Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-27
BIG CROWD TO SEE
BASEBALL OPENING
Toronto and Richmond Start In
ternational League Season
This Afternoon.
GOVERNOR TO THROW BALL
State and City Officials to Help
in Ceremonies-Game Starts
q O'clock.

After months of surmises, wonder
Ing, guessing. believing, disbelieving
hoping, praying. working. Richmond Is
about to welcome the International
League Of Professional Baseball Clubs
For years and more years better
baseball has been the dream of Rich
mond fans. To-day Is tho day Of
realization. and. unless hard luck of
the good. old fashioned variety in the
nature OF Mr.. Weatherman interferes,
Toronto and Richmond Will pry off the
lid of the 1915 season this afternoon.
Tho time Will he o'clock: the place,
Broad Street Park.
State and city dignitaries and high
officials OF the International League
Will participate in the ceremonies in
cfdent to the first game. An automo-
bile parade OF the principal streets
will be one of the features Of occa-
sions. while Governor Henry Carter
Stuart will drop the duties OF his high
office for the afternoon and will split
the plate when he heaves the flrst ball
across the rubber.
Both teams are ready for the fray
Final practices of the lighter kind
were lndulgcd in yesterday and the
managers report their men in tiptop
condition. Tho locals have been con-
sidcrably strengthened in the last
week. and Will battle hard to keep the
visitors from annexing the long end
OF the score. The Leafs have one of
tho best working machines seen here
this season. and II will be battle
royal offered for the cdincation OF the
fans.
THOUSANDS OF REAL FANS
WILL. DE THERE ON TIME
Thousands and thousands OF Rich
iaru ,,-if 1,n
automobiles bearing tho players pull
up In front of the grand stand and dis
gorge their loads of gladiators. The
teams will quickly spread over the
field. tho pitchers warming up and the
fnhcldcrs and outncldcrs chasing
bounders. iwisters and skyscrapers.
KessnIch's Municipal Band will play
the latest steps TO ginger UP the play
era and to work the holiday crowd up
TO the real baseball fever
That aforementioned fever has Ger
tainly struck Richmond fair between
the eyes. Reserved seats. placed on
sale throughout the city on Friday.
have been eagerly gobbled up by the
hungry fans and fannctes and the
dealers vainly cried for moro yester-
day. Demands at the park have also
been large, and the management has
found * advisable to throw open the
gntes at o'clock this afternoon. three
hours before the jumps give the we'll
known national shout.
Thanks to the energy of tho special
Rotarian committee. there Will he =
general holiday in the city. Mayor
Ainslie has 'fsIed proclamation
which gives municipal employees
chance to witness tho opener, and right
on the heels OF this comes the an
manufacturing plant OF any size In the
city will close for part of the day
Mt least. Many OF the big shops will
do likewise.
With good weather conditions there
will be no less than 10000 persons out
to sec the game. There will be
ample seating capacity for two-thirds
of this number while the standing
room Will give tho balance an oppor-
tunity to see the game without ego
strain. Peanut and popcorn venders
have been practiclng their calls for
the past week. and in fine fettle
Even some of the huskier fans have
spent many chilly days at the park
getting their vocal apparatus in work
Ing order for the opener.
HAS BEEN UPHILL.
FIGHT FOR BETTER BALL
1t has been q hard. uphill fight to
advance Richmond from the Virginia
League circuit to that of the Double y.
This fight really began three years
ago, when the newborn United States
League withered and died in a few
tottering weeks. Richmond, however,
did Its share to keep that Inflated
circuit afoat. and, had every city done
as well. there would have been no
failure for this forerunner Of the pres
ent day Federal League.
1t was bitter dose to the sport
lovers when flowers and condolences
were all that remained of the United
States circuit. They drifted back to
Broad Street Park to see the Virginia
Leaguers. but 1t was never that same
carefree crowd that filed the old
orchard when Danville was the stumb-
ling block to local pennant hopes
Rather 1t was wearied lot OF fans
eager for an opportunity to go higher.
to get up in the baseball world. as It
were.
This chance came early last summer.
The Federal League had wrecked the
international patronage in Baltimore.
which, like Richmond, harbored that
better baseball bug. Business men
took hold Of the idea from civic
standpoint. They were full of hustle
and energy, and soon it was apparent
that enough money to finance the pur-
chase Of the Orioles was in sight
Just when the hopes of the fans
were at the highest point, n stumbling
block. In the shape Of Virginia League
magnates. loomed up. A proh.bitive
price was placed on the Richmond ter
ritory, and the deal was off
SKEI.TICAL FANS HAVE
CERTAINLY BEEN SHOWN
There had been many skeptical ones,
and, consequently. early this spring,
when 1t was again noised around that
Richmond was offered the old Balti-
more franchise. these doubters began
sto laugh down the proposition. And
there came near being repetition Of
the old deal. The Virginia League
,ad 80, I4xI,. - =,