The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-20
ny GUS MALBER,r.

Petersburg, Va. April :e-J w
Seward. president Of the Cockade
City Baseball Corporation. sat In the
left end OF the grandgtand. IL Il.
Prichard, secretary OF the organiza-
tion, sat In tho right corner. In be-
tween wore many directors and we'll
wishers OF tho CLUB with which Henry
%. Busch hopes to capture another
pennant It wea opening day In
Gooboryille. and 5000 or moro fans
gathered 10 oe e repetition OF what
happened in Richmond Thursday. The
sun shone brightly. Not cloud
marred tho blue. Defeat was impos-
sible and then Charlie Strain. late
Handlotter. now a full nedged pro-
fass!onal. started to pitch. Just to
follow the usual procedure tho score
is now set down. It was to o, and
petersburg gathered what the dough-
nut surrounds.
Aside from everything: the festivi-
Ties. the gala parade. the half-holi-
day, which u patriotic and q ball low
Ing public had declared, the pretty
frocks of the far prettier young wo-
men who dwell on the Appomattox.
the enthusiasm OF everybody. from
the diminutive son and heir OF Heinic,
Known Oh II. B. Busch the second.
aside even from the natty uniforms
Charlie Strain stands out as the one,
bright spot OF the day. Two hits are
registered against him. One deserves
TO be placed in tho hi; column, the
other. that credited to Jack Anthony.
and on which he gathered a pair of
shoes. some patriotic citizen Offering
u pair of kicks to every member of
the homo club hitting safely. should
1.-Two been an easy out, and but that
II, ~,
! Jack would DO minus his new pedal
adjournment Eleven of the tribe OF
| Busch waved frantically and struck
! out.
It Was really a remarkable perform
ance, and the youngst.r deserves every
! word OF praise which can possibly be
| hcaped upon him. Not even the roya!
| hospitality which the Petersburg peo-
pie bestowed on the visiting battlers
from tbs James can dim the glory OF
/ Charlie Strains first performance IN g
/, championship battle against profess
! SIGNALS. The more one looks at his per-
Torrance in retrospect, the more re-
| ma rkable II appears. True. Parry
| Thackera comes in for large share OF
| the praise. Never for moment die
| tho backstop forget that the boy or
| thu mound was boy. Constantly, lie
| kept at him and told him what to Dc
| this scribe, would take ono thing ava.
| from the sturdy backstop. But Stra l
| had the goods. and he delivered them
! All of the shouting and all OF the noise
navS~ distracted him one moment from
I the business in hand.
| He kapt at his task every minute o.
| the nine long Innings. Using a fas
| ball, with tho corners as his particular
| forte, no Ind the veterans guessint
from the beginning. In tho very open
Ing frame he pitched just ten bali!
| over tho rubhar. Nine of them wer,
good. and the first three men were
| strike-out victims. He pitched exactly
! fifteen balls before ons went wrong
During the entire game he walked bu
one man. and Howedell was the for
tunate one. Iowadell also happened u
be tho only fellow who got as far al
the midway station. In the sixth. ar
ter he had walked. Parry let 4 fast one
get away for short passed ball, ant
Howedell got to second. He stayed
! there.
| Never throughout the game was tn,
youngster worried or hurried. HI
stuck TO his post Ike major, never