The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-25
BY ERNEST POLLARD.


fore the FASTENERS who have attached
their signatures to Richmond con-
tracts will pack their personal belong
ings and shake the dust of their home
towns from their shoesoles, turning
| their optics towards Richmond.
While the spring training season will
not open in Richmond until Monday,
March 10. many of the players are
before this and begin shaking the
kinks out of their bodies.
Three more players were signed
yesterday by the Virginians, two of
| them being pitchers and the other
man an infielder. The infielder is
Jimmy Curry, who played last season
/ with Wellsville In the Int state
league. Curry, who is twenty-slx
years Old. is FIVE feet ten inches tall.
and tips the scales a $50 pounds.
During the season of l9l0-11 Curry
played with the Reading club. OF the
! Tri-State league. and for the next three
/ years he was in the Eastern league.
, In 1915 he played with Birmingham
| In the New York State leagnc and last
season he held down the keystone
! sack for Wellsville.
! Secure Tennessee Boy
| One of the pitchers is c. B. Vine,
| While this fellow has never played
professional baseball before, he has
performed on some of the semi pro
aggregations in the Southland. He
has been recommended by Harry Mat
thews, formerly manager OF the Ne
port News club in the Virginia State
/, league. This fellow Is six feet two
inches tall and weighs ITO POUNDS.
/ The other pitcher is Luther Barnes.
vi hoiiS $rop, yAyjrcf0n NJ He
Is a right handler and last season
played with the Eastern Carolina
league. During last season this young
Tarheel hurled twenty gaines. win
ming sixteen of them and losing only
a quartet In these twenty games
only twenty-four runs were made
while he was in the box. which Is an
Alvin NJ. Smith. Of the Richmond Elk
hibition company. has been negotiat-
ing for this young hurler for several
months and hts signed contract was
received yesterday afternoon.
Something like thirty new men
have already been signed by the Fir-
ginians and there Is strong prob
ability Of some Ave or six more being
gathered In the fold before the spring
training season opens. Most OF these
fellows who have been added to the
Richmond roster have already for
warded their contracts to the club.
Secretary Harold Jones will this
week mail out tho. contracts to play
ers on the reserve list who are as fol-
lows; Slim McKenry and Lefty Crab
BILE. pitchers: William Reynolds and
Harry O'Donnell. catchers: Frank
McDermott. Henry Eibel. Mickey
Kelliher, Eugene steinhrenner and
Edwin Mooers, infielders; Robert
Clemens. Fred Zinneil and Ralph
Baker. outfelders. ~
Has Good Nucleus.
With eleven players on the reserve
list as nucleus around which to
build n team, the Virginians are
much better off than they were last
season II will be remembered that
the local club had only two players on
the list when Manager Billy Smith as
sumed the managerial reins. they be-
ing Everett Bankston and Harry
O'Donneli. 1t is also a noticeable fact
that the yirginians have more than
twice as many men signed as this
time last year. Whether the local club
is going to experience any trouble in
getting any of the men to sign is not
known, but It Is believed that all of
the old men will be seen In action
when the spring training season
"opens Letters have been received
from most of the men stating that
they are In the pink of condition and
expect to have good seasons. There
are only two things for the players
on the reserve list to do. They must
either put their cognomens to the con-
tracts rendered them by the Rich
mond club or quit baseball 1t IL
thought that most OF the players will
be very well satisfied with the salaries
named in the documents.
The local owners seem especially
pleased with the signing OF Ray Fish.
This fellow IL not only a spectacular
| fielder. but seems to be able to hit
the old globuie with any OF the minor
league performers Two years ago he
raped the pellet at a .333 clip willis
performing in the Delaware County
league. playing on the Uplasl club. of
which ''Home-Run" Baker was cap
tain. Last season he started out in
tho Atlantic league. and batted 1851
until this organization went under
July I. When the league tossed up
the sponge It made Fish and all Of
tho other players free agents. and the
former finished tho seassn In the
Delaware County league. batting $50.
II this younsster can hit around the
800 mark in the international league.
he Is almost sure Of winnings regular
berth with the virEinians.
ChappelIe Good Man.
The Richmond club seems to have
made ten-strike when they landed
w. H. Chappelle a big pitcher. who
performed last season for Ridgway in
the Interstate league. He won twelve
games and lost only three. having q
percentage OF 500. In these games he
struck out sixty men. gave ffty-
eight bases on balls and made only
two wild pitches. He Is also eaid to
be some kind OF slugsmith. the big
Fellow hitting 1858 in the Interstate
league and having three home runs
and several doubles to his credit.
George Distell. an outfielder. who
comes from the Central league. and
Pitchers George w. Miller. r. l. Nc
Math and Emmett Dozier are four