Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-28
RICHMOND OPENER
WAS BIG TRIUMPH
international League Season Be
gins With Huge Crowd of
Enthusiasts Out.
LOCAL TEAM WINS FIRST
Toronto Is Forced to Bow Be
fore Heavy-Hitting
Climbers.


delight. fully 800 lovers of the grea,
national sport watched the baby mem.
Der Of the international League familS
burst from It's chrysal!s yesterday af-
ternoon and spring into a fun bloom
existence. The huge crowd filled Broad
street Park TO overlooking, and was
rewarded for its faithful support by
seeing the Richmond Representatives
returned the winner over the Toronto
Leafs b. score of II to 8.
Four times that crowd gleefully
watched the local aggregation come
from behind and tie the score. and il
was joymaddened conglorncration Of
seething humanity that saw the nna
spurt which brought victory to the
nome team. 1t was the opening Of the
international League. and more, too
1t was demonstration that Richmond
has team with the spirit TO fight ar
uphill battle. on all sides they were
dubbed the Climbers. and Climbers they
/ shall be called.
1t was baseball weather. the kind that
is usually reserved for the big holidays
The sun registered many. manv de.
grecs. the total OF which was not far
below the century mark The hea,
I
tensity. but throughout the entire al.
ternoon cooling breeze came sweep
ing into tho brimming grand stands
and blcachers from across the rreon.
sward Of the Hermitage Golf Club
without 1t there would have been no
standing the sizzling atmosphere.
CROWD STARTED ARRIVING
THREE HOURS BEFORE GAME
Hours--thrcc TO be exact-before the
initial clash was TO begin the gates to
tho parks were thrown open and the
hrst arrivals took their seats. From,
that time until the contest was well
under way thcy continued to COM.
Automobiles dashed to tho entrances
and' quickly spilled out their occupants
dhshed back down town to get another
load. Every car going west was filed
win perspirinG humanity for two hours
before the game began
Practically every fan and r,nnet+o
was comfortably seated before the
teams arrived on the field. hua ded hy
state. city and baseball dignitaries. To
inspiring music from Kessnich's Mun;ci-
pal band the glad!ators arrived and
quickly began TO Timber IN II was
TWO self-conscious squads that faced
the combined roar of the thousands
Another wave of noise greeted the an
pearance OF our rotund and esteemed
Governor, Henry Carter Stuart. and orr
no less esteemed Mayor. George AinsIie
These officials were accompanied bv
Edward G. Barrow. president. general
manager and guiding spirit of the In
ternat'onal League of Professional
baseoaH Clubs. and President J. T.
McCanery. of the Toronto club.
GREETING OF THE CROWD
PUTS TEAMS ON NE,I"rI T.,
The teams went through the Gus.
'o'hary hve-minutes' practice each on
the field. but there was an added snirit
20 'he Work. Every one OF those men
ala his utmost to show the best that
was in him. and they succeeded 90
impossible spears of high throws were
made. Sizzling bounders were scoo,sd
out or. the dust, and the elistcninr r
white balls went sailing from nost -
post at dazzling speed.
promptly at o'clock Manager JacL
Dunn. chief marshal of the dav c.l1od
the Richmond and Toronto clans to daan
center field. Stout Joe Kessnich win
his Illuminating smile, led his musician ~.
TO the same spot. The guests of honor
walked TO the home plate. and 10 Tho
inspiring air II Tipperary the two
teams, in n single. spreading line
marched toward them. Reaching tbe
plate, the players formed a scmi-circ,o
around the Governor. who. after a briar
address, in which he predicted success
FOR the International League, and tho
men before him, tossed over a ball ,o
Mayor Ainslie. The Mayor strobe calm
iy TO the pitchers mound, from where
ne lined tho pellet which pIunked
soundly Into the mitt of Schaufclc.
The work OF the d!Enitaries was
done. The time to play ball had come
The International League had in
ausurated the season OF 1915
IT was all sorts OF baseball that was
handed out for the cditication OF the
first day crowd. TO say that the game
was great one would not be stretch
Ing the truth. 1t was great game
not in tho sense of being a wonderful
exhibition OF baseball but in the fact
mat 1t was one of those real thrillers
that have the spectators literally on
their toes with excitement. Hits and
then more hits were garnercd. ana
there were errors, too, to add to the
uncertainties of tho uncertain snort
There was never any guessing what
would happen. II had to be taken as
it came, and the happenings came fast
All OF which could he summed up by
the simple statement that it was n
good. red-blooded contest for red
blooded people.
GAME WAS ALWAYS
IN DOUBT TO END
The winner Of the game was In doubt
until the last Toronto player was an re-
ly out In the ninth inning. The Leafs
had secured four-run lead in the
first two innings, and 1t looked os ~
the game were lost, but the Dunnites
began to earn their new apDclation and
tied UP tho score. The next inning the
CGnucks hung UP another counter and
again the Climbers climbed up.
When 1t seemed that tho locals had
reached the limit Of their fighting
power, the Leafs were two runs to the
good undismayed Captain Ball sent
his cohorts back at the visitors, and