The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-24
wAYOR HERMAN MYERS WILL
PITCH THE FIRST BALL ACROSS
THE PLATE.
Ed ASHENBACK WILL
ADDRESS THE BLEkCHERS
sTpEET PARADE AND BAND CON-
CERT WILL BE FEATURE OF
OPENING.

r.cIxsonviIIe Opens the Season In
uscon and Columbia in Augusta.
Asbenback Claims He Will Make
,be First Game His Sixth COnsecu-
tive victory on Opening Days.
Az 4SO o'clock Tuesday after
,oon Mayor Herman Myers will
Mitch the first ball across the plate at
polton street Park, signalling the
opening Of the championship season in
savannah Of the South Atlantic Base
ball League.
At the same minute in two other
cities of the circuit the trademark will
be soiled on two balls by the chief ex-
ecutives of the cities, Mayor Bridges
Smith, in Macon. and Mayor Bowdre
Phinizy in Augusta,
Charleston will open the season in
Savannah, Columbia in Augusta, and
Jacksonville in Macon, and for the
first time in a number of years pro-
fessional ball will be seen in cities
which have been the training grounds
for some of the most famous players
now in the national game.
In Savannah extensive preparations
have been made for the opening day.
At 2:S0 there will be a street parade.
headed by brass band, followed by
carriages containing the members of
the opposing teams. The parade will
last about an hour and d half.
On arriving at the grounds the band
will give concert, commencing an
hour before the game is called. The
park will be gaily decorated with flags
and bunting, and all the rooters will
be on hand with lungs in good form
when Mayor Myers steps into the
pitchers box and sends the first ball
across the plate.
When Charleston Meets savannah.
No better selection could have been
made among all the teams of the
league for q drawing card on the open
ing day than the Sea Gulls, from lover
Home" That intense rivalry that has
existed between the two cities in all
athletic contests will be found Just as
keen as ever before.
When Ed Ashenback greets the Sa-
vannah rooter he will find a new va
riety from that with which he has be-
come acquainted in his long careers
as rap and run artist. He will find
noise in plenty and quick replies for
all of his famous ball back talk. Ed
is scheduled to make a speech before
the bleachers just gefore the game Is
called, and it is useless to tell those
who know this whole-souled fellow
that this talk alone will be well worth
the price of admission.
Says He Will Take First Game.
Ed says he will take the first game.
He intends to do it. Everybody be-
lieyes that he is in earnest. He has a
record that he is forced to keen IN.
In writing from Charleston yester-
day he says: Il have won my OPEN
ing game for the last five years. and
am certain to make this the sixth
When l meet Savannah"
NO one in Savannah believes that Ed
VIII be able to do this, and every one
Will go to the park Tuesday afternoon
prepared to hand the genial Eddy
whatever is coming to him when the
last Pathfinder comes romping home
with the winning tally. The lineup
OF the two teams will be as follows:
Savannah. Charleston.
I. WEIGH. 49,. pitcher. ......... Childs
or J: welsh or Terrence
klnsh ........catcher.. ....... Doyle
LaRocque ....first base.... McKernalI
Bratton 80. second base. Hempleman
Eggert short stop....... Mitchell
Oyler ........ third base. .... Smith
Burt .........left field. ...... Hayes
Kay center field..... Donnelly
Webster fright field. .,.... Lehman
The line up of the Charleston team
is much stronger than it was when the
Atlanta games were played.
catcher Doyle was secured from the
Little Rock Club of the Southern
League, is a promising young man,
with an arm of steel, and good hit
ter for a catcher. His hitting pro-
clivities made 1t imperative that he be
played in every game. He will AFTER
nate in the outfield when not behind
the bat. Lehman was the star catcher
of the Charlotte Club of the North
Carolina League, and has seen service
III the Southern League with Shreve-
port. He came into prominence as
the receiving end of the battery of
Mathewson and Lehman at Norfolk
IN the Virginia League in 1900. This
is his third year under Ashenback.
Charleston's Fast Pitchers.
In Childs, Cy Terrence and Murray,
Charleston can lay claim to having
three of the largest pitchers in the
South Atlantic League. Each one of
this trio is close to six feet in hight,
and tip the beam in the neighborhood
of the 200 pound mark Childs was
Central League, and is Georgia boy.
He is the possesor of terrific speed and
excellent curves, and made quite rec
ord while with the Shreveport club of
the Southern League.
Murray was the mainstay of the
crack Augusta club last season and
with proper coaching viii develop into
one of the most effective pitchers IN
the league. CIV Terrence was secured
by Ashenback from the Atlanta club
Tor monetary consideration. Tor
renee is a veritable giant in stature,
is an exceptionally strong hitter for
pitcher Torrence's best performance
was in holding the New York American
League club down to one hit in six
innings while a member of the Atlanta
club this spring. Edwards was with
the Fall River club of the New Eng
iand League last season, and showed
ms ability in the recent Atlanta game
IN this city, when with a patched up
team he held Atlanta down to seven
hlts and struck out six men. Reynolds
was with the Vicksburg club of the
cotton States League last season, and
is one Of the best fielding pitchers in
minor league balloon. He will be play
Cd in the outfield until the regular out
helder reports for duty.
FIRST Baseman Earle p. Holt of Uni
Versity of North Carolina for long
slme declined all offers to play pro-
tessional ball. Ned Hanlon of the
brooklyn club has trained for years
az Columbia, S. c., and while at that
pace saw Holt at work. Hanlon made
nm a most tempting offer to join
brooklyn, but Hollis duties at college
{s.n IL