Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-18
LOCAL PARK COMPARES
FAV0RABLY WITH OTHERS
Statistics Show Several International
League Plants Inferior TO This,
aud More Difficult to Reach.
WORK PROGRESSING SLOWLY
Joe liousler Unable to Combat
Weather Man-Turf Secured for
ticld-USe Steam Roller to Pack
Gravel and Cindcrs.

80 Nv l'N u NaN -.
local fans will center their attention
for the time being upon the club
mat Is to represent the city in the
international League this season and
upon the park that will home them.
During the last week some progress
has been made on the new boulevard
Athletic Field. but the incicment
weather has held back the construc-
ton work, and has intcrfcrcd greatly
with Park Keeper Joe IIousler's eff
forts toward getting the playing field
into condition.
Joe has had his men on the ground
every day. and betwccn showers they
have been doing some work, but the
wet condition OF the field has prevent
cd tho progress that it had been hoped
would he made. a road scrapcr has
been used during the last few days in
removing tho ridges and Eullics. and
the ground now is practically ready
for the top soil and the turing.
1t had been planned at first to SOW
grass seed. but the delay in beginning
work on the field made that out of the
question, so turfing has been resortcd
to. All of the country surrounding
richmond was secured in ar effort
to find the turf needed without result.
Then one of tho local i~nagnatcs hap
pcncd TO remember the old Hermitage
Golf Club course that is being torn up
to make room for the new Broad
Street station.
\ more suitable lot Of turf probably
could not he found in the State. Thick
and deeply rooted. the blue grass is
just the kind required for the now
baseball park. Arrangements have
been completed by the club owners and
the railroad officials whereby the need
ed amount Of turf can be secured from
the old golf links and it will be remov-
ed to the new park as soon as the
field is ready for IL.
Stcnm Roller Will he Uscd.
With the thick covering of top soil
placed during the early part OF the
week. the turf can be placed almost at
any time the weather "A Few
| lays OF rain after 1T is placed "ouid
assure its growth. AS soon as 1t mas
had time to take root in the ne" sou;
a heavy steam roller will be employed
| nt the mark and the entire field roll
Ell down to Il level.
construction work on the grand
| stand has advanced slightly. ana TINS
can be completed within a reiattVcly
short time, once there is a spell OF
| clear weather. The left field bleachers
practically are completed. but no ef-
| fort has been made to get the right
| field stands under way as yet.
When completed. Richmond will have
! one OF the best parks in the league
and. in fact. in any of the minor league
cities; even though this is one of the
smallest cities in the country having
! class IA baseball. Not only will the
local field be well equipped and suf-
iiciently large to accommodate tle
| crowds expected, but it will be easily
accessible in comparison with the parks
in other cities.
The Boulevard Athletic Field will
! accommodate approximately 10000 per-
| sons, who will he able to reach the
| park from the center or the city II
at least twenty-five minutes. Except
,..,, ,l, S,,ltrl,s md - from South
Richmond, transfers will be unncces-
sary.
All of the stands are to be covered:
| the runway before the ticket offices
| will be covered; the grand stand. seat
| ing 5000, will contain twelve private
boxes: incline entrances will be used;
| the players house will be located be-
Meath the grand stand: the left field
bleachcrs will be placed so as to give
occupants a clear vision OF the home
plate and the entire playing field
The stands are TO be painted green,
except in the grand stand roof, which
is TO be light blue.
Gravel and cinderS have been used
as IN UNDERTAKING of the playing field.
The left field fence will be 277 feet
from home plate, right field fence, 322
feet, and the ENTER field fence. 49, feet.
Compared with Other Parks.
Just how favorably the local .1ark
will compare with those in other In
tcrnational League cities is shown by
the statistics which The Times-Dis-
patch has secur I'd.
At Toronto there is a stadium. prob
ably the handsomcst playing field in
the circuit. The seating capacity is
around $4,000. However. the stadium
is located OH an island, and can be
reached only by boa transfer. The
boats run at frequent intervals dur
ing the days Toronto is playing at
nome. but the trip TO the park requires
slightly more than half an hour from
/ the center Of the city.
Rochester. like all OF the other clubs
in the league: has n diamond With Il
grass iniield This diamond is con
sidered one of the best PLAYING fields
III the circuit by players. The seat
ing capacity Of the park is around TO-
0o0. and ii requires about half an hour
I" reach the park from the center
OF the city.
Buffalo's playing field is considered
bad by the players. and the park seats
less than 10000. However. il requires
only about twenty minutes from the
center OF Buffalo TO get to the field
Montreal has one of the smallest
seating capacities for a baseball park
of any Iuternational League city. The
park there accommodates only about
800, and that often is in excess OF
the space needed. according to reports.
Ii requires twenty-five minutes to
ith''l ~ pain " ne III VI
Montreal.
Providence has good home grounds
that seat about 10000 comfortably
However. the field is forty minutes
distance by street car from the center
of the city.
Baltimore's park also is in fine con-
dition and can be cached from the
center of the city in about twenty min
utes. This park seats around 10000.
Newark. however. is another city
that has a park difficult TO reach from
most parts of the city. The playing
field itself is good and the equipment
IS excellent. but it cquircs forty min
utes. on the average, to reach the park.
and then generally only after "a trans
fer has been made,
These conditions in other cities speak
worlds for the success of the efforts
made by the Richmond owners in &c
curing the ground on the Boulevard
ana the plans they have made for
providing Richmond with "a real base.
ball plant, III the team sI,apns an "a -