Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-16
ORIOLES ARE ROBBED
OF POSSIBLE PENNANT
Weather Again Prevents Contests
Here, While Leafs Take Two
Games and Rag.
SEASON HERE IS POOR ONE
Owners Probably Will Have to Make
Good Heavy Losses--NIany Things
Work Against Success-Doubt En-
tertained Concerning 1918 Games.

II one forgets that Richmond finished
miserable eighth in rne Internation-
! al League pennant race anu remembers
| only the last announced aims OF the
club owners. the season has been
pronounced success, for Baltimore was
prevented from probable champion
ship. The Richmond club is not en-
| tirely responsible for the accomplish
ment, as the weather man came to its
| assistance yesterday and Friday ana
successfully prevented either OF the
last four games OF the season being
played. This fact robbed the Orioles
OF all chance for pulling up on .rov,-
dence and Toronto. both Of which
clubs were able to play and success
fully tied Baltimore's names.
BY defeating the Rochester ciuo IN
both games of the double-header yes
terday the Toronto team won the IN
ternational League pennanr. The sea-
son closes to-day. Even II Provi-
dence wins both games from Newark
they will be half a game behind the
pennant winners. Toronto nnIshed the
season with ninety-three victories ana
sixty one defeats. If PROVIDENCE wins
| twice to day. the teams standing will
be nincty-two victories ana sixty-on.
defeats.
| After falling in all efforts to induce
| Otto Knabe to consent to the transfer
to tho final contests to Baltimore Jack
| Dunn led his flock of birds into Rich
| mond Friday. Rain had begun falling
early that morning and continued with
cessation until early last night The
grounds Friday were in condition for
mi M La
tors ut the park. Knabe refused to al
low the games to begin. Yesterday 1t
would have been impossible for either
| contests to have been staged.
The animoslty against Dunn. and
| which resulted disastrously for him
this season. dates back to 1915. when
he was manager here, after Baltimore
secured the franchise ir the Federal
League. The fans gained the idea that
Dunn treated the Richmond club rather
shabbily In disposing OF his interests in
the clue. and In the manner In which he
took with him practically all of tho
! players worth considering. No attempt
to deny the correctness of this belief
\ has been made by the Richmond owners,
hence the feeling toward Dunn.
MoSuls Ired by Dunn.
That the moguls feel rather heatedly
against the Oriole leader is we'll known
The manner in which they treated him.
after 1t became evident that Richmond
could make break his pennant
chances, is ample evidence of that fact
Dunn offered every Inducemsnt for the
transfer OF the final contests to RaIti-
| moro and even went so far as to say
he would give half OF the gate receipts
TO have the contests staged there. He
was rebuffed. however. and forced to
come here, where the weather man
stepped in and prevented either OF the
| battles being staged.
| So far as Dunn has been concerned
therefore. the 1917 season has been a
success for the Richmond Club. It
has not been a success, though from
any other standpoint. The club itself
was far from being In class with
other teams In the league. and during
| the season experienced many dif1cui
| ties. or course. the war played its
part. hut weather and the inability
OF the pitchers to get into condition,
| as well as the unwise selection of sew.
eral men, also figured. The result Ia
mat local owners probably will have
20 dig deeply into their jeans to make
up the deficit.
| Whether Richmond will be renre.
scented In the International League
next season is problematicaL II Is
said that those who have been backing
the CLUB had had about enough and
are ready to call 1t quits. Unless the
""' 10 oSeF ny the t1mo the PLAYERS
should report next season, another ad.
| verse consideration will have entered
Into the matter. It appears now ex
tremeiy doubtful IL any leagues other
| than the majors will attempt to oper.
ate during another year of war.
QUO knabe accomplished consider
able with the facilities afforded him
.nis season. and 1t would not be sur
| prising, in the vent that the game 10
continued here next year, to and him
once more at the head of the club.
GIVEN an opportunity for selecting his
payers ana for training them. from
| the very beginning of the season
knabe no doubt would be able to ac-
compiish considerable more than was
done this year He is, rather popular
with the fans. because Of the fight and
ginger he instilled into the deadened
clab he took charge OF. and many fol-
lowers of the game undoubtedly would
welcome his return
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