The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-08
SHOOTING
BOWLING
AQUATICSI
First Half Of Virginia Season
Proves Big Financial SucceS
With Possible Exception Of Newport News All Of Clubs
Bradley League Either Made Money! Broke Evsr-
President Well Pleased With Crowds ssssssg

Though at times the playing was a
bit ragged and not up to the stand
ard. from a financial standpoint the
first half Of the Virginia League base
ball season which has just been
brought to a close was huge sue
cess. 1t may be said that every club
in the league. with the possible ex-
ception of Newport News. either made
little money or broke even. Presi-
dent William b. Bradley declared yes
terday afternoon that he is moro than
pleased with the attendances. and he
says the gate receipts remind him OF
the old Virginia league days.
Although some of the clubs in the
Bradley circuit had hard road to
travel for the first few days of the
from the initial half with fying
colors Newport News had harder
luck than any Of the other clubs be-
cause Of injuries sustained by severa
OF the players, but President Bradley
predicts that the Shipbuilders will
come back with a wild rush in the
last half of the season, which opened
yesterday afternoon. Time has shown
that the Newport News fans will not
support losing ball club. and the
attendance fell of considerably when
the loss of some OF the best players
resulted in a number OF games going
on the wrong side OF the ledger. The
return Of several of these players to
the lineup and the acquisition of ad-
ditional ones to All the gaps have
to bring the baseball followers OF
the Tidewater town back to the
games.
Before the second half OF the sea-
son advances much further all OF
the clubs in the Virginia league will
have done a bit of strengthening for
| the final dash. Though some of the
teams around the circuit already look
Hike pennantw winning aggregations,
their respective managers feel that
one or two new faces will do no harm.
Norfolk Lands New Ones
Norfolk is making no bones of the
fact that the club is going TO spend a
bunch OF honest to- goodness coin to
put a winner in the field. 1t has been
made known that the ownSrs of this
team have just purchased three play
ers from the Southern league. and all
of them will be in the lineup in a
day or two. Richmond Is securing
the woods for likely material, while
all of the other clubs. with the pos
sible exception of Petersburg, are do
Ing ilkcWiSS. He NcoUEIS HANC a
fine looking club and there is prob
ability OF them standing pat. for the
time being, at least
President Bradley stated yesterday
that the fans ali over the league can
/ expect much better baseball from
now on. Some of the youngsters
around the circuit have been develop
ing fast, and. now that the warm
weather is here. the older FASTENERS
are hitting their stride. With the
players showing better form. in
terest is picking up considerably all
around the league. and some record
breaking attendances are expected in
the second half Of the season. AL
though hundreds of baseball fol-
lowers were out of town for the
Fourth and also Saturday, the attend
ances at the exhibitions staged on the
two days were the largest of the
season in all OF the towns.
| Owners and managers Of the
clubs fully realize that the people in
Virginia will support the clubs il
/ they display reasonably good
brand of our national pAstime. and II
Ia for that reason they are casting
out their lines fer additional talent.
/ The race for the second pennant
and the right to meet Petersburg In
the post session series promises to
be much warmer than the first half OF