The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-13
B a S e b all KING h t S
Sharpen Lance and
Go Into Fray.
A t T EN- D ANCE is
MISUNDERSTANDING
All Scheduled Games Played
Except at Detroit, Where
Weather Conditions Prevent.
Nothing Startling Develops
in Opening Contests AL
on Equal Terms.

IotGidAS HdIhcu the opening 0I
the American and National Baseball
Leagues for the season OF 1911. Stalls
ticians vary as to the exact number
of persons who were interested in this
event; experts at estimating crowds
are by no means al one as to the num-
Der of persons who witnessed tho
opening games Four cities were Pc
culiarly favored OF the gods and the
weather mans prediction that rain
would prevail throughout the East
missed nre, and all OF the cities in
which games were scheduled but one
suffered from umtoward weather con-
Enthusiastically.
The busincssograpi so 1t vs. report
ed recorded an unseeinly, number OF
''pariicularly important cngaSements
yesterday. and the ,persons in charge
are more or less nonpulssed over the
fact that practically all OF the engage
ments thus recorded were scheduled
for about 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
The unan!mity Of these engagements
Will form the subject OF many dis
courses which are TO he delivered later
IN the season It Was also reported
that a mos, horrible holocaust swept
the country from tho Eastern bank OF
the mississippi TO the coast line OF the
-AtldHllC Sta lES. Hoo b - &c ~ t'SN'7 =.
ports VIII cary out exact causalies'
rumor has IL that grandmotners were
destroyed In hordcs.
Phenomena of Day.
sickness in families paraded tor
their small mortality rate, and deaths
or people whose health had been pro
verbal, were among the phenomena
OF the day Doctors freely Wanted
INC fact that their patients were In
/. most excellent condition, and required
no attention; housewives forgot me
evening meal; careful Biddies. whose
chief claim to fame was their carer VI
ness. beca,n. derclict both as TO name
and fame; champion hluecoats whose
emulation OF the wondrous Snerloch
Holmes had won spurs iorsot thelr
chosen held and even the staio Pc
,,ant. whose ears tingled at the snsht-
~, nerycraion OF the English tongue,
z WAS found to DC enjoying such q men
al ,cnast as ..Hurrah for our side.
I,xplanations vary. but among tne
more enlightened IT all resolves i,seii
into TIC fact that the race Is on.s iie
kingpin leagues OF pnseoai' Hso
1onned their armor' Eacn hn's 80
nharpcred his lance. and is reaay iot
,ha t,.ttie Laws OF the tourney nave
heen read and verify, TO the victor
Viii cone the spois
The ltncc Is On.
Rea blood coursed warmer yes'e.ai,s
TRAN 4, has for several months. LII
,,rvcnic presidents found II eNped:ent
~, rj;.v hockey" II was the ba schall
season. and the game was on Little
wc,,s;,, that in chicago. philadelphia.
l,iucinrati Boston. Cleveland, WASH
irutcn and New York baseball sur
charged the air What II the market
vas down? What II some faForite
stock took a tumble: Inc puiis aho
thof bears, lamb and lion saint and SIN
ner moneyed man and pauper, curb
broker and holder OF seat In the
great Stock Exchange, all were on
cduai terms, and the great leveling
ground was the ball park.
For four weary months the baseball
bug was compelled to hibernate in
Fl. the places where men knew him not.
Yesterday was his day, and he cele-
bratcd Never before in the history
of the game has interest been so keen.
Never before since old Father Chad
wick--peacc to his ashes-frst In
& luulcated the idea that In baseball
America would find its great national
+ pastime, have so many people sought
II diversion and amusement in the sport.
ii enlists more people than all OF the
rest of the sports in the guide book.
IT holds the attention of more different
classes of people than any game ever
played Why then should not the
thousands who arc devotecs at the
E altar OF hlnS bdSooall not IeJolCe,
when lie is born again.
Dubious were the enthusiasts when
the weather report sent out from
Washington became public property.
The man who has direct charge of the
elements said that there would be fair.
weather in but one big league city
Boston. Yesterday dawned clear and
cold In most OF the towns directly
interested, but clear In18 Brooklyn,
there was slight fall of rain, and 1t
was feared that it might cross the East
River, but it didn't. Detroit was the
one forsakcn spot in all of the area
covered by the big leagues. 1t was
cold there. and it rained and the open
Ing contest had to be postponed.
Nothing Startling Develops.
Nothing startling developed In the
games. The Cubs battled with ST.
Louis for eleven innings to a tie
score Of to 3, which was the most
startling thing. The Giants topped
over to Philadelphia to Q, and 1t took
the full nine innings to decide. Pitts
burg showed that Barney Dreyfuss's
crowd will be in the race for the flag
t by trimming Cincinnati, II to 0. Prob
ably the greatest surprise was the.
way In which Jimmy Vaughan stood
the champion Athletics on their heads
They could gather but one neasly
tally off of him.. and Hal Chase drew
IS first blood. winning the opening con-
4 test. 2 to i. Washington also got
away good by taking the measure OF
st. Louis. Jimmie McAleer would
rather beat St Louis than any club
In the league and he had his wish.
The score was s to 5.
HGS 4 safe and sane estimate puts It
that UPWARDS Of 100000 people saw
y 01I7'saI9 (Conttnued on Sixth Page IL =