The sun., 1908-04-14
CHASE or BASEBALL PVNNANH
1T BEGINS TO-DAY IN AMERICAN
AND NATIONAL LEAGUES.

HilltOppers Open at Homo with Athletics,
Nationals GO u Philadelphia, BpstOna
Crack Open the season In Brooklyn
where the Other Teams WIN Play.
The thirty-thlrd pennant chase Of the Ma
tiOna League and the tenth Of the American
LeaRue--tho major organizations OF pro-
fessonal baseball-w!ll begin to-day AM
other season has rolled around; another six
months fight for the championship Ia at hand
For those baseball patrons OF the country
who are In a position 10 take 10 big league
Rames-and they number In the m'lllons-the
next half year will pass quickly and be In
terestinR every minute. will pass as quickly
as the six months interval between seasons
passes slowly Baseball Is the peoples game;
no other sport begins TO compare with u IN
popular interest no other sport gets so 1rm
a grip on lts followers and none equals IL In
lie open, diversified and skilful team aud ln-
dividual action,
Al the beginning Of every race IL Is Gus
tomary to say that "the outlook for sue
cessfu season never was better That ~ a
stock expression which Ia dug up annually
in April, But though trite II Ia true enough
Certainly there IN a. much interest In the
national game this season as In any previous
more than usual There Is q fairly good
prospect Of q pennant being won by New
York team and a possibility Of two. Whether
the interest will be kept up depends on how
we'll the teams do. Anyway the same old
eagerness exists on the eve OF the start OF
the scrap; the baseball appetite ls healthy
and eIpeotant
Both Of the New York teams came back
from the South well trained to make a good
start In the hunt for the flag and without
having met with any serious mishap to
weaken The teams or their prospects. Both
have strCngthened since last year. and not all
the nice things that have been said about
them have been gush, The nrst resl test
Of their condition and ability will come To-day,
They will have 10 be on their toes from now
on. The weather since the big leaRuers came
North has been too cool for them 70 let out,
but they will let out to-day, hopinR Tor warm
weather 50 they can extend themselves lully.
The days opening In this city will be et
American League Park where the Athletics
will play the New Works. The other American
League games for to-day are Washington
in Boston ST. Louis in Cleveland and De-
troit in Chicago To-day's National League
schedule IL. New York in Pbiladelphlai
Boston u Brooklyn. Chicago l9 CineiHrati
League umpres for the opening games have
been assigned a. fOllOwsby President lul!iam:
KLEIN in Phiad dephla. Enslic aud Ruddor;
ham in Brooklyn, WgIer ~ ~. LOUIS ,and
ODay in cincinnati. j. is thought that
connolly VIII umpire at American League
PARK 80,
Athletics will be called at SM O'Clock, ana
In accordance with a custom only few ages
younger than the rock ribbed huls, or Hhy
other old kiul oi hills, no'able Wl,l tnroW
out the new ball That stern du'y drvoiNeS
upOn Mayor Mcclellan to-day. II Is promised
ths; the decorations Of American League
Park viii bo more elaborate than anything
hitherto undertaken, aud II the New lorks
will decorate their score with enough runs
10 encompass tho overthrow OF the fOrmld-
able MaCktes II will be all the more pleasing
| The music VIII begin At O'Clock ana the
warriors will parade across the Held one
hour later. A DELEGATION Cf Quaker rooters
/ has bought seats and will be on the spot u
see that the visitors are properly encouraged
Plank or Bender will serve tho slants tor
the invaders while LOT the New SfSs the
choice rests among Glade Orth and Newton
McGraw expects TO put Msthe,wson in
against the Philles over in the keystone
stronghold Mathewson haying been nurse
has decided on lis ielthsnder Rucker. to go
10 the eminence for the BroOklyns against
Boston. and Manager Kelley OF the Boston5
said yesterday he would pui ~ either louns
or Ferguson against the BroOklyns. prob
ably Young. The only things that remain
are for the umpires 10 start them on ana ior
the players 20 accept the decisions OF the
! umpires a. good sports should.
The New YORK Americans practised morn
ing and II ernOOn vest erday while the brook-
lyns had no work but will timber mp this
| morning. They arrived here last night and
Manager Donovan reported everything fne.
I Lewis Bel and Pastorius, who were LETT in
Jacksonville tn ere to get the benefit OF the
warm wea her. arrived a day ahead OF the
Others.
Donovan said Hummel was doing splen-
didly In left Held. The best outneder In
The country" the manager described him
"heehan still has a lame arm and will not be
put In until he is right Apermah Is holding
Ia making GOOD al second Ii looks as II he
would be fixture on the team. Lewis will
return TO shortsjop for to-days game,
Donovan saws he has something be hasn
men. He also is much pleased with the
work of Pitcher Wilhelm, " no s manipulating
a very effective spit ball this season