Connecticut western news., 1909-05-13
NEWS FROM THE
 LEAGUE TEAMS
WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING
All But Canaan Have Been Warming Up in Practice Games and Local Team Expects to go to MiIIerton To-day-Season Opens Saturday.


 Season Opens Saturday.
 THE NEWS prints this week, prepara- , tory to the opening of the baseball sea- son in the Housatonic Valley Baseball League Saturday, brief, authoritative synopsis of the work of each team in the league so far this season in preliminary practice games and in scrub practice on the home diamonds. These facts have been obtained from the managers of the teams or from others in position to learn the material at hand and to size up the prospects for the season. It will be of interest to all baseball fans.
 About Canaan there is less to be said probably, than of any other team so far as practice work is concerned. The work of building new diamond had not been concluded until the last few dry days and it will be some time yet before it is in shape for games. The Canaan boys have not yet handled a baseball and while the makeup of the team will be practically the same as last year, they will go into their first game Saturday with a big handicap in the way of not yet having done any work together, ex cept what they will get in practice game to be played at Millerton to-day.
 Salisbury will be Canaan's opponent Saturday on Salisbury's grounds. The Salisbury boys have been doing consider able in the way of practice during the pasS two or three weeks. Their only game against an outside team was that played at East Canaan April 24th when the East Canaan team won out by the score of 15 to 12. However, the Sails bury boys were up against fast aGgre- gation on that occasion ahd played game against the odds which put their supporters in confident spirits. Some thing new in that game was the pitch ing of Barton, Salisbury's new man this year. Although young and inexperi- enced he showed in the East Canaan game that he has some good curves and while his balls are not speedy, they ap- pear to be puzzlsrs. He went in the East Canaan game iD the sixth inning, when the score stood 12 to in favor of East Canaan, and held the latter team down to three runs in the four innings he occupied the box. Salisbury's regu- lar battery will be Jones and Burpee, the same as last year and both are ex- pected to be on hand for the game Sat urday. Knickerbocker caught in the East Canaan game and he and Barton will probably be second choice for bat tery work. Gray has also been doing some good work behind the bat. The Salisbury boys played a scrub game last Saturday and will be in fair trim to meet Canaan. The Salisbury diamond is the same as last year. The apple trees have not yet been removed as it was hoped they would be.
 Raymond A. Silvernale, manager of the Lakeville Baseball Club, says: Up to date we have played four games-two with Salisbury School, and two with Hotchkiss. We won both Salisbury games and our series with Hotchkiss stands tie. Hotchkiss won the first game, to 4; LakevilIe the second game to 5. On May 13 we expect to play off the deciding game. With the practice these games afford and the hard work our boys are doing to get i'll shape for the league games I believe that our team will be able to make good showing for 1909 and thus uphold our record of 1908 Best wishes for the success of the Housatonic Valley League and all associated with the same.
 The Millerton team opened the season auspiciously by taking an unexpected victory from the Hotchkiss School team last week Monday. AS the day was un- comfortably cold fast playing could not be expected, consequently errors were numerous on both sides. At the same time the Millerton team is reported as having shown up some good material. Hughes, their pitcher, has not been in the game for the past several days ow- ing to three bruised fingers where 8 horse stepped on his right hand. Rob Grant has been doing some twirling for Millerton, alternating with Poole. Casey has been behind the bat. The Canaan team has arranged to go to Millerton and cross bats with that team this afternoon.
 The Falls ViIlage-Lime Rock team defeated Hotchkiss by the score of 50 on the Hotchkiss grounds Monday, de- tailed account of this game being given this week in the Lime Rock column Gagin is doing good work behind the bat for Lime Rock and Ryder and