Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
VIRGINIA LEAGUERS
NeWsy Paragraphs About the
Different Clubs and Men.
GRIM LOSES ANDY BOWEN
Walter Heating Fast on the Bases.
Opening Scores for
Six Years.
Special Dispa Itch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
| LYNCHBURG, Va, April 2O.-Jack Grim,
manager of the Newport News team. is
| the original hard luck man in base ball.
| for he has just performed the stunt Of
getting Andy Bowen, the veteran second
| sacker, into fine playing condition for the
benefit Of the Danville. team. Just how
it happened only the sage from Cincinnati
| can tell, but 1t was only six or eight
weeks ago that Grim got the Newport
| News franchise. and it was up to him
| to move, for he had team to get
| as well as ball lot. In his haste he
landed Bowen, and he no doubt patted
| himself on his back and considered HIM
self fortunate, indeed, to have, at least,
one position settled fully, finally and,
best Of all, satisfactorily. But. Jack
overlooked one thing, and that was to
ascertain first whether OF not Bowen was
free to do business with him.
At any rate, Bowen was sent transpor-
tation from his home in the old north
state, and when he showed up in Newport
| News Grim saw great things from the
veteran. who started under him here
| seven years ago. when Bowen's playing
had not little to do with Lynchburg
era bbng the first championship. But
Danville was not asleep. The fact
that Bowen was on the DanV1lle reserve
| list last fall under suspension was not
overlooked, and an appeal was made to
Secretary Farrell for the player. The
only thing this august parsonage had to
do was to ascertain whether Bowen was
| rendered a contract before February i,
and when this was found to have been
done the edict went forth that Bowen
belonged to Danville, and to Danville he
must report.
| It SO happened that DanvilIe played its
initial game of the season In Newport
News, so transportation was not sent the
player, but, instead. he was notified to
walt for the coming Of the Red Sox. the
Danville CLUB finding his board for the
two days intervening. Now: the ques-
ton has arisen. Can Jack Grim get back
| that transportation and two weeks board,
or will Danville grab the player in con-
dition and well fed for two weeks with
out cost to the club on the Dan? And at
the same time Grims friends over the
circuit are enjoying a laugh in their shoes
at the old Zinzinnat magnate.
The opening of the Virginia League In
the first six years Of it's existence was
never seriously interfered with by bad
weather, excepting In 1908. when two or
three games were prevented by rain ana
the other was stopped with the game
tied at the close of the fifth round. This
Portsmouth opening was again prevented
by rain. At no other time during the
first six seasons were any Of the opening
games hurt by, weather conditions.
The results of the opening games dur
ing these years were as follows:
| 1906
At misunderstanding, 8; Richmond, 8.
| At Norfolk-Norfolk, 2; Portsmouth, !.
1907.
R,GsnsRsssnsssa - q b bsnsSs.'
At NorfolI-Norfoik, S: Portsmouth, 2.
| 1908.
| At Observation-Disclosures nehburg. rain:
At Nrfolk-Norfolk, 2; Portsmouth, thve
At Richmond Roanoke Richmond. rain.
| At Lynchburg-Lynchburg. 2; Roanoke, {ten
AT. At Richmond Richmond, 2; Danville. o.
| At Norfolk-Norfolk. 8; Portsmouth. L.
1870.
4 a ReR%SnasIes@cna Psss!e.
At Norfolk-Norfolk Portsmouth, rain.
A kesnsnafRes%ead psnsi
At Norfolk-Petersburg. 8; Norfolk, 2
Appearances are that Walter Heating,
the local third baseman, who. would have
| led the Virginia League base-stealers last
| season but for an accident In August,
will be well to the top again this year, I'M
1 less put 10 lnc DdQ again ny iuA 10. IL
anything Heating is faster on the paths
this spring than he was last year. IN ad-
dition to being in much better physical
condition that he was year ago.
Along in July last season Heating had
a batting slump, and when his hitting
average was only 200 he was leading
the league. Later. as his hitting inn
proved. the number of steals increased
In about the same ratio. and when he
was hurt he had nice lead over
Shaughnessy Of Roanoke, who afterward
captured the honor of leading the pur-
loiners.
to accomplish this trick on rather
light batting record was his unusual
prowess at waiting and getting on first
base on errors, while his speed stood
him well in hand in beating out infield
hits During the season at home. in
GLIDING sixty-three games. Heating drew
forty-one bases on balls. and was hit
by a pitched ball six times. Ten times
he went to first on miscues by oppos-
ing felders, and twenty different times
he beat out an infield hit that would
have been an out for a slower man.
Thus he worked the visiting teams for
seventy-seven trips to first base other
than on clean hits. and 1t was seldom
that he did not steal.
The only team to visit Lynchburg
this year from the faster leagues was
Montreal, and the players generally on
that club were favorably impressed swith
Keating's work. With an Improvement
in his hitting this season he is almost
| certain to be found in higher company
next year. Lynchburg purchased Keat-
i II. e. release a year ago from Raleigh
When Borden. the Georgia catcher, de-
cided not to report to MANAGER Stocks
dale the manager promptly ordered Ed
die Phelan. the New York pepper box to
report. and Phelan came in good form, for
he had had three weeks work in Gotham
before reaching Lynchburg.
Gillespie, who was being tried at second
at Newport News. was hurt several days
ago in an exhibition game while sliding to
second. He turned his ankle, which put
him out of the game for several days.
Now that Bowen cannot be used at the
Shipbuilders' middle corner Gillespie may
be the man for the job.
With Efird, Hardin and Hall back this
spring the Roanoke team only had one