The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-04
OPENING GAMES MONDAY
The Condition of the Rival Teams in
Each of Contesting Cities.
ABLE BALL PLAYERS IN EVERY CLUB
A Review Of the Ball Teams Of Raleigh, Dur
ham; Greensboro, Charlotte. Whining
ton and New Bern. As They
Line Up.

PLAY ball!' The old cry echoes DER
the peaceful vale of Cherry creek
and from the bleachers comes a roar
as rows of roOters spring leak!
The batter grasps the willow club,
The pitcher strikes an attitude,
the catcher gives his hand a rub,
the umpire stands with keen eyes
glued upon the play; the ball has
gone, and once again the season.
on!
Way up the. telegraphic pole the eager
small boy perches high and in the
fence each knotty hoe-and they
are many-frames an eye. The
score-card merchants voice rings
out the voice through all the
winter dumb, the peanut vendors
loudly shout. the kid proclaims his
chewing gum, and that same cush-
ion man is there to save our pam
taletteS from wear.
The knocker with his noisy knock, the
kicker with his mulish kick the
talker with his bally talk upon the
seats as flies as thick. The ladies
in their smart attire, enthusiasm
in their eyes, are there in bevies to
admire and laud the players to the
skies, and spank their dainty hands
when one OF handsome figure makes
run.
The old excuses now are fed to bosses
from employees lip: The grandma
on her dying bed, the wife at home
down with la grippe. That dying
grandma will be spied beside her
grandson sitting there, the sick
wife by her husbands side, and
how those frauds will blush and
stare to catch their old EMPLOYERS
eyes lit up with half amused sur
prise!
The game is on, the seasons here, the
stricken ball cults through the air.
the batters fan the atmosphere, the
runners round the bases tear, the
umpire calls the strikes and balls,
puts runners out when they are
in, nor heeds the rooters' angry
squalls that they will kill him
sure as sin! The seasons here,
the same old muss, and on the seats
the same old us,
The Denver Post furnishes the above
ballad of the season, and it fits the oc-
TISHI up 10 the spot
The North Carolina League of Profess
sional Baseball Clubs enters upon the
season of 1902 tomorrow, when the open
ing games of the six club State circuit
begin at Charlotte, Wilmington and New
Bern for three games each with Dur
ham, Raleigh and Greensboro.
North Carolina had a hard pull during
the season of 1901. The season began
with Two-State league between Virginia
and North Carolina, but the Virginia
towns gave poor support to their teams
and the Virginia end of the league suf-
Tered stroke of the doldrums and went
to pieces. Raleigh and Wilmington
stood firm and these induced Charlotte
and Tarboro to come in, thus holding
the league together till August II, when
1t disbanded, the pennant going to Raj
elgh, as the percentage table for the
State League stood Raleigh 647, Tarboro
.545, Wilmington 412 and Charlotte 400
The outlook for North Carolina Lea
que for 1902 was very gloomy at the
opening of the year, and it is a tribute
to the Raleigh lovers of athletic sports
that the league of six clubs was finally
made certainty.
The Raleigh Athletic Association
aided by other citizens of the place
started the ball by employing Mr.. E. M.
Ashenback, capable and jolly baseball
man. to make a missionary tour of cities
ir the State urging them to come into
the State League. He met with some
success and a provisional league was
formed, though at the time only three
clubs were q surety.
But the Raleigh enthusiasts were not
dsmayed They knew that the Raleigh
public and the people of the State wanted
baseball, and so they again put another
missionary on the circuit, this time Mr..
r. c. Rivers, of Raleigh. He did the
grand rounds, and shortly after his trip
delegates from the six towns now in the
league met in the Capital Club here and
perfected an organization.
This organization was perfected on
Wednesday, March 18th, the State Lea
que officers elected being Messrs. Perrin
Busbee of Raleigh, president; c. l..
Stevens, of New Bern, vice president:
Murray Allen of Raleigh, secretary and
treasurer: the executive committee be-
ing composed of Messrs c. E. Hooper, of
Charlotte; w. G. Branham. of Durham;
l.. j. Brandt, of Greensboro; c. l.. Ste
vens, of New Bern; r. c. Rivers, of Raj