The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-20
ague base ball sea-

The Western league base ball sea-
son opens tomorrow.
Manager ComiSkey, with twelve men,
left last night for Omaha and will ar
rive there this morning, in plenty of
time for a practice today.
Z Thursday afternoon the new grounds
; of the Omaha club, out near the eX
position buildings, will be dedicated
with appropriate exercises, in which
the mayor of Omaha and the city off,
Gals will participate.
The Saints, who will ride in carriag es
In the big parade, in addition to their
manager, are Denzer, Cross, Phyle and
Glasscock. first base; Glenalvin. sec
ond base; Shugart, short stop; Gillen,
third base; Miller, right field; Preston,
center field; Burle. left field.
Hollingsworth, Fricken and Carney
will remain home and keep the grass
from growing on the base lines at Lex
iEgton park.
Tony Mullanes trip to Omaha will
probably be his last as a Saint. He ar
rived in town yesterday morning, but
with the knowledge that Manager
Comiskey 80 ~nt need him. He is
anxious to go to Omaha, but Manager
Fisher is little afraid of the arm
that has done duty for so many years.
Tony will pitch one of the games in
the Exposition City. and will show
Fisher what he can do, and it is alto
gether likely will win his way to a
place on the team. Tony feels that his
arm is still all right, and that a chance
is all he needs to convince Fisher CT
that fact.
With his team as it is constituted at
present. Manager Comiskey should at
least win three Of the four games at
Omaha. AS a matter of fact Omaha
has no license to win any one of the
lN,,+ holI e,
together unlike a horse race, and any
old thing is liable to happen.
The Omaha team is not by any means
e. first-class one Coming into the
feague as it did with the Grand Rapids
franchise, and such players as that
team boasted of last fall, it was GER
tainly at a disadvantage. Mike O'Brien
did all he could to gather together a
good aggregation of players, but he
was not altogether successful, and with
the exception Of very few his men
are those who for various reasons
could not hope to hold permanent
herths on other Western league teams.
As the season advances. Of course,
Fisher will strengthen the team and
Omaha may be in it before the season
closes.
Four games will be played at Omaha,
after which the team will go to Kan
sas City for another series of four
jority of the games, but not with as
much ease as at Omaha. Jimmy Mann
ing had plenty of experience with gold
bricks last year, and although he has
expended considerable money this sea-
son, he has used it more iudiciously
and has gathered around him a better
class of ball players. On paper his
team is not by any means as strong as
IT was at the beginning Of the season
of 1897 but On the field it promises
much better results.
Base ball men, who have paid strict
attention to the. doings of other West
ern league clubs this spring, concede
that with the exception perhaps Of Mil
waukee, Comiskey has the best aggre-
cation in the league. Connie Mack's
team is not one whit stronger, however,
but it would be taking long chances
to say it was not up to the standard
OF the Saints.
team has big mortgage on the pen
nant. The men will begin the season
In as good or better condition, indivi-
dually, and as team, than any other
team in the league. If they will play
the ball they certainly can play and
stay away from the wine of reddish
hue, they will be all right, but if not,
the story of previous years will be re-
peated next fall. In any event fans
should be satisfied with the tan as
1t stands at present.
The first opportunity they will have
of seeing them in a league game will
be Friday, April 30, Arbor day, when
the team will return and open the sea-
son with Kansas City at Lexington
park.