Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-04
TO BE OPENED TODAY
The Season Of the Departmental Base
Ball League.
TREASURY vs. TEE ARMY AND NAVY
Specializing on the Winner Of the
Pennant.
A GREAT DEAL OF RIVALRY

The playing season of the Departmental
Base Ball League will be fairly under way
| this afternoon, unless the weather should
| disappoint the well-wishers of the league.
| The contesting teams will be those from
the Treasury Department and the Army
and Navy contingent, both Of which are
| about evenly matched. Owing to the bad
| weather of the past week, the first game Of
| the season. which was to have been played
| Thursday between teams from the District
| Commissioners office and the bureau Of en-
| craving and printing, was postponed, and
| the game which was scheduled for yester-
| day was also postponed, thus making the
opening game of the season between these
| two teams above mentioned. The list of
| the players and the positions which they
will occupy in this afternoons game has
already been printed in The Star.
On Good Financial Standing.
The financial standing of the league is in
excellent condition. due partly to the sue
cess of the concert which was given for
the benefit of the league at National Rifles
Armory Tuesday evening last, and no fears
are entertained by those interested in the
| welfare of the league that 1t will get into
| rut before the completion of the scheduled
season. Each club is also in good condition
finanoi tally, and altogether, the outlook for
be darkened by single cloud, but gives
| the promise of a season which will eclipse
every previous effort of any amateur league
of this city. Every man on each of the
| several teams takes the grea test amount of
interest and pride In the workings of his
| own especial club, and each manager of the
| several clubs is working as hard as he
| knows how for the maintenance and sup
port of the league.
A great deal of enthusiasm and interest
| is also manifested at all Of the league
IL
the different clubs is, of course very keen,
| it never crops out in unpleasant criticisms
| or remarks, and, in fact, Is never alluded
to except in the way of good-natured chaff
| Where the Games Are Played.
One of the bright strokes of the manage
ment Of the league was in securing Nation
al Base Ball Park for the games. It is the
best and the only place in the city where
the game can be played as 1t should be
played the ground at Capitol Park being
| SO cut up at the present time as to be I'M
fit for such purpose. Another good move
was in securing the services of Mr.. Joseph
| X. StrasberSer to act as general manager
throughout the season. All arrangements
essential to the comfort of the patrons Of
the games, the players and the games
themselves have been looked after by Mr..
| Strasberger.
President A. A. Sousa is also a hard
| worker in the interests of the league, and
with his two able associates c. F. Dickens,
| the vice president who have done more to-
ward setting the league upon sound basis
| than any other two men in it, form a trio
| that is hard to beat in the hustling line.
The clubs now composing the league are
teams from the District Commissioners Of
| flee, pension Office, Post Office Department.
government printing office, Treasury De-
| partment, city post office, bureau of en-
| craving and printing, Washington Light
Infantry and the Army and Navy club
| This makes nine clubs in the league, but
,I,r
| time, on account of only one park being
| available at the present, the odd num-
Der Will not affect the standing of the
| clubs at the close of the season.
Specializing as to the Leader.
Speculation is rife among those who have
| been watching the Departmental League
| since Its organization to the outcome of
| the season in the way of the percentages
| and standing of the clubs. The team from
the District Commissioners office captured
| the first place honors last year, with the
| bureau of engraving and printing, however,
| only a neck behind. Although both these
| teams seem pretty confident of retaining
| their places this year. and the money-mak-
| ing boys hope to go even one better, some
of the other teams in the race offering
| strong bids for the coveted positions.
| One of the teams in the league is decid-
| edly a dark horse, about which not much
| is known just at present, except the names
| of those that form the club. This is the
| Infantry, and it is composed Of some very
| excellent material. 1t remains to be seen
only what they will do in their first game.
which takes place Thursday, May 8, with
| the Army and Navy club.
Believed to Be Pennant Winners.
The government printing office team is
| another which Is not well known. The
| managers of the club, however say that
| they have pennant winner, and as they
had some 1900 men, all familiar with the
national game, to pick from,it would not be
| surprising If they were somewhere near
the top of the heap. Ravens, the captain
| of the team, is a good, steady player and
uses his head with as good Judgment as he
does his hands. Richards, who will play in
| the outfield, is a heavy hitter, and so is
Mutehier, who will cover first base. The
| latter is also very excellent fielder, as
| well as being handy with the stick. An
other man that the team places confidence
in is Rowiett. who at one time played in
the Kentucky State League, earning
| reputation as the best all-round player of
the league The team as it is picked COM
prises Richards, Mohler, Mexican, Smith,
| Havens, Porter, Mutchler, Berber, Dough-
| erty and Rowlett.
| game between the champions of last
season o viii not take place this month. as
was to have been played between these
| two clubs.
Opening With a Flourish.
| 1t is expected that large number of
people will make the journey to National
Park this afternoon to see the opening
game. The boys intend to do the thing up
in style, and will indulge in a taly-ho
coach parade and a band of music before
the game Every one who attended the
concert Tuesday evening received compli-
mentaries to the opening game, and this
will doubtless swell the number very con-
| siderably, as a large crowd was in attend
| ance at the concert.
A number of ladies' tickets have been
| issued, and it is expected and hoped that
a large representation of them will be in the
grand stand this afternoon. The same ar
Iangements that prevail at National League
games will be in vogue at these games,
the best of order being maintained at all
| times, and the managers are determined
| that it shall be no fault of theirs if the
games are not popular with the people.
| COOGAN MAY PLAY SHORT.
More Fault Found With the WASH
ingtOn Infield.