The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-14
ARE WELL BALANCED
National League Teams Open Season
To.morrow-Good Pennant
a Race Expected.
Ante-Season Sizeup of the Clubs
-Millers Have an Off
Day.


day Brooklyn will open in New York; and
Pittsburg in CINCINNATI.
The Pittsburg and Cincinnati teams are
the ante season favorites. The pirates
have been weakened just enough to make
their chances doubtful. Chesbro and
Tannehill, the star pitchers of last year
great team. are gone, as we'll as those two
wonderful backstops. O'Connor and Z1m-
mer. To replace these men Dreyfuss has
some promising young catches In smith
and Phelps and good pitchers in Falken-
berg Merritt and Wilhelm, but 1t cannot
be denied that Pittsburg will be weaker
in both points of the battery than she
was year ago. The team still has a good
chance for the pennant, but can win it
only by narrow margin If at all.
Cincinnati was playing as fast game
as any team in the league at the close of
last season. and if the reds make a good
"get away" this year, they have as good
a chance as any of them. The pitching
staff with such tried and proven veterans
as Hahn. Poole, Phillips, and Harper, Is
inferior only to that Of New York. The
giants have a stronger team on paper
than has represented the city for a num-
Der of years, and loom up promising
dark horses.
Nearly all the teams in the league have
men on their rosters who got their first
tryout in a major league last year. and
consequently predictions in regard to the
outcome of the race involve speculation
about the degree in which these young
sters have improved. This is especially
true of Chicago. St. Louis and Philadel-
plia Donovan at st. Louis developed a
wonderfully good lot Of colts last year,
and has retained the best Of them in the
two O'Neils, Barclay. Smoot, Rhoades
and Wicker. st. Louis as we'll as Chi
cago is undoubtedly stronger than last
season. Philadelphia does not show SO
much strength on paper and Brooklyn
fol- TO chnU nv ma
crease in ability. Taken as a whole. the
teams are much more evenly balanced this
season.
The Minneapolis team returned to Leav
enworth from ST. Joseph Sunday night.
The Leavenworth team Of the Missouri
Valley League arrived at Leavenworth
and was to have pra cticed with Wilmot's
men yesterday. but on account OF wet
grounds there was very little practicing
done. The millers will practice hard from
now on. however. in ordersto be in good
shape for the opening Of the season. at
Kansas City. April o.
ST. Paul defeated the Birmingham team
at Birmingham, Ala. yesterday. by a
score of to 3. The saints punched their
hits off Partridge In the fourth inning and
got enough runs to win.
b Hns5 w 2"99S 9 o991eeE3 70
St. Ba rt"r Resnon and Mrock
Davis Chechs and Sullivan
3 New -1 e;tv 90 J ID ID 70
Livingston and pon
pire; Joe I!ornung. Attendance 1:too.- I i
g grooklyn .::.......""" ""oos-e 4
Battcries-Garvin and McManus; Pardee. Mo
Rarity and Shea. Umpire, Haskell. Attendance
At Philadelphia ten innings,- R II
Nationals ... 60 o0o0o Il
'Batt te and Roth: Plank and Pow
ers. umpires. Smith and Morgan.
Pitcher Wigs says that Cincinnati vii
make no mistake in trying to secure tn
services of Hickey. the star southpaw o
the Pacific Northwest league. Hickey is
Minneapolis lad. and three years ago ha
quite reputation among the semi profes
sional players of the twin cities
In reply to the offer of President 7
Packard of the Denver baseball team, E.
Delehanty declines that offer for the rea
son. as he states that he has made term
with the managers of the Washingto
team and will play this season for them
He did not state the nature Of the com
promise, but said that there will be n
friction.
A dispatch from Providence to a 81
Paul morning paper says that Fran
Shannon. who played for st. Paul las
season. has been signed by the Providenc
team for the coming season. AS Spike
Shannon played yesterday with the Saint
at Birmingham. the Providence GORE
spondents evidently have confused name.
In open defiance Of the decree Of Presi
dent Hickey Of the American association
Shortstop Clingham is still practicing wit
Columbus. If Clingman persists in hi
determination to ignore the ruling of tn
executive head Of the league. he will un
doubtedly be blacklisted by the whole as
ISOLATION Of minor leagues. and it is dit
fcult to see what he expects to gain unles
he is trying to bluff st. Paul into tradin
him off.
Tim Murnane of Boston, has prepared
booklet entitled How to Play Baseball.
to which a number of the best know
players of the present time have contrib
80 uted. The book contains nearly fit
pages of pictures Illustrating the manns
in which stars play their various posi-
tions. The art of pitching is especiall
well covered. The book is the Marc
number of the Spalding athletic library
= Among the contributors are Napoleon La
ioie. Rube Waddel, James Collins, Hug
Jennings, Jack Doyle. Cy Young ,Jimm
Callahan Frank Donohue, Vic Willis
IS, William Dineen. Charley Nichols. NJ.
s kittridge. Herman Long, Fred Clark an
James E. Sullivan.
The first baseball contest of the seaso
between local and outside clubs will b
played on the local grounds The Siou
Falls college and Yankton college nine
will play at Sioux Falls the morning {
April 25. The game should be an int,
esting one. They recently contested o
the Yankton grounds for baseball honor
when Yankton defea ted the Sioux Fal
nine by score of 3to I.
h e J 0 II n a | will be glad to prir
announcements of any amateur baseba
games during the season. and will ais
print accounts of all games sent in. prt
viued these accounts are received a tt
e sporting editors office before 10 a. M {
the day following the game. .Accoun
received two or three days after game
are played cannot be used.
The Faber baseball club will play as q
Independent team this year under it's ne
name. "The Alerts.'' The team wishes
practice game next Sunday afternoon. AZ
dress G.. Breitner, 1912 Fourth street
VIII Save You Labor.
Most people have found the Want A,
of T h e j ournal great labor savers.
you are too busy to bring your al in IL
the telephone wire. Tell central you wa
The Journal want ad department til.
give your ad to the boy. If it is not CO..
venient for you to call at the office to p;
H. -rc