The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15
SPRING GAMES ARRANGED
NATIONAL AND AMERICAN LEAGUE
TEAMS TO PLAY HERE.
Exhibition Season Will Open April Il
improvements at the Park-Brush
Back from New York.

In two more weeks the men who will try
for position on the Indianapolis team will
report for duty. They have been ordered
to be in Indianapolis on March go and the
players will be luartered at the Imperial
Hotel during the training season. When
the roll call comes twenty-five men should
be on hand to answer to their names. Little
time Will be lost in preliminary practice,
as Manager Watkins has arranged a sched-
ule for spring games which will give the
new men chance to show what is in them.
The schedule OF exhibition games Is the
best that has ever been arranged for In
dianapolis, and before the championship
season opens the Indianapolis enthusiasts
will have an opportunity of seeing three
National and three American League
teams. Manager Watkins has arranged a
game for April /, the first Of the exhibition
series, with the Washingtons, a team COM
posed of Indianapolis amateurs. Then will
follow games with some of the best teams
in the country. The schedule of exhibition
games announced by Manager Watkins
yesterday follows:
April 1-Washingtons, Indianapolis anna
tours.
April and New York Nationals
April 7-Duesseldorfers Qndianapolis)
April 10 and 11APittsburg Nationals
April 13-Boston Nationals.
April IA and 15-Boston Americans
April 16. II and 1S-Cleveland Americans.
April 20 and 21-Detroit Americans.
The Sioux Indian team desires to play
here on April and 9, and Manager Wat
kins may decide to give the Indians those
dates. Indianapolis is not scheduled to
play any exhibition games away from
home. The preliminary games should en-
thuse the fans and whet their appetites
for the championship season. which will
open on April p. The exhibition games will
also afford good training for the men who
are expected to land the pennant for In
dianapolis the coming season
XXX
The little sunshine last week. accompa-
nied by warmer weather, brought the small
boys out with their baseballs, the high
schools teams began training and the gen.
eral public again thought of the short time
1t will be when cars will run out East
Washington street loaded to the guards
CWatty hopes) for the big association
games. The American Association cham
pionship season will open on April %, only
a little over a month from now. The sched-
ule has not been prepared, or at least has
not been made public. and will not be given
out for publication until after the meeting
in Chicago to be held on President Hickey's
return from the Pacific coast. Indianapolis
will probably open the season at home with
Milwaukee or Toledo as the attraction
The Indianapolis enthusiasts are very de-
sirous of knowing what the coming sched-
ple has in store for this city in the way Of
home on Decoration day and Labor day.
and 1t is to be hoped that President Hickey
will schedule Indianapolis at home again
this season on those holidays.
XXX
Manager Watkins is making daily visits
20 Uo shipCfop parlx and iS Al -
the work on the improvements that will be
| completed in time for the championship
games Twenty-eight boxes are to be built
| on top of the grand stand in addition to the
press box. The boxes will provide seating
accommodations for go people. Manager
Watkins and Secretary Ruschaupt also con-
| template other improvements to enlarge the
seating capacity. but the work will not be
| done unless the attendance early in the
| season warrants Ii. The bleachers on both
| sides of the field may be extended, and
there is some talk Of placing several more
| rows OF seats In the grand stand. II this
| is done the front rows of seats will be
| nearer the ground. as the addition would
be built to that part of the stand. The
| championship pole from which will fly the
beautiful silken pennant won by Indianapo-
| lis last season will be placed near the fence
| in deep center field. The pole will be 100
| feet high. and the beautiful pennant will be
unfurled on the opening day OF the cham
| pionship season. There will be appropriate
| ceremonies on that day, including parade
band concert and few chosen remarks by
/ Mayor Bookwalter.
John +. Brush. president Of the New York
| club. returned to Indianapolis yesterday
from New York. where he attended the re-
cent National League meeting. Mr. Brush
was sick most Of the time he was in New
| York. and was only able to attend one of
| the sessions of the League meeting He
xrtll 10
| cuperate. He held conference In New
| York with Manager McGraw, and said last
| night that Manager McGraw Is satisfied
| that the Giants will be able TO stay in the
| first division during the season. The Giants
were scheduled TO leave Washington for
| Savannah. Ga. last night for spring prac-
| tice. Exhibition games will be played at
| Atlanta. Birmingham. Memphis. Nashville,
Louisville Indianapolis. Columbus and