The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-18

me second passing of Jack Grim
as virginia league magnate has ar
sVeo- Tho strike. which he precipi-
tated BY not paying his players, was
the cause OF his downfall. Unable or
unwilling, or both. to meet the obli-
cations and expenses OF the club. Grim
IL now numbered among tho managers
VINO nave come and gone. Abe Hor-
WITT, president OF the corporation con
trolling the Newport News franchise
mas taken charge and will conduct
matters untir the arrival OF his new
manager. Jack Dayis
JACK Grim is a unique character in
baseball Possessed OF great amount
or ABILITY along certain lines. he man
ages quite frequently TO get In wrong.
It is cinch bet that wherever Jack
Is there Will trouble be. he has
knack of getting into a storm ana
also knack OF brewing n storm. II
there Is none handy. Newport News
has not been drawing as well as Jacle
expected and. being or a nervous tenn
permanent. no has allowed tho financial
end or the game to worry him until
mis- CLUB, as a playing unit Became SO
weakened through distortions and
S,rifes. that II was used merely as a
stepping stone to help the other clubs
improve their standing In the race.
What will be the ultimate fate Of
Newport News is hard TO determine
night now. The club will be in the
league for the rest OF the season: but
the trouble down there will probably
deter the rnagnates from lenethenins
the playing schedule. II the business
men OF the town want the club they
can have f. But IL they do not. II
VA! no mighty wise Cor the viz
gina league 10 look elsewhere for a
city In which 10 place the franchise.
Ne"poFt News was touted one OF
the greatest baseball centres in the
state The receipts have failed to prove
". Now the excuse rs offered that
Grim was in bad and that kept down
the attendance.
We have always been OF the opin.
Ion that the shipbuilding centre was
about tho best summer resort in the
world could make better battloshtps
and better all other Kind OF boats
than any other place in the world.
but was an ALFRED poor baseball town.
However. they deserve another show
80 give It TO them. President Boat
right will be at the scene Of discord
to-day 10 try ana s,raighten ou,
matters.
Splitting four games with Norfolk
didn't help Richmond's pennant
chances any too much We are not
now In nearly good a position as
we were after tho return from Ron
noke. whore the Tigers were trimmed
three in row. Petersburg has been
winning right along. while Roanoke
took the big end OF the series from
Portsmouth. In other words. instead
OF having only half a game to make
UP. we now must travel along at a
surprising rate TO overtake the Goob-
trs. who now two and one-halt
games in tho front. while Roanoke IS
crowding US. being behind but one
half Tho ~
Is that Petersburg Will have more pie
with Newport News at home during
the n'st part OF the week. Roanoke
will be with Norfolk at Norfolk. which
makes second place fairly safe. as the
Colts will play Portsmouth There
are only twenty-five more games 10
be played, and the Colts Tnusv win
big majority OF them TO overtake the
Coolers.
While three out OF four from the
Tara would have been more acceptable
than the split stll no one can be
blamed for the two defeats. In the
nsst game OF the series. the locals
failed to hit behind fair pitching.
while the Tars batted in runs. The
second game WAS a victory with
Ayers in the box, while the two yes
.erday were freak.sh in many ways.
Harry Grimm deserved his victory.
in ability. The two games mat
ter or fact reversed themselves. IN
the FIRST we HIT opportunely and In
the second It was the Tars who do
the pschyoiogic swatt.ng. Take any
lover OF the game to one side and tell
him that you q ball game In
which thirty-nvo hits were made. one
homerun. and eight men given bases
, on balls and yet only nine runs Aco.ed
and no will probably dub you a not
overly cautious handler OF facts
Twenty-eix LETT on bases is also nearly
record for this league at any rate.
II was dishearten!ng TO see the Tars
carry Just enough men into haven TO
win. while our heaviest clouters stood
impotently at the plate three different
times with the bases checked to the
limit with human freight waiting 10
be tagged home.
There was somo shary defensive
work by both clubs. as witness the
number left. FRANKIE Burke nailed
Stanley Bigbie in the ninth on an al
most impossible catch OF a foul fly
Charlie Strain played a much better
leftheld than many of the regular
gardeners, while that fellow Dodge
at third. and Hinton at short. were a
whole team in themselves. Dodge will
grab anything which comes even near
his path and ne can throw from any
angle. whether walking or running or
standing still. 1t doesn't matter
either. whether he grsbs tho ball in
his gloved hand or the hand which
IS ungloved He is undoubtedly the
best thirdsacker In the Virginia league