The Washington times., 1909-04-11
Throws No Damper on Fans
Who Await Opening
of Season.
PLAN STRENUOUS
MORNING SESSION
Entire Squad Is Ordered to Report
At Park For Final
Workout.
BY ]. R. HILDEBRAND.

Making all due allowance for a streak
OF homecoming pessinism on the part
of our trusty correspondent that bunch
OF Nationals must be a footsOre and
blaze aggregation any way you look at
IT, Even if their condition is not so bad
as Indicated by the Rice high lights it
is still a safe bet .ha; the team pre-
sents a highly demoralized front to-
morrow and for the whole of the open
ing series in this city.
But here is another sure guess-the
New York Americans are just little
worse off than the CantillOn henchmen
and there are likely to be some sugges-
tons of low comedy and a touch of bur-
lesque in the game that will open the
season at American League Park.
The New York team plays in Newark,
n. j., today. Several of the men are
suffering from the vaccination cam
paign with sore arms and a number of
others are feeling generally "dippy"
from the same cause. a message to our
esteemed Union League manager this
time last year, Arthur Irwin, now in
charge of the second Yankee squad,
brings the answer that the whole team
is In wretched form Stallings VIII
force as many of the members of the
to don uniform and will patch up the
lineup from the second team
Change In Plans.
Tell the landlady to call you early o.
set your alarm clock for daybreak if you
would be among those present in the
impromptu parade planned to escort
the Nationals from the Union Station
tomorrow to wherever they may 60.
The time of their arrival has been
shifted from to 9 o clock, and, al
though there is possibility that the
tram will be late it is Just as well not
10 take chances as this only happens
any morning
on account of the earlier hour of ar
rival the team wiz go first TO their
hotel and later proceed to the PARK
thereby giving a chance for two process
sions and allowing lie men brief
period TO rest their minds before going
through the talleSt line of team practice
Cantillon has outlined Tor many a long
day.
Every member OF the Washington
squad, including Walter Johnson, has
been ordered to report 10 the park to-
morrow oy 10 O'Clock. The chief is de-
termined that his performers shall linn
Der up 4 they do nothing else. and will
spare no efforts in that direction.
Time For Big Rush.
Al 4 y CioCk DsEAnS Aub DA5 EuSAi. AT
that time the gates will be thrown
open. and it will be a matter of first
come frs served, since no reservations
will be rlade in grandstand seats. If
! the attendance tomorrow does not ex-
ceeI the 1900 mark set last year some
/ Of the officials OF the club viii have
heart trouble. The possibility that the
game might be called off only served TO
I heighten interest in the contest, and
/ the fact that ii may be a sorry bunch
+ of cripples that works tomorrow will
hardly tend to keep anyone away from
the opening game.
The opening of the season OF 1893
will mark, the Inauguration of the
double umpire system i'm the American
! League. Umpires Billy Evans and
/ Egan will land IN Washington this
evening ahead of the squad and this
( p-ir will do the honors tomorrow.
/ Evans will be In command, and viii re-
ceive that first ball tossed out by the
/ official whose name President Noyes
will not let us tell