The times., 1901-04-29
The Standing of the Clubs.
NATIONAL LFAGuE.

The Senators arrived home from their
successful inaugural of the championship
games at Philadelphia late Saturday
night and spent yesterday at baseball
headquarters playing the games over
once more. The men are greatly encour-
aged over their excellent showing and
claim that there is good chance of
duplicating the work in the series with
Baltimore, which will commence in this
city this afternoon and which will serve
to open the baseball season in Wash
ington.
Manager Manning reports that the
grounds are In splendid condition for
playing, although the accommodations
are not as complete for handling the
crowds that will undoubtedly throng the
grandstand and the bleachers as they
will be later. Haley's Band will ac-
company the Washington and Baltimore
teams on the parade that win precede
todays game. The men will occupy car
riages, and the line of march will extend
from the Ebbitt House over the principal
streets to the baseball park There will
be no spectacular ceremonies at the
grounds, such as so often mark the open
ing of the season, but representatives of
Baltimore and Washington will settle
down to hard work at once and demon
strate their calibre as ball tossers.
President Postal, of the local club
whose residence is in Detroit, is here for
the first contest, and Ban Johnson, the
President of the American League, will
also be on hand to watch the work of the
players. Umpire Cantillion will direct the
game. He officiated in the Baltimore
Boston games last week, and reports are
to the effect that he is a thorough disci-
plinarian. He made an enviable reputa-
tion In the American Association last
season and is looked upon as one of the
ablest of President Johnson's staff of
umpires. This afternoons game will be-
gin at 4:30 o'clock. 1t is expected that
Carrick and Clarke will be the local bat
terry. In view of the performance of the
former Giant in Philadelphia last Friday
it is anticipated that the Baltimores viii
have considerable trouble in connecting
with the Carrick species of curves.
The magnates of the National League
cannot understand the great attendance
that the American League teams have so
far enjoyed. While their own clubs have
been appearing before meagre gatherings,
the clubs in Ban Johnson's league have
drawn crowds way up in the thousands.
Over in Philadelphia, where the real test
OF strength between the two leagues was
expected to be made, the first fall has
resulted in favor of the newer and more
popular and energetic organization.
The Phillies opened their season under
conditions equally as favorable as at
tended the first game of the Athletics,
only the latter team had the people with
them. The residents of Philadelphia, as
well as other cities in the National
League, have become exceedingly weary
of the manner in which the game has
been syndicated, with the suspicion of hip
podroming, groundless no doubt, but al
ways present nevertheless. The owners Of
the old teams ran everything with a high
handed policy that brought to mind the
days OF the sea rovers, with their black
flag of piracy. Nothing was too bold for
the National magnates to attempt, and
as slave dealers they had the original
spectators in human beings beaten at
their own game.
When Ban Johnson announced that the
American League was certainty, and no
longer a means for enterprising news
paper writer's to kill columns of space.
the idea was scoffed at by the proprie-
tors of the league organizations. They
naQ ali lilt dNdl4dDIC DdScDdil play ing ldl-
ent they argued, and besides, there was
the National agreement, that bugbear of
the minor leagues that ancient boegie
man with long, white chin whiskers.
Whenever an. ambitious league talked of
doing anything that might conflict with
the purposes of the National magnates
the latter would pull out the National
agreement and say: Now If you don
b. have yourself well show you. Remem-
Der the National agreement"
Hence, when the American teams COB
bled up forty or more of the actual
stars of the National League, the club
owners of the latter organization finally
came out of their ComatoSe state and re-
allied that they were really up against
a new sort of game-something that
they could not scare off with threats
about what they would do with the Ma
tionaI agreement. They had forgotten
there was public in existence, that the
supporters OF the game had been forever
neglected, that the wishes of their pa
irons had, again and again, Deen diSre-
O. rded But now, when il has an op-
portunity to display its real feelings about
the baseball situation, the pubic mas
come out square-footeu IN iaEof OF the
new league and the National club-oWnerS
have not vet recovered from the jar. In
Philadelphia. on the occasion of the open
ing of the American League season last
Friday not quite 500 persons were at the
Boston Philadelphia game, while over at
the Athletics new park over l5.OOO wildly
enthusiastic fans yelled themselves
hoarse, and gave both the local and the
Washington team a great reception.
1t does not require prophet 10 forecast
that the same condition of affairs that
prevailed in Philadelphia last week Will
be repeated in every other city in which
both leagues have clubs. The baseball
enthusiasts of Boston are impatiently
awaiting an opportunity 10 show their
preference in favor of Somer's American
club. while at Chicago the public last
year showed an inclination to patroniZe
the American games, and to almost for
get there was such a thing as the Ma
tional League in existence.
The early training Manager Manning
gave the Senators at Hampton evidenced
itself in the splendid work of the team
in it's first two games The men played
as If the season has been opened several
months ago and the pitchers arms We're
in fine shape. while there were no cases
of Charley horse" heard of. The Sena-
tors surprised the Athletics by putting up
such a fast game that they are now
spoken of as likely youngsters with good
chance for the pennant. Before the exhi-
bition at Philadelphia the Athletics We're