Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-09
FOOD FOR FAMlSHING FANS
Some chat with the Crnnks to Pre-
pare Them for the Seasons Open
ing Next Saturday.

lne glad base bail season viii soon be
here In all its glory, for on next Saturday
afternoon the umpires will gurgle the long
awaited play ball" along the entire
stretch Of the big league circuit During
the coming week the teams will be moving
northward from their training grounds.
stopping here and there to give exhibitions
of the national game to the fans who are
unfortunate enough to be residents of
minor or no base ball towns at all The
opening games OF the league on Saturday
next will be as follows: Boston at Brook
lyn, New York at Baltimore, Washington
at Philadelphia, Pittsburg at Cincinnati
Cleveland at st. Louis, Chicago at Louis
VILE
In the meanwhild the Dreyfus case in
base ball is assuming more and more omi-
nous proportions and furnishes the thunder
cloud that is pointing to lowering skies
foul weather and breakers as the state of
the base ball barometer in place of the sum
shiny skies that were promised as an after
math OF the rocky season of last year. The
Brotherhood fight of 1890, the most serious
blow under which base ball has lived and
suffered, was caused by an issue OF less
Importance than the Louisville schedule
matter. This is reaching an acute stage
Dreyfus and the other Kentucky magnates
are said to have hired attorneys to enjoin
the league from enforcing its schedule and
II is even hinted that prosecutions of a
criminal character against the nabobs for
conspiring against the Bourbonville cluo
may not be out of order
President Nick Young. however, refuses
TO take pessimistic view of the situation.
He declares that never was the outlook
for a prosperous season more hopeful than
At ha
enjoy its best financial season since 1889.
II the Louisville matter were not in exist
ence he might not be far wrong, for there
is no Spanish war this year ITO throw
Yankee Doodles gamein the background ana
there is every prospect that the coming
race will be much closer tLan that of last
season. Every team that finished in the
first division last year has been strength
ened while the six clubs that finished in
the last sextet look stronger.
The crank with the pencil who is igur-
ing out the prospects of the big league
pennant race believes that the Beaneaters
will not have such a walkaway for the rag
this year. 1t is generally admitted that
Brooklyn, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Chi
cago have been greatly boosted up during
tho winter and that all of them will make
are regarded in many quarters as the COM
ing pennant winners. The st. Louis team
is much stronger than last years Cleveland
team because Of the addition of Griffin,
Stencil and couple of pitchers. With the
encouragement that Tebeau's men will re-
ceive in the Mound City there is little
doubt that they will be well up in the race
from the word go. The Cincinnati Reds
have been strengthened by Selbach ana
Jack Taylor. Chicago has what is consld-
cred a faster team than before, although
some critics believe that Manager Burns
will have trouble in filling Dahlen's shoes.
De Montrevile will play shortstop instead
CT second base, as Mccormick does not feel
able to rattle around in Dahlen's tracks.
The Quakers have some good players and
other promising ones, but not good man
agement. Louisville is rated fast enough to
land about sixth, but needs pitchers. The
Giants, unless Rusie and Seymour are
brought into line soon, are almost sure to
drop into second division from the start.
Pittsburg and Washington are considered
dark horses of rather brunette hue, while
nobody expects much from Baltimore anu
Cleveland.