Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-02
Guessing at the Schedule.

TO ,ha National and American leagues
Follow our their plan of give and take In
,ha arrangement of schedule plums. which
.Lera +, M reason whatever to doubt the
New York Americans are due to open at
home I'm 1906 and the New York Nationals
IN omen away from home. Last year IL
was lust the reverse, with the arrange
rnani In 1904 the same as II Is expected 10
be IN 1906. In each league. starting Will
the system Of alternating big holiday dates
between the TWO leagues from year to year,
the schedules are rotary from year TO year.
AS far as is feasible clubs take turns at
opening at home and abroad, and also nave
their turns at opening In other cities ana IN
nIayirg holidays in other cities This is 10
give everybody on equal chance-to give
everybody an even break in getting In on
the good things, such as Memorial day III
New York.
The plan pursued for some years now has
been for the eastern teams TO open in the
cast and the western teams TO open In the
west Then after a series of games the
eastern teams go west or vice versa. When
the National League eastern teams are IN
the west the American League western
clubs are in the east. Conflicts are In
large measure avoided by this arrangement,
while the arrangements for holidays are
governed partly by what the schedule for
the previous year has billed for those days.
In the National League for the coming sea-
son the eastern teams are due to go west
give the east the slight advantage of home
grounds. In the American League the west
ern teams will come east first.
Work In Rotation.
Rotation as concerns the teams IN ones
own league and turns as concerns the other
league are two things always borne In
mind by the schedule makers. New York
is such a big drawing city that one or other
of the two teams always has two holidays
at home. Last season both were at home
on Labor day, while the New York Ma
tonals had Memorial day at home and the
Americans the Fourth of July. Next time
the Americans will be at home on Memo
rial day and the Nationals on the Fourth.
Scanning the schedules for several sea-
sons back one can sometimes get an idea
of the way the teams will be paired off for
the big days. In 1902 the New York
Nationals opened IN Philadelphia. In 1903
they opened at home with Brooklyn. In
1894 they opened in Brooklyn and in 1905
opened at home with Boston. Therefore
they are due to open with Philadelphia the
coming season, and in Philadelphia, since
the New York Americans are TO open at
home. The Brooklyns are due to open at
home this year. and if New York and Phil
adelphia open together the law of eimina-
ton leaves only the Bostons the Brook
lyns' opponents.
The custom in the National League for
western openings Is for Cincinnati and St
Louis TO have that honor. This Is for eli
matte reasons. Those two cities are fur
ther south and are more likely to be blessed
with mild weather. AS Pittsburg opened
IN Cincinnati last season and Chicago In
ST Louis the plan for next season will be
Plttsburg In st. Louis and Chicago In Gin
cinnatL
Holiday Games
For number of years past the holiday
scheme In both leagues has been east vs.
east and west VS.. west The New York
Nationals played at home with BROOKLYN
last Memorial day. In Philadelphia the pre-
ceding Memorial day and at home with
Boston the year before that. This would
make them due to play in Boston or Brook
lyn the next time. and as the Boston Amer
leans played away from home last Memorial
day they are entitled to the coming Me-
mortal day at home, and a conflict there on
that day viii be avoided If possible Such
being the case, and with the New York
Americans playing at home on next Me-
mortal day, the most likely plan is for the
New York Nationals to play in Brooklyn ON
that day.
Schedule making Is a more intricate task
with two big leagues I'm existence than with
one, inasmuch as the two leagues have five
cities in common. An amateur schedule
maker. after a study OF National and
American assignments Of dates several
years back. thinks the holiday apportion-
ments for 1905 will be something like this:
National League.
Opening-New York in Philadelphia, Bos-
ton In Brooklyn. Chicago in Cincinnati
Pittsburg IN ST. Louis.
Memorial day-New York In Brooklyn
Boston in Philadelphia Cincinnati In Pitts
burg, St. Louis In Chicago.
Fourth OF Philadelphia in New York
Brooklyn in Boston. Pittsburg in ST. Louis
Chicago in Cincinnati
Labor day-Boston In New York Brook
Ign in Philadelphia, st. Louis in ittsbu.g
Chicago in Cincinnati.
American League.
Opening-Philadeiphia In New York. Bos-
ton in Washington. ST Louis In Cleveland
Detroit In Chicago.
Memorial day-Washington In New York.
Philadelphia in Boston, Chicago in ST.
Louis, Cleveland in Detroit
Fourth OF JuIy-New York In Philadei-
phia, Boston IN Washington, st. Louis IN
Detroit, Cleveland In Chicago.
Labor day--BostOn III New York Philadel-
ph!a in Washington, Chicago in st. Louis,
Detroit In Cleveland