The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-18
BY ERNEST POLLARD.


Elated over the spirit Of optimism
prevalent at the adjourned meeting OF
the International league moguls held
in Newark Friday. Alvin NJ. Smith.
president Of the Richmond Exhibition
company. returned to the city yester-
day afternoon. Ali OF the club owners
seemed to be under the impression that
the class "A organisation has fully
recovered from the Federal league In.
vasion. which threatened to give this
league a black eye. and that this sea.
son will be one Of the most successful
ones in It's history.
Joe Lannin. who recently disposed
Of the Boston Red Eox. and who now
owns a large slice of the stock In the
Buffalo club. declares that there Is a
strong return OF sentiment. and he be.
lieves that the International league
will shortly regain Its former prestige
This was the opinion Of all the mag
mates In the organization. with the ex.
ception OF President L!tchenheim, Of
the Montreal club. who believes that
his club will suffer again because Of
the European war. Many Of his fans
have departed for Europe and are now
lighting In the trenches with the enten-
te forces But this Canadian city has
never been a real paying proposition.
However. President Litchenheim is a
real sport and he declares that he 10
willing to stand for small loss each
year In order that the city may re-
tain representation Ia the International
league.
President Smith OverJoyed.
President Smith was overjoyed over
the assurances that the resolution
passed by the major leagues turning
down the two-year drafts would be
reconsidered and a rule substituted
which will prohibit drafting from n
class IA club unless the player has
been in that company more than one
year. This IL plan suggested by
President Edward 9. Barrow. of the
International league. and II will mean
much to the leagues OF this classifca-
ton. There Is strong probability of
this draft being completely abolished
In the next year or two.
While President Smith IL not At lib
erty to give out anything about the
schedule at this time. he seemed very
well pleased with the manner In which
Richmond Jared at the hands OF tho
, schedule makers. Richmond Is to open
here on the seventeenth OF April with
the Rochester Hustlers. and 1t IL un-
derstood that the virginians will close
the regular championship season on
the road. However the fnal games OF
the year. which will be a part Of the
interleague series with American as
ISOLATION clubs will be staged In Rich
mond
/ The magnates are under the impress
sion that this interieague series with
the association will serve to stir up
additional interest In baseball circles
around the two circuits and record
breaking attendances are anticipated
1t 10 believed that this series will be
an innovation more than worth while,
| for fans In the International league
and American association have never
been rendered opportunities to see rival
class AA teams pitted against each
other on the home lots.
All Of the clubs In tho international
league. with the possible exception OF
Toronto and Montreal. the Canadian
representatives. should have good sea.
sons this year. It will be remembered
that Richmond stood second In attend
ance last season. and II 10 believed
that the Old Dominion city win again
make a good showing in this regard.
Exhibition Games Here.
Owing to the fact that a long series
between American and National league
clubs before the opening of the regular
season has been arranged for this
spring. minor league clubs have been
able to arrange only few exhibition
games with the majors TOR this season
Richmond has only two 80 far. those
games being with the Philadelphia
Athletics and Warrington
The virgtnians have arranged games
with Virginia league clubs. and others
may be secured in the near future. The
local club 10 to go up against Wash
inRton, March 81. while on April the
Athletics will be encountered. On
April . and 10 the locals will be pitted