The Washington herald., 1909-04-11
PROBABLE BATTING ORDER.
NATIONALS
By WILLIAM PEET.

The baseball season opens to-
morrow.
Our Nationals and the much
vaccinated New York Yankees
will be the opposing teams at
American League Park.
Every loyal baseball fan in the
Capital will be on hand to root for
the home team, and if the weather
holds fair the grounds viii be
damned to overlooking.
Washington starts the season
with the brightest prospects in
years.
Rival managers, local experts,
and fans, together with the advance
guard Of the players, are unanimous
in their praise of Cantillon's pres
ent aggregation, believing that with
ordinary good luck at the start the
Nationals viii wind up the season
either at the top Of the second di-
vision or break in among the first
row bunch.
The writer telegraphed Manager
Joe Cantillon shortly before mid
night last night, asking him for
brief statement of his teams pros
poets. This IS what he saws:
Manager Joe Predicts.
Il have not made a prediction. this
spring that we would do better than
top OF the second division, but the
more I look over the bunch I have
with me the more my confidence gets
the better Of my modesty, and urges
me to announce that we viii break
into the first division. Without Walsh
and Jones. the White Sox have No
mortgage on the Grst division. and I
feel IN my bones we are the lads 10
land IN their shoes. Washington now
has the best hitting. fielding. and
thinking lot Of ball PLAYERS it has had
for years. and I can't inquire anything
short Of a train wreck that could pre-
vent us from making the showing I
am so anxious 10 make before the
Capital fans.
eve now have team that has
brains enough 20 understand the sig
ni1cance Of signal and can grasp a
sudden play without having it Illus
trated by a map and colored stereop-
ticon pictures
These things VIII be learned by the
fans when we get started, but hope
too much viii not be expected at first,
as the bad weather in the Middle
West has knocked us of cur feet at
present. and We VIII hardly be at our
best before the end Of the week
The probable batting order printed in
the foregoing may suffer a few changes
when the umpire says PLAY ball" Man
ager Stallings. OF the New Yorlxs, is like
a man Up tree at present. He hardly
knows where he is at. and the players he
would like 20 use against the Nationals
may not be in shape TO play Every place
they go they have to be vaccinated, and
sore arms are sure 10 crop out when
least expected
McBride's illness from the grip and the
uncertainty about where 20 play Unglaub
places Manager CantillOn In the rank and
file Of those guessing for a batting oreer
= prize.
The manager is as much up in the air
as the fans, and viii not be able 70 line
up his hired men until he counts noses
Monday in Washington and sees whether
they are all there without the aid OF an
ambulance. Mcbride is stIH under the
weather and may not be able to play in
Columbus to-day, bat Is confident he viii
be on the job Monday.
Whether Unglaub OF Milan will play in
the outfeld and where they viii bat is an
other mystery. Unglaubs fielding among
the rhubarbs VIII not be anything start
ling. cut he has it on Milan in sWatting.
and should get the berth for that reason.
Burns looks TO be the pitcher
Whether Street viii bat ahead Of Nc
Bride is another problem, for Mcbride
has been an in-and-outer this spring. but
mostly an inner. for he has been display
ing symptoms Of becoming a moderately
reliable swatter.
Johnson Getting Better.
Il is certain that Walter johnson WIN
not be called upon TO pitch against the
Yankees in the opening game. for the
reason that he has not handled ball