The sun., 1908-01-09
SPORTING TALK OF INTEREST
MAJOR LEAGUES WILL OPEN
1BE SEASON ON APRIL ~.

nItteea Of thS AasriOan and the National
leagues 20 open tho championship season on
April u and TO play a series Of ISt games u noe
Ia accordance with the policy Of Ban johnson
and his American LeaS Se colleagues. Johnson
and company have all along argued that
the season should not open before April %
at the earliest and that . schedule Of iA0
games IL plenty long enough. But tho Ma.
tionRl League men have never regarded
such plan with favor and ~ they have stuck
together In the conference with the AmSrtoan
teaguern lust concluded at Cinotnnati another
early opening with possibly winter weather
90 contend with 10 on the cards. Last year.
10 will be recalled. the OhAmpionMhiD season
began on April II and many Of the gamee
proved fArOioAl In the extreme bOcanSs OF
snow and frost. while many other contests
we're postponed because neither players nor
spectators could stand the gar. Because OF
these facts the American League nen reached
shs conclusion thai games In anOWstorms were
not desired By the public, but In this belief
they received no encouragement from the
National League Deople. who argued that
every dollar In sight should be grabbed with
out ceremony.
Whsle the schedules must hrst rsosivs the In
dorssmsnt Of the two big leagues. 10 IL under
seood that a. far a. tho National League ia
concerned the New York team will play In
Philsdgiphia on April "a while the boatOns
viii be Int Brooklyn ON that day. In the
West the Chicago Cubs will oDsn In Cincinnati,
with ~. Louis at Pittsburg. The New York
Amertcans will cut the season loose here ON
Aprii ID with the PhiisdslphjS Athletios. while
the Boston Americans wiz probably begin
operations In Warrington The Chicago
white sex win possibly open the season at
homo with the Detroits. champions OF the
American League. while tho ClsVslands will
sse the ball rolling at sc. Louis. IL 10 said
that as Decoration Day and the Fourth Of
nal hnfh fall HRknFdnWm GnnCtnnatl
club will receive NO holiday dates at home
bat Will get seventeen or sightesn sundays
instead. Tho season will wind up on October
a. leaving about ten days in which TO decide
the worlds series. The New York Americans
will play hers on Decoration Day. while the
New York Nationals will receive at the Polo
Grounds on tho Fourth OF July. Both New
York teams will be at home on Labor Day
as usual.
Ths rundown at the hands Of tho National
Baseball Commission Iecsived by tbs Ameri-
can Association In reference TO the proposed
location OF a new club in Chicago, coupled
with several rulings that have not been
TsIished by the minor league. has stirred
the latter up TO a high pitch OF excitement.
The minor league men q result have
been holding informal conferences In diner-
sBC parts OF ths country with the idea OF
hitting upon plan by which the high handed
Some " the minor league fellows believe that
they can paddle their own canoe and are In
favor Of cutting away from the major leagues.
but In such an event there would be no money
coming from the majors for drafted or pur-
chased players. which would bs q serious loss
for the small leagues. In the event OF war
tbs msjors would go along intact. at the
same time grabbing minor league players
whenever they we're needed without the
eHpenditIirs OF 4 dollar, while the minors
would be- unable to Offer sumo ciPnt financial
Inducements to players IN the biR leagues
to Jump their engagements. Conservative
baseball men say that n the minor league
people do not lose their heads they will be
aatiefea To let we'll enou zh alone.
The abatement coming from Pittsburg that
tho late y. Palmer O'Netll saved the National
league from ruth in the Brotherhood war of
1900 NY backing n losing venture In the smoky
city and personally sinking about 5000 Of
bis own money caused some amusement
among veteran baseball men here yesterday.
U'Nsil WAS tho paid Q gent of the National
League, the money used by him IN playing out
the schedule with tho Piusburg tailsuders
being provided by the other clubs in the
Ieagu~. O'Neill was a well known promoter
when 4. e.. Spalding got him to take hold of
the game iu PlttshurR. and there Is no evidence
20 show that O'Nell lost dollar Of his own.
saved he National Leag but the cOntribu-
tions of Spalding. Abel. Reach, SOden. TO-
nsnt snd Brush to John n. Day to keep the
New York club alive. Later the diplomacy
NJ Spalding. Byrne and Brush won the day for
the National League at a time when the Broth
erhood had the old organization beaten to a
standstill, but was not aware OF the fact.
Manager AIcGraw OF thu New York M
Ia lar hat ard for Ts,as
hewitt have a chance to sec the horses run at
Areadla for aC least month or more before
he goes 60 Marlin Springs. Tex. to take charge
Of his players, who will train there for the
championship race McGraw has evidently
decided that further deals for new players are
unnecessary and that the New York team, as
At present constituted. will come up to the
requirements Of metropolitan fans.
Funeral services over the body Of George
Dixon, former champion featherwslRht pugi-
lIst OF the world, who died in Bellevue Hos
pitAl on Monday. we're held here yesterday
morning after which tho body was sent 10
Boston on the 1 O'Clock train in the care Of
an undertaken sent here by DiXon's wife.
The funeral In Boston will be held at The
Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal
church at O'Clock to-day, AFTER which the
dead boxer will be buried in Mount Hope
Csmstery. Joe Cans has Contributed 500
kuWNEu ulptAuhCub 70 % plACcu over DtNOnN
grave. while other sporting men OF prom
InSnce say they will help.
In twelve round battle with Jimmy
Gardner at BOstOnuupn Tuesday night Joe
Waloott. who was easily outpointed, showed
that he had lost practically all his former
cleverness togsther with his remarkable |
hitting WAlcott actually wanted to omit
at the end Of the seventh round. He pre- |
tended that hs had been hit below the belt
but his manager compelled him TO go on. |
During the battle IL IL said that Gardner
with a sharp left landed about 200 blows In |
walcotts face. wGloott. by the way, felt the |
death OF George Dixon keenly. II was Dixon |
who first discovered the Giant Killer and !
proceeded to teach him all he ever knew /
about the boxing game. walOott and Dixon |
trained and travelled about the country |
togstber for nearly ten years and we're fast
friends.
10 IL highly probable that In view of the
action OF the New Orleans stewards In barring |
Jockey Mountain from the tracks at tho Crss- |
cent City Mountain viii nnd Il . rSthar dim
cult matter to secure q license TO ride on the |
Jockey clubs tracks Lhls year Mountain |
was released from his contract with August
Belmont last summer because OF several
queer rides at Saratoga and quickly fell into
general dislavor. The fact that New Orleans
critics havo been connecting Mountain with
recent spectacular operations by bAldy
avAn has put the Jockey In q decidedly bad
URht H. wAa said yant ntarday that ~ RYAN