The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-19

| ktCHnOUu III FeltI0puES.
L Danville In Newport News.
Norfolk in Portsmouth.
Lynchburg in Roanoke.
why. yes, now It's mentioned. the
baseball season In the Virginia League
for 1912 did open yesterday.
Oh, certainly the Rheims team
played-that Is. part Of n game. 1t
ktormed. you know - hailed. rained
and all that Lots OF weather, slcrpy
grounds No sort OF day to play
baseball at all. Looks like nice day
| today.
oh, yes, Petersburg club played
| that's to.-pisyed with Richmond,
100. didn't it, To be suce CcI-
tainly.
Played ".th Richmond scr: OF ev.
presses II, come to think Of 1t, the
Petersburg team won. But. the game
| wasn't nine i,inirRs. you kn"w--nGs
| nins ienings.
f,h. yes. tie same coun Ia ,l.e
| s.andinE. ard al that, bi. It wasn't
nirc innings. .'u undery' '---;:':t
SIX otherwise the score might haze
been different larger. or-well-dif-
| ferent, you know.
And who wanted the old game, any
| how?
Pleased ut Opening.
| The fans. In fact, are rather pleased
that Petersburg won the opening
game. For years the Richmond team
has started like q championship team.
won game after game, six or seven In
| a row. and then lost Just AZ many In
succession. They have a fashion OF
| starting like the Athletics and finish
| ins like the st. Louis Browns. That
has been their habit in days gone by,
and the fans saw signs OF future
greatness when the Colts dropped
tho first game OF the season to Peters
burg yesterday. They considered II
| a Lucky Omen.
! One Of the royal rooters came into
| tho press coop after the game and
shouted emphatically. II somewhat
| profa nelly. that he was gosh hanged
| glad that the team had lost the
| opener.
We've shook the jinx." he de-
| clared. Now We kin go out and win
sumpin'.'
Griffin Of Same Mind.
Manager Steve Grimm ives similar
| Is affected by the loss OF the first
game.
II have the better ball team he
declared. Just walt till our pitch
ers get working right. You'll see
then. I've seen the Richmond team
60 out and win six or seven In q row
and then get beaten twice as many.
I've dropped three straight to the
season and then won a champion
ship. The team il all right. I'D
rather We dropped a game at the
start just to show the spots that
need strengthening than drop them
later in the season when We can't
| get players. I'm satisfied with the
way the team looks
So were the fans with the excep-
ton Of few remarks devoted to
John Verbout. 1t wasn't one OF
! Johns days and when John Ii not on
edge and the other team puts over
u run or two 1t is usually curtains
| for him and 30 II proved yesterday.
John showed he IL no mud-horse,
He hates to get his shoes muddy and
soil his uniform. which Is not SUR
prising, for John Is of exemplary
| habits. He couldn't run to first base
yesterday to cover tap between
fin went after. 40 Griffin had no one
to chuck the ball to when he had
captured II in time to make the play.
! The going was muddy and John
hated to splash his feet
Mud Affects VerbOut.
| 1t was probably the mud that af-
fected him when he went after q
ball hit by Grieger In the second
Anthony had strolled and, Gran took
Carolan's carrom nicely but bounced
the ball at Raley's feet. whereupon
Ralcy failed to hold 1t and Graf
was given an error for throwing low,
Seeing third uncovered. Anthony
dashed for that point and verbout
| started to cover the bag. He stop
ped long enough to take Raley'a
throw and then seeing both Gran
and Baker hustlIrA to beat Anthony
to tho corner, he hesitated about car
Trying the bail ;thAres xlss ground
Il should be Remembered, was wei
and heavy. Baker couldn't get to
the corner in time, neither could
Graf and verbout would have had
to travel fast to beat Anthony. Con
scQuently there was only one thlnG
to do II the ball was TO reach the bal
ahead Of the Petersburg f1yer and
that was to toss It TO the bag. Sc
yerbout tossed It.
The ball beat Anthony. but a. tn
rules OF the game, call for . playe
ID handle. Il. the hela didn't ssop at tn
hax to tag Anthony. 1t rolled righ
on behind third and Anthony. o
course. ran home while CarOlan ca
rolled 10 second.
| No Ono 10 Catch Il.
OF course John simply forgot tina
he should have carried the ball 4
third. er tossed It to q player there
He did his best. no doubt. but It dt
seem rifle thoughtless 70 toss Aal
at bag with no ono there to catcI
But It was an interesting game %
| r,,-,.s.> ~. mack. 80 t,,x~ -,