The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-04

clubs; every club must be able to draw
people on the road. From the bor
office standpoint there arc three losers
In the Virginia League under any cir
cumstances. Roanoke, Newport News
and Portsmouth will love money unless
these three teams bring out the max
imum drawing power at home and
abroad There Is ono other Item, OF
reVenue-the sale OF players-but that
is n gamble pure and simple. In Ports
mouth. though Lee Garvin seems TO
have pretty fair ball club. the people
are not satisfied. Garvtn is one OF the
retiring kind. never appears on the
coaching lines and Is not lighting with
that the fans can notice il. The at
tendance has been woefully small and
guarantees have not been made.
For Newport News there is tho ex-
Even a larger town than Newport News
would faii TO draw under such circum-
sS.re w,h They ,Ss haye 5ssn loyal down
that something would eventually turn
up: II hasn't developed yet. and still
Magic city a Whining club. The attend
road. where the Tigers are something
or an attraction. Norfolk is building
up again, thanks TO Charlie Shaffcr.
Is hope that tho Tar centre will como
back to its original position as a great
n On s centre. Petersburg continues
The league directors are then con-
fronted with the proposition of taking
care or three money losers. Can the
Virginia League manage 1t? 1t is
sometning ola problem for the leagues
iinanciers. There is just one way that
Obvious that the directors must see it.
In those cities where, even the maxi
n mum attendance viii give the club
must be teams SO good that this maxi
mum attendance nee Is being drawn to
the. dollar standpoint. must possess
S Sis Of such shi when they
| that every possible dollar liz drawn to
the til. 1t is question, of bolstering
more populous centres can take caretof
but now is the time for the league
The public is tickle at best. and while
richmond and Petersburg are drawing
ming pals In the same manner that
one may obtain surfeit Of sweets.
to win. but he wants II TO be a baltic,
f.not runaway.
Long before tho season began in the
whose opinion is worth something
placed the two championships in tho
| East. Philadelphia was given the
honor in the American League, with
] Boston the runner up and Washington
Giants We're touted to repeat with tS
! Philadelphia and Pittsburgh battling
/ for the top. Cleveland, with young
/ Joe Birmingham leading, wasn't even
| considered except as a first division
possibility. Gazing at the percentage
! columns, we find Cleveland close OIL
the heels OF the Athletics. and in the
| National the Cubs, who were supposed
to melt and disappear under the lead
! ership of Johnny Evers, are out In
front, with the Phillies. Giants and
| Pittsburgh trailing. 1t may mean moths
ing. with just such short distance
having been travelled, but stranger up
sets have occurred. and a world series
with Cleveland and Chicago as the cen :
tres Is not beyond the realm OF posi- :
| bility.
Evers alone. OF all the changes in
managerial talent, has shown to adl
J vantage. Peerless Frank Chance took
the msfit Yankees to Bermuda and
brought them back still insists. Joe
Tinker Is showing nothing so good as
Hank ODay did with the Reds. While
4 Evers Is leading his league and Is going
1 so strong that there must be serious
Il break .for him to fall far, behind in the
race. The. Obvious conclusion is that
4 It takes ball players. above every
thing, to make ball club: