Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-04
FIRST HALF OF VIRGINIA
. LEAGUE SEASON WAS GOOD
Ray Ryan Won Pennant by Play
ing Baseball at All
Times.
NEWS NOTES FROM CIRCUIT
Bruce Has Been Turned Back to
Nationals - Newport News Has
Dollar Day for Team-Lee Garvin
Likes Craft.

In one of the prettiest races the
Virginia League has ever seen, Rocky
Mount, piloted by Raymond Ryan, of
Cincinnati, captured the honors for the
first half of the season, the Down
Homers turning the trick by taking
two out of three from Newport News.
When the Shipbuilders went to Rocky
Mount for the final series last week
two out of three games were needed
by either of the teams for the honor,
for they were tied at the beginning of
the series. Rocky Mount won Monday
and Wednesday. while Newport News
took the middle game of the series
The Virginia League race has been
thrill almost from the start of the
season to the finish of the first period
Petersburg got fine getaway. win
ming six straights before Norfolk was
able to stop the Coolers. On May
Newport News took the lead. The
Shipbuilders were able to hold this
until May Is. and then for two days
there was n tie between that team and
Petersburg. On May 90 n remarkable
condition prevailed in the race Pc
tersburg held first place with a per-
centaGe OF .524; Rocky Mount Newport
News. Portsmouth and Norfolk were
tied for second place at SEQ, with Nor
folk Mt the bottom with an average
OF .476. The following day Norfolk
and Portsmouth tied for first place,
but the next day Norfolk took the
top, and n few days later there was a
triple tie for first place between Rocky
Mount Newport News and Norfolk
on the 1st of June Newport News had
undisputed possession of first place.
holding that until June %, when Rocky
Mount again overhauled the Ship
builders. From that time until the
end Of the half season these teams were
tied or leading in turn until the Down
Homers walked off with the bacon.
Ryan Deserves Credit.
Few minor league managers deserve
more credit for the manner In which
he secured an honor on the diamond
than Ray Ryan, and while he was
making his squirt for a garrison finish
Ryan had the satisfaction of having
the fans of four of the Virginia towns
on the circuit roofing for him against
Newport News. This condition was
probably due to the fact that Ryan
was playing ball and not dealing with
technicalitics. He started the season
I'm good faith. He went out for ma
terial with n view to observing the
four-star rule, so that when the direc-
tors sometime ago decided to enforce
the rule II caused no change on his
team. Nor, did II cause him TO make
any changes when tho rule was later
abrogated. Ryan had some reverses
on account OF hurts to his players,
but he made the best Of these and was
always in reach of tho top and ready
for the final turn into the stretch.
which resulted In n dash for half a
championship.
Good pitching was the main spoke
in the Rocky Mount wheel. Pope, APP
plegate and league formed the win
ming trio. while Goggles OBrien. tho
Baltimore boy, managed to get on the
right side of the record by n slight
margin Back OF this, however, was
regular Detroit outneld. for Ryan
has trio OF rare sluggers In Eiscl,
Gray and Bittle. These outhelders In
the last fifteen games averaged 1919
at the bat Gray topped tho three with
an average of .434. Bittle was next
with .347. and Eisel third. .339. In the
last seventeen games OF the half season
Gray did not fail to get n hit. a con-
dition that shows something Of the
consistent manner in which this former
Richmonder has been doing things with
the stick for Ryan.