The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-14

The Athletics utilized yesterday for
some good hard practice az their own
park and will leave the Quaker City early
this morning FOR the Capital. arriving
shortly before noon.
HUghey Jennings, In a recent Inter
view. said That he could not figure the
Athletics better than fourth place Let
Us trust he has the right dope
II seems that every baseball opening
day is looked forward 20 as a bigger
day than any that has preceded Il. That
is true to a certain extent since the game
continues 20 spread year after year. and
the annual recurrence Of the trite as
Sertion that The interest In thes game
is greater this year than ever" also
that this promises TO be the most pros
porous year in the games history" are
not without a foundation Of truth.
There is not any doubt that baseball
/ is more prosperous under existing condi-
/ tions Of two big leagues, each In a -four
ishinE state and so calculated 20 spread
/ the gospel Of the national game 10 better
advantage than at any previous time
since baseball became a clearly defined
game. After an eventful winter. in
.
usual. the various clubs have their
/ houses in order and have done all that
/ they could DO 10 strengthen and try 20
make a good showing I'm the race.
Whether the eight clubs in each league
are any more evenly matched than be-
/ fore IS something which only the race
/ itself can demonstrate, but there are still
/ enough strong clubs 20 keep the race for
/ first place uncertain for "A greater part
Of the year, and friends Of the smaller
! fry Will go on hoping that they. too
have been strengthened. and it IS quite
I likely that one or two Of them have,
until II Is proven to the contrary. With
out doubt three National League teams-
! Brooklyn, Cincinnati, and st. Louis.
which have not cut formidable figure
for pennants in late years-look stronger
/ than I'm a number OF seasons.
In the American League It is fairly rea-
I sonable to believe that Washington. New
York, and Chicago are likely to win more
games than a year ago.
J An element Of uncertainty Is added by
J the fact that clubs can go along expert
menting and slowly strengthening up to
a certain point. from which they are sud
denly likely to come fast and make a
sustained fight for a prominent position
Almost without exception, not one Of the
sixteen teams Will take the field to-
morrow without some change IN per-
sonnet either in players or manager.
Most OF the teams got beneficial practice
in the South. Their condition since com
ing home has not been helped any by
the cooler weather in the North. but all
are In shape to open the season with as
speedy play as they ever did or can be
expected at this time Of the year.
The New York Americans open at home,
while the Giants open away from home.
The American League opening calls for
the Bostoas to play in New York. Phila-
delphia in Washington. St. Louis in
Chicago and Cleveland in Detroit
In the National League, the Giants open
in Boston. the Brooklyns in Philadelphia,
the Chicagos in Cincinnati. and the Pitts
burgs IN st. Louis.
The umpire assignments for the day
are:
American League-New York. Connolly
and Dineen: Washington. Evans and
l
| cago. O'Loughlin and Perine.
| National Lelgue-Bnston. Rigier and
Ensle; Philadelphia, KLEIN and Kane;
Cincinnati. O'Day and Brennan; st. Louis,
tombstone and Moran.
The Washington Herald's Philadelphia
representative sends the following inter-
view with Connie Mack. Of the Athletics:
Philadelphia April 13.-Connie Mack
will take his White Elephants over TO
Washington in the morning for the open
ing game against the Nationals in the
afternoon.
Eddie Plank and Johnson are spoken
Of as the opposing pitching possibilities,
but the final selection viii depend on the
weather.
we are going to get right out from
the start this trip" said Connie Mack
I'VE need every game"
His cast will comprise such well-known
stars as Plank and Bender and Morgan
and-well, why name the entire club
roster. for they are all stars?
Comics programme is to take three