Evening journal., 1909-04-14

Pittsburg at Cincinnati-Clear.
st. Louis at Chicago-Clear.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Boston at Philadelphia-Rain.
New York at Washington-Rai
Chicago at Detroit-Clear.
Cleveland at st. Louis-Clear.
BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
NEW YORK. April 14-Can the Chi
cago Cubs come in again?
This Is the paramount question I'm
the National League, whose thirty
ninth season opens this afternoon. II
is paramount for the reason that N the
Cubs do win Il will be their fourth
successive pennant and the equaling
OF a record that has stood since 1875,
when the old Boston club under Harry
Wright, won its fourth straight champ
ionship.
Five times since then a team has
managed TO crowd three pennants in
row. Should Frank Chance break the
seeming limit and break the tape
ahead Of the others this year. he will
be given credit for achieving the great
est feat ever accomplished I'm base
ball for the national game now. COM
pared with the time when Boston made
its record. is a different proposition
and one that demands far more cum
ming and executive ability
c. cago had such a terrific struggle
to nose out the New York Giants last
year, being saved through the now
historical blunder Of Substitute First
Baseman Fred Merkle. who failed to
win a game against the Cubs by fer
! getting TO touch second base after a
hit had scored what should have been
the winning run. that thousand Of fans
are brave enough to hope that this
year Chances great machine will slip
n cog and come a cropper.
As a stand patter Manager Captain
! Chance is the equal Of Speaker Can
non. and II he had his way the Cubs
would start the race with the same
lineup as that which brought final
victory TO them last year. Two faces,
however. will be missing and they are
two of the brightest prizes In the
baseball Louvre Johnny Evers and
Johnny Killing. Evers mas been given
permission to continue with his Troy
shoe store until June 1. and King has
passed up a reported salary Of $4,000
to attend to his Kansas City pool
room.
with these two Johnnies not "on the
spot" the Cubs win be Handicapped
but the Chicago bunch are fighters,
as a quarter OF million New York
fans know TO their sorrow. and no
ane around these parts Is as yet wear
ing crepe for the Cubs.
Unless prognosticatlons receive a
black eye. the same four teams that
have lately got into the habit Of oc-
| cupying the upper berth in the Ma
tional League will again hold this
division. The only team that the
dopesters concede TO have a chance 20
. crowd out either Chicago, New York
! Pittsburg or Philadelphia, Is Cincin-
natl Early season reports show thai
Manager Clark Grifith. the new Red
J Leg pilot. has got together a lively
bunch OF youngsters and at the same
time has enough seasoned material on
hand 70 lend ballast TO his craft. II
Il we're not for the fact that blowing
up" is favorite failing Of the Reds.
the team would be taken much more
seriously.
Naturally John McGraw and his
\ Giants occupy a prominent place in
the baseball horizon. Near winners
last year and his hopes fed on tho
most roseate reports this year. Gotham
/. fans are going to have their very souls
scared II the team doesn't repeat the
glorious triumph of 1905. McGraw Is
a manager who likes to raise his
own players. and he has taken on a
lis tof new fellows this year that are
touted TO be "a karat. He'll have
need Of them. too, for like Chicago
he will be without the services OF two
Of his former stars. big Roger Bresna-
han and the irrepressible Mike Donlln
The mana gerial bee. got "Bres' and
he Is now the boss OF the luckles'
crew II the Mound City under one oi
whose mounds the clty's baseball
; homes are annually buried. The stagC
onsnared Doiin and time alone will tel
, which made the wiser jump.
NfcGraw may have found som'
! wonders in his new consignment hu
/ the serappiness Of Bresnahan ana Don
3 lin and the mauling that the latter wa
/ wont 10 give the ball are likely TO b'
p sadly missed at the Polo Grounds thu
z wear Schlei. the first string catcher
Is r,od man. and O'Hara, DeNore
Herzog and Murray insure good out
aeld hut local fans would feel bette
AZ they could again have the opopr
trnitv Of coyly shouting "oh yo'
Mikei" The New York manager ha
already sent out advance notices tina
smoked glasses will have TO be use'
this year IN watching the work OF al
sli 900 wcnder. Pitcher "Ruoe. Ma.
ouard. He with the eccentric MI
"Bug' Raymond. Admiral Schlei AM
j. Outfelde~ Murray. Will make TN
a habltues Of the Polo Grounds forge
e that Doniin and Breshnahan ever tro'
8 this terrestrial hall. So McGraw says
Pittsburg again looks good, despit
L The fact that the first base problem !
j. sin unsoived. But II doesn't loo
L anv better than II did last year. a
d the Pirates lost out last year by onl
d a game Of so. Manager Clarke Is count
q ing. by the grace of Honus Wagne
10 and a little better break in the luci
e on resuming the old place al the TOT
e which the Pirates graced for thre
q evars in succession. A new cente
sr fielder and a new first baseman ar
In the Pirates lineup. ana Clarh
e figures that whatever they DO VIII .
: hi least as we'll as their predecessor
lid. -.
Almost without argument the las
three places IN the race are allotted I
Boston. 81. Louis and Brooklyn VII
hut little speculation on how the hn'
shuttle win find them arranged. OF IN
three ST. Louis will be watched W.T.
the greatest interest. owing 10 IN
Herculean EFFORT that Bresnahan
....t,.. forth 20 make something OF