The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-11
Baseball and Boxers
Matter of Faith in United
States League Does Not
Concern Fans-Abe Attell
and Other Men of the Mitts

Ardent partisan Of the local club OF
the United States League says that the
only thing asked of the fans IL faith.
Faith, and that's easy, but In the aver
age community faith Is as scarce as
II was in ancient Judea. Establishing
baseball parks may be easier than
moving mountains. but neither can
be done on the brand of faith now
extant. Faith IL great word with
fans. faithful fans, and hope and char
hy are not unknown to them, either.
They have faith In the home team.
hope that II viii win the pennant and
charity when 1t loses oftentimes, but
when II comes to baseball plants they
are all apparently. az skeptfcal as the
doubling Thomas from Missouri.
Another earnest partisan OF the
Richmond club, Of the Virginia
League, declares that the fans do not
care the least little bit about the park
in which they see games, and would
just as lief stand as sit down in plush
chairs. Now there are times when
the fans prefer TO stand and don't
care whether the chairs are plush
lined or cane-seated. Such a time Ia
when the home team 10 two runs be-
hind, the bases are full and the man
home run. Then they are liable to
hurt the feelings OF the management
that may have thoughtiessly provided
plush seats for their comfort. But
1t Is very noticeable that the most
enthusiastic fans are glad TO get
chance to sit down right after such
a demonstration. or course, speaking
confidentally. plush seats are out of
place at a baseball park. hut it Ii none
the less a fact that good front Is
. splendid advertisement for any en-
terprise. otherwise merchants would
not take so much care about draping
their windows. From a financial point
Of view II may not be worth while to
give old Broad Street Park several
coats of silver paint. and use ton Of
gold leaf to gid the Krandstand, but
that does not alter the fact that II IL
not the most prepoSsessing park ever
viewed. from the outside. From the
inside II IL quite different. II 10 roomy.
comfortable and the playing field IL
kept in mighty good shape, az the
regulars know full we'll.
A New York enthusiast has rush.
ed 10 the rescue OF Chief Meyers and
medesily claims that he is quite as
good behind the bat as Jimmy Ar
cher, Gabby Street, Billy Sullivan,
Red Doom. Bresnahan. Ira Thomas
or Ed Sweeney. He might add Johnny
King and not go far wrong. In fact,
according to the figures given In
Spaldinxs little book. Chief Meyers IL
the greatest. for his percentages place
him 1t the head OF all catchers since
the game begun. Johnny King held
that position before Chief Meyers dis
placed him last year. but the Chief
il there this eason and 1t win take
nice work to disiodge him. Meyers
may not get all the notoriety due him.
but the Indian appears to suit John
J. McGraw.
Charley Bennett, Mike Kelly, the
only Buck Ewing. Doc Bushong, Sill
yer Flint. Wiibert Robinson. Morgan
Murphy. Bergen. CAMEL Jeems
oRourke. Duke Farrell. Clements.
Lou Criger were all great in their
day and the old-timers will never
admit that the fans will ever see
again such backstops as Ewing, Flint,
Bennett and Mike Kelley. Meyers
may not get the ball to second as
Bennett whipped it. he may not run
bases as Kelley ran them. he may
not have the grey matter that made
Silver Flint famous and he may not
be the great ali-around artist that
Buck Ewing was. but he can hit the
ball ~ hard as any OF them and he
has developed into as steady a re-
ceiyer as the best Of them. Com
bined. his batting and fielding figures
surpass the records Of all. To be sure
these oldtimers did not wear pads,
mitts and shinguards and a passed
ball went for an error but with all
these advantages Meyers still remains
some catcher.