The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-14
After Cinching First
Game, Matthews Gives
Men Chance to Rest.
COMEDY IS GIVEN
TURN IN SECOND5
Both Teams Take Things Easy
and Amuse Crowd With Some
Different Kind of Playing.
Little Trouble for Colts
to Win Closing En-
gagement.
BY GUS MALBERT.

D GOS M ALDENl L. AZ
This is swan song. 1t may
listen like mad medley, but it's
a swan song, all the same. s.
Newport News and Richmond
helped to bring the Virginia !.
League baseball season to close
by taking equal parts of double
header. Newport News won the
first, 8 to q, and Richmond took
the last, or accepted the last,
to O.
1t was an official burial of
corpse, so far as local interest
went. Some few weeks ago the
collapse came. The Colts, travel
ing under a taut rein for a
goodly part of the distance, sud- /
denly became spawned, not to
mention distemper. After that
the easiest thing in the world for
the other FIVE clubs was to meet
Richmond. Likewise interest be-
gan to lag.
|. There's lot of fun following
a winner, but there is no sortgof
consolation in trailing loser.
That's why the stands haven't
f|been quite as well filled lately.
/ However, Kessnich's Band was
out in force, gold tassels and all,
and if ever league got a real,
i genteel sort of burial, the Vir-s
ginia League got it yesterday.
Some of the selections might not
be construed as funeral dirges, but
they had everybody shutting
along, and that's the real point of
this story.
Cinch Third Place.
After losing the opening en-
Igagement Richmond cinched third
place. Of course, Richmond
!, would have cinched third place
! had Richmond won, but it's part
of the game to tell all of the salt
ent features. On the other hand,
Newport News, by winning,
grabbed strangle hold on fifth
place, which is about all that
Harry Matthews could ask. He
took hold of the Builders when
they were suffering from
straight series of nineteen defeats
\ and pulled them out of the rut
to the proud position they now
i occupy.
!, Neither OF the two games
! played will be pointed to here
after with any degree of pride by
:. the two managers. 1t was get
away day; the lure of home was
in the bones of the youngsters,
and what they wanted more than
anything else was to get it over
with. At that they furnished very
fair amusement to the crowd, and
it was holiday crowd.
Young Willie Smith, from Baltimore.
was doing the work for our side in
the first. and Newport News became
very fond of what he sent across. Buck
Barton did tho flinging for. Newport
News. and while he was hit an average
a number OF times, ne did keep those
! knocks fairly well scattered. They
smearcd Smith for sixteen clouts, good
for twenty-four bases and eight runs.
4 Start HunEetting I'm First.
Each team scored in the first, and
Richmond took the lead in the third.
( when another tally was checked This
1 lead was held until the fourth. when
Mathews made his men work to q tie,
4 The Colts tied II In the fifth by scor-
: Ing one after tho Builders had per-
Q formed q like trick. The sixth spelled
. the finish. In that frame Newport
l News shot three across tho pan. and
never blinked I'm eye. There may have
! been some criticism on the part OF tho
hypercritcal. but those OF US who were
young once and watch ball games for
: the sport and not to satisfy our
. gambling instincts, were perfectly
satisfied.
: After the sixth Richmond kept fol-
!, lowing behind, Newport News adding
!, ono In the seventh and another In the
) ninth The only additional Colt tally
s was made In tho mai box, making the
!. l.fnish 8 to A. Sentzif. our newest hrat
), basenan, had a perfect day at bat,
!. making Ave safe drives in as many
4 Iitries. and scoring three OF the four
Rms. - <, = 49, - = g ess
Errors played a not inconspicpou1
part In the early performances, md Of
Continued on Third PagaS