The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-12
SPORTING FORECAST
UMPIREs Cnr or ~rLAY nALLr TO
Ths nasebau sessSn ef IBee VIII Be Started Tn The IGajer Leagus
 Circuits This Week.

t g 3sfa a-s.
 The umpires cry of play bali!" will resound thro6ghout the major league circuits this week when the baseball season of 1909 will be started
 Weak spots have been strenEtheneo in all the teams and baseball sharps declare that at least i've teams Tn escn of the big leagues must be reckoned on as serious contenders for the cham pionship. s
 The Eastern wing of the American League will be the first clubs to open the ball season. On Monday at Wssh- inston the New York Americans will delphia the Boston American League and the Athletics will clash.
 On Wednesday, April 14. an the clubs in both leagues will march upon the playing field and the dash to the pen. nant pole will be on in full cry. Tn the National League. the Eastern cfuba will engage each other. while the west ern clubs will start the season on their own playing fields. Brooklyn VIII cross the river and play the New York Nationals. while the Philadelphia team will 70 northward to meet the Boston team. In the West. Ptttsbnrg engages Cincinnati at Cincinnati and the Chi cago club the worlds champions, will have the honor of inaugurating the season at home witp St. Louis. The Western branch of the Ameri- can League wiii~get into action Well nesday with Chicago at Detroit. and Cleveland at St. Louis. the New York's playing at Washington and Boston at Philadelphia, the first four days of the week.
 The Eastern League does not open until April 22.
 Radical changes in team competition and managers this year have increased the uncertainties of the pennant race. In the National League. the baseball fan finds that the New York club has practically a new outfield in Murray, O,Hara and Horsefg. while the pitching stan has been strengthened
 The Chicagos will be without the services of Catcher Kiing and Second Baseman. Everss during the early part of the season at least, and this is Q
 problem that Manager Chance ! must
 solves before his team can class with last year.
 Pittsburg remains practically un- changed from last years club. which made a game ffght clear to the finish. Roger Bresnahan, former catcher of the New York team. is now at the l helm of the St. Louis club, made up
 of young players.
 The Cincinnati club has Clark Grif- | filth as It's new manager. Nile has se- cured fine pitching stan and claims first division honors for his club.
 The Boston club will be guided by
 Frank Bowerman. who is making no claims, but hopes to figure up toward the top at the close of the season.
 Many changes will be noted in the 1 American League Fielder Jones will be missed from center6elj and as man l ager of the Chicago club and Catcher l Sullivan probably will succeed him in directing the White Sox. The Chicagos will start the season with practically 1 the same club as last year. jss With Moriarity at third, the Detroit I club has plugged, the hole Tn it's ip-
 field and again has pennant aspira- 1 tions.
 Manager LaJoie, of Cleveland, has
 braced his pitching department by the
 acquisition of Cy Young. from Boston,
 and believes he has championship club. which will be in the fight from the start. St. Louis will make the
 race with the same team that did so | Washington and Boston clubs have
 been strengthened. New York has a
 new manager. George Stallings. who I has developed a team of youngsters I and also q few seasoned veterans. The wrestling world Is focusing its I attention this week on the worlds championship wrestling match between
 Frank Gotch. the present champion.
 and Yussif Mahmout, another of the terrible Turks" This bout will take
 place in Chicago Wednesday night for a purse of s1o.0o0. It will be at catch as-catch-can. style, best two out of three falls.
 The annual competition for amateur l boxing championships will be held at Boston Monday and Tuesday under the auspices Of the Boston Athletic Asso- | citation. ,- Interesting developments are antici-
 pated in pugilistfc circles during the week when efforts will be made by
 James Coffroth. of California. to ar-
 range match between James J. rJef- | fries and Jack Johnson Al Kaufman.
 the Australian heavyweight, who has
 been keeping on Johnsoh's trail, will fight Tony Ross. an Italian heavy
 weight from Pittsburs. in New York Tuesday night