Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-23
BETTER BASEBALL
IS THE SLOGAN
Enthusiastic Meeting at Business
Mems Club Last
Night.
UP TO VIRGINIA LEAGUE
Committee Appointed to Confer
With Club Owners at Ses-
sion Next Month
UP TO VIRGINIA LEAGUE

Virginia League magnates again
hold the baseball future OF Richmond
In the hollow OF their hands. Reso-
lutions calling upon the club holders
to release the local territorial rights
held by them were unanimously adopt
ed last night at meeting OF local
| men In the Business MEMS Club. If
the league acc:cds to the wishes OF
these people. the Baltimore franchise
! in the International League Will be
transferred to this city next season,
l'aHd the dreams OF local fans will be
realized
II was rousing meeting held last
| night. 1t was called for the purpose of
giving the local men interested in
baseball an opportunity to learn what
the Baltimore owners and the Inter
national League intended to do. Rep
resentativcs Of the Orioles, the Rich
! mond club. and the head Of the Nir-
ginia League. as we'll as prominent
local sport lovers. made short talks
That the meeting was in favor of
/ better baseball was evidenced by the
! resolutions In addition, a committee
! OF three was appointed to get in touch
! With the Virginia League, for the pur-
| pos" OF efccting an amicable settle
ment of any difficulty which might
arise during the negotiations for the
release of the local territory
ALVIN VI. SMITH IS
! APPOINTED CHAIRMAN
! Alvin VI. Smith president of the Bus
I mess Mems Club. was made temporary
! chairman Of the meeting. After out
: lining the business before it, and the
| objects. he called upon William r.
| Bradley, owner Of the Richmond club
! In the Virginia League. to tell the
I present status of affairs
! According 10 Mr. Bradley. satisfac-
: tory terms had been reached between
the Broad Street Park Corporation, as
I the club is Officially known, and Jack
Dunn owner and manager OF the
orioles, for the transfer of his team
to this city.
Il was Informed several weeks ago
| by represent tive OF The Times
| Dispatch that Dunn could be interested
In proposition" Mr.. Bradley said. "A
meeting was arranged fo-, and salts
factory terms were agreed upon. The
National Baseball Commission. the
| court OF last resort. and the owners
ana directors OF the International
| League have agreed to the transfer,
and all that remains is to have set
iItlsnieat lxttllg II y Yirainia S-s.svs,f6. -iG
tsnage nay 9 oheEed ths league 5000 for the
I lieye to be just and equitable If II
declines this offer. still believe the
| National Commission Will back US, and
VIII draft the territory. giving the
league $4,000. the regular price"
CHARLES II. KNAPP. IN PLEASING
ADDRESS, MAKES STATEMENT
Charles II. Knapp. attorney for the
Baltimore club. then explained the Sit
| uation. He stated frankly that the
! Federal League was the cause OF the
| trouble experienced by the Orioles.
| The people of Baltimore did not love
the international League any the less,
Dut they loved so-called major league
ball the more They had lost two
major league franchises in the past.
and 1t had left bad taste in the
F.! mouth. When the Federal League
burst out of clear sky, they saw a
chance to slap. the face of organized
baseball, and they seized the oppor-
tunity.''
| Mr.. Knapp would not make any pre-
dictions regarding the possible life OF
! the Feds. He said. however. that he
did not see where they would get the
( money TO carry out the elaborate pro-
gram outlined for next season While
! admitting that the Orioles did not
draw, and lost money last season. Mr..
! Knapp denied that the club was down
| and out.
Il want To disabusc your minds on
| this point he said. Baltimore is not
| in serious financial trouble. We owe
no money, but confess that the new
season will probably be Il serious loss
X.
however, will be opened by us II the
Virginia League does not stand in the
| way. and we Will bring International
| League teams here. The risk is great,
as Richmond is untried as major league
territory. and want II understood that
with our salary lists we are giving
| a grade of baseball equal to the major
| leagues.
| That the business with tho Virginia
League should be done by Richmond
men was the opinion of Mr. Knapp He
| said that II should not be up to the
| owners of the Baltimore club to carry
on these preliminaries. Questioned by
men in the audience. he stated that
! the draft period was over and that
the territory could only be taken away
from the Virginia League as an cmer-
| gcncy measure.
| AT this point. Il number OF strong
statements were made by local men
who had worked last June to bring
| the Baltimore club here. II was stated
that the Virginia League by putting
Il prohibitive price on the territrial
rights had effectively blocked the
transfer. Along this line. George A.
Cease said in part:
| Il think am on record as taking
an active part last summer. | want
TO say right now to Mr. Boatwright
/ that in case the Virginia League don't
give away. it will have a tough season
AZ far as Richmond is concerned. The
people of this city want better ball,
| and they are going to have II. If
they don't get 1t, you can count on n
dull year from the point of interest
and attendance"
| SAYS VIRGINIA LEAGUE
CLUB OWNERS ARE FIGHTERS
! In reply to Mr. Cease President ]. O.
Boatwright Of the Virginia League,
made a strong statement, in which he
made it clear that while he realized
the lighting, qualities of Richmond bus
mess men, he and his associates could
also be counted on to fight IL the ne
ceSsity arose. He made, a lengthy
tiations Of last summer, and denied
| that the Virginia League had asked an
unreasonable price for the iocal terri
torial rights. His statements were
later challenged by members of the
committee. but no harsh words wero
spoken, nor intended Speaking of
conditions to-day. Mr.. Boatwright
| said:
"As to the attitude of the club own
ers now, I am not in position to say.
ceived only one reply. It was against
1 Cr, I'M o,u ipi IN aud ~. a