Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-20
SPORTS OF ALL SORTS
American League Begins Sea-
son Today in Boston.
THE LOCAL OPENING
EVERYTHING READY FOR THE
FIRST GAME.
Harvard Shut Out Georgetown-Wash-
ington Golfers Won-New
Cycle Circuit.

Slowly the base ball season of 1908 is get
ting under way, but within two weeks
every league and association club in the
country will have started it's battles for
supremacy In its respective organization
Last Wednesday the National League en-
deavored to get under way, but rain pre-
vented the start until Thursday. Since
then the teams of that organization have
been playing regularly to large crowds.
Today the American League gets under
way. but only with one game-the Athletics
of Philadelphia playing in Boston. This
one game is selected at this particular time
on account Of it's being Patriots day in
Boston, and big holiday attendance is
assured. But the season starts in earnest
Wednesday, while the minor leagues do not
get under way until the list of May.
For the opening attraction here the Sem
ators will have as opponents the newly or
ganized New York club. and it is expected
that tremendous crowd will gather at
American League Park to witness the in
augural. The New York aggregation is
made up of several stars. among whom are
Keller. Fultz and Pitchers Tannehill,
Chesbro and Griffith. the latter acting as
captain manager. A big delegation will
come over from New York, and 1t is
foregone conclusion that with good weather
Manager LOTUS and Secretary Hewitt will
have their hands full taking care of the
crowds that will rush through the turn
stiles. Commissioner West has promised
to throw out the first ball, and Senator
German. the heads of several government
departments, and probably the Chinese
minister will be the guests of the club.
The New York team will play four games
in this city and will be followed by the
for. fIrna
cluson of these two series the Washing
ton fans" will have to do without base
ball for a fun month, the next game in
this city being with the Athletics, June
1. This schedule is certainly a remark
able one. from a Washington view point.
and should the Senators return home with
anything like a creditable record their
chances for good position in the cham
pionship race will be correspondingly in
creased
While 1t has not been definitely decided.
it is more than likely that Manager Crit
fifth will send Chesbro, the premier twirler
of the National League last season. to
the rubber Wednesday, and Manager Lof-
tus will pin his faith to Albert Edward
Ortiz. In the spring games the Senators
have shown up much better than the
New Workers. but base ball is so uncertain
that to try to pick a winner Wednesday
A New York paper went to the trouble
to get opinions from one or more Of the
sporting writer's of the different cities in
which American or National League clubs
are located. something like twenty-eight
In all. and of this number twenty have
placed the Washingtons. in last place. Even
one of the local writers helped to make
up the twenty.
All these guesses, of course, have to be,
made on the paper strength Of the teams,
and why the Sena tors should be placed
In the tail-end position is mystery. Last
season the team finished in sixth place
and this year the aggregation Is fully 30
per cent stronger In the outfleld SeIbach
Is surely the equal of Kiester as batter.
and In fielding there is no comparison as
the former classes up with the best in the
business. With Ryan and Delehanty there
Is no reason to suppose that either will
go back in his work. either as q hitter
or fielder.
On the infield last season there was a
general mix-up for the first six weeks. VOL
verton trying to play third, poor Fred Ely
at short being hardly able to get the bail
through the diamond. Then came the shift
OF kfester to second and Coughlin to short
little later Wolverton deserted, Coughlin
went to third. Ely got back in the game
|. and Jack Doyle did his best to play second
These fielders finished the season in these
respective positions. and notwithstanding
the handicap of a poor second baseman the
team closed the season in sixth place
This season we have star at second in
Demont. Charley Moran has been a reyela-
ton at short and Coughlin and Carey are
as good as ever, yet some place the Sena-
tcrs as tra1lers. The only excuse that can
be put forward for the guessers is that this
city has been at the rear in base ball 80
long that 1t comes sort of natural for out
ot-toWn scrfbes to continue placing our club
there again.
One of the arguments advanced against
the Washington club is that Manager LOT
Jus Is not strict enough with his men, and
lnat MS record as a winner is against him
The gentleman who wrote the above douht-
less lost sight of the fact that Mr.. Lotus
was the manager of one of the greatest
aggregations Of ball players that this coun-
Try ever had the pleasure of cheering on
to victory. This team was the old CIeye-
land Spiders" They came out Of the mo
where into the here and for many years
there was not gamier crowd Of ball play
ers on the base ball map. Their style Of
play did not please the Cleveland patrons
and for that reason their achievements at
home did not amount to much, but on the
road they were seen at their best and as
rule they generally won a majority of
the series with the different teams Man
ager LOTUS has been working hard to get
winning aggregation for Washington. and
his friends are firm in the belief that ha
has at last turned the trick. Schedule or no
schedule. the Senators will not be trailers
at any stage OF the championship race.
The Senators play the last exhibition
game or the season today with the George
town team. and good game is promised
The Blue and Gray boys are anxious to
win one game from the Washingtons, and
their anxiety will probably lead them into
a stubborn resistance to the professionals
1t Is Manager LOTUS intention to have out
the full strength of the team today, so as
to line the players UP for Wednesdays big
contest. Delehanty will be in right field,
Ryan in center and Selbach in left. The
regular infield will be there, with willie
Bill Clarke behind the plate receiving the
curves ana shoots OF Townsend and Pat
ten. Delehanty has been hitting the BAH
mile in practice. and Manager LOTUS is
anxious to find out If he can repeat the
performance In regular game. He Is al
most down to playing weight, and can
cover ground as well as ever
American League Games Today.
Philadelphia at Boston (two games).
National League Games Today.