS uALBERr.

ny GUS MALBERT
II the United States League realiy
becomes success It's SUCCESS will be
accomplished in spite OF tho very
agencies which should work for bet
ter baseball. Among a large number
Oh men, newspaper men. who are In
one wey or another closely identifed
with already organized leagues, any
thing which appears relative to tho
new League is considered an affront.
1t matters not what tho item OF In
terest relates to, these too feryid
apostles of baseball manage to attach
sinister motive to the piece Of in.
formation.
Especially Is this truo in Richmond
where the United States League ex-
poets to own and operate a ball team.
Even though the homo OF tho local
club In tho Virginia League is In an
obvious state of disrepair, even
! though the plant Is obsolete, even
though tho fences inclosing the park
are warped and looked very much as
/ IL they needed little force to CAUSE
| them to topple over. even though the
! clubhouse Is largely a Joke. and the
! bleachers of an age which should give
Z them respect no fault con be found
| by these ardent admirers of the Vir-
| ginia League. with salary limit OF
| just phrfVU IL AiOItu duU Il plhyeT tliu1I
/. OF twelve mon, exclusive OF the play
ing manager.
| But because the United States
League, so far as Richmond is con-
cerned. has not gone out In mud and
snow. or rowcd across pools of water.
or placed valuable lumber in exposed
districts. there are some who spout
| their inanities, seeking to criticize. SO
| far as the public is concerned, 1t
merely laughs ut these eSpositions OF
puerility. No sane man would for
moment begin building operations.
especially exposed building operations,
under such conditions as have OBJ
tained locally for the past week or
more.
The contractor assumes all of the
burden in this instance however. He
has agreed to complete the work in
/, thirty days. Richmond really doesn't
care 1t IL takes 400 days in which to
complete IT.
| Richmond Is thoroughly sick Of both
! the methods used in the Virginia
Leagus and of tho kind OF baseball
/ which the Virginia League has offered.
| Richmond Is ready and willing to wel-
{, come any league which Will offer batteF
baseball than the Virginia League haa
/ off sred. Any man, be he q writer. on a
newspaper or q lnyman. who says that
| Richmond is not ripe for the hetter
kind of ball. or that tho people OF
! Richmond are not able to appreciate
better baseball, or that 1t ls not far
better for Richmond to bs associated
with cities OF equal Importance. rather
than the cities of tho Virginia League.
merely atTronts tho people of Rich-
mond and Is hoisting himself by his
own petard.
! Ernest C. Iandgraf. who In an after-
noon paper yesterday was reported as
being out OF tho city, really arrived
Work. FRIDAY Hio office
Is ut Room 90 In the Ebel Building,
and his name Is printed on the door Of
that office in conspicuous lettsrs. He
has been In Richmond since Friday,
(, and without undue exertion could have
been found. He spent several days In
New York comforting with his a.ssoci-
| ates and with President Whitman. The
result of these conferences was entire
I ly satisfactory, and the schedule haa
been practically agreed upon.
| Location Of Park.
| AS to the location OF the nav. park
In Richmond, readers o. The Times
| Dispatch have never been In doubt,
When the lease was first signed, apl
accurate and definite description Of the
new park was printed In these columns.
Its location was positively estab lisheG.
Not man, woman or child in Rich
mond is in doubt as to where the new
| park will BE-. Lee Park. definitely and
nnally. Is immediately opposite thFe
Richmond Forgings Corporation. which
Is on the loop running to the Fair
| Grounds.
This writer holds no briet for rhs
United States League no more than 10
is called upon TO tell things which are,
not quits true about the Virginia
League. He knows the Limitations OF
the last named organization, and as
writer OF news he feels that he IS
called upon to tell OF these Limitations. 4
He doesn't know anything about the
United States League-.,hat Ii, nothing
save what he has been told by the men
most closely connected with that or.
ganization--and he Is willing Ia glro
them the benefit of the doubt until his
confidence has been betrayed
The United States Lengue has never
played n CANA OF baseball IT ia pos.
sible, though no reason exissa for ths
assertion, other than that In tho minds
of the men seemingly opposed to bet
ter baseball in Richmond that II viii
never play gains of baseball. hut IL !
no game Is ever@playea here by tho na,v
league. IL the people arc fooled in tlieir
hope that better baseball viii come IL I
the new league Is to die before Il is
really born, Richmond has salued adj
rertisement through being associated