Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31
BALL SEASON TO
OPEN ON APRIL L.
Both Schedule Makers Agree
to Start Campaign on
That Date.
NATIONALS APT TO
OPEN IN BOSTON
Griffith to Give Pass List Care
full Scrutiny-May Expert
nent at Third.
By J. ED GRILLO.

When the schedule makers of the two
major leagues submit their arrangements
for the playing of the games in the next
campaign. it will be found that the sea-
son of 1912 will open April 10. 1nforma-
ton which reached here yesterday was to
the effect that ii was good as settled
that the eastern teams of the American
League would start hostilities on the
date famed, while the opening OF the
western teams may be postponed one day
because OF the fact that these teams play
Sunday ball
IL is taken for granted that the Ma
tionals will play the opening series in
Boston, while the Athletics will journey
TO New York. Last season conditions
were reversed, Boston opening here.
while New York filled a similar role in
Philadelphia.
This probably means that the New York
team will play the opening engagement
here, while Boston will get the first
games in the home OF the worlds cham
pions. There will. of course. be 1o4
games scheduled but it is not likely that
the National League schedule will allow
as many open dates as formerly Idle
days have always been few and far be-
tween among the American League dates,
and they are sure not to be Increased
next season,
The first series will be of foGl .sames,
and after the Boston opening Ga.4es the
Nationals are expected to be caIrui Tor
the inaugural here
Manager Griffith must have anticipated
the day of the opening, for his exhibit
ton games are booked up to April {,
which leaves the following day for rest.
and gives the team plenty of time to
travel to the point where it is expected to
play its first game. which, according to
reports, is 10 be in Boston. For years
the teams on the southern end OF the
eastern portion of the American League
have alternated with their sectional ri
walls i'll the matter of playing the first
game on the home grounds, and yet 1t
would seem advisable to have the season
open in Washington and Philadelphia,
where, for geographical reasons at least
more seasonable weather can be expected
than in Boston or New York. But 1t Is
not likely that the league in framing its
schedule will deviate from Its course, ana
this fact leads to the belief that the Ma
tionals will be asked to play their first
four games at the HUB.
In the opinion of rival club owners.
the Washington club has been entirely
too liberal in the distribution of
passes, and according to Manager
Griffith. who incidentally is also a
large stakeholder in the club, the pass
list is to be very carefully scrutinized
this spring before the ANIMALS are
placed in the mails. The courtesy is to
be extended 20 those entitled to it, but
to those only, which, it Is taken, means
that there will be decided falling on
in the number of favored who have been
entering the ball park through the pass
gate. II would seem, therefore. that the
adoption of d business policy Is to reacn
farther than was first expected. Grimth
has business ideas, along which he pro-
poses to conduct the club. and the pass
proposition is. to his mind, one of the
most important.
Two months from now matters will be-
gin to liven up in base ball Early in
March the major league teams will be
starting south for their training work
In fact, during the middle of February
many players will make their way to Hot
Springs, Ark, to begin preparing for the
opening of the season. So far as known,
none of the Nationals will make this trip.
Griffith is set against it, and the chances
are that the first squad of the local team
will leave here with nim for Charlottes-
Vile March 4, where he proposes to get
his pitchers In condition before the en-
tire team reports.
Grihiths training ideas, after many
years of experience, differ considerably
from those of other managers. He does
not believe that ball players help them
selves with these trips To Hot Springs,
nor does he think that IL requires more
than four or five weeks TO iii team for
. hard campaign Heretofore it has been
the rule here to get an early start in
vantage when the season opened, but for
some reason or other this scheme has
never PANIED out, and Griffith proposes
10 adopt entirely different methods. His
idea is to give the players plenty of work
once they get started in their training.
and get them on edge b. playing exhibit
ton games.
There is just slight possibility that
Jack Flynn, who has been mentioned a.
having first base on the local team
cinched, being given a trial at third
Flynn has played this position in the
minor leagues and made good, and should
Griffith be convinced that neither Morgan
nor Foster. the two candidates for the
place comes up TO expectations. he may
bring the tall first baSeman over TO the
other side OF the infeld and give him q
chance there. But before Griffith makes
any such experiment he is going TO give
:. The two youngsters mentioned a thorough
3 trial He is by no means sure that one
or both of them wont make good there
= in which event he will not disturb Flynn
at first, for il is figured that the latter:
cleanup hitting will be of the creates
help to the team.
When you have a good man to Ieat
off your batting order the next mos
important thing is to have good MAI
or a better one follow him.. remarke
Griffith the othcr day. 1T is not tn
batter who can sacrifice and do pothin:
else who makes the ideal man to follow
the leader. but one who can wait a pitch
er out. With man on first the pitche
always expects a hunt, and he naturall,
tries to keep the bail in such q spot a
will make it difficult to lay down Nov
when you have a smart fellow second il
the list who can wait a pitcher out h
Is very apt to walk, and there is nothin
breaks UP a team SO as to have the frs
two men get on
There is no doubt in my mind tina
much of the success of. the Chicago Cub
was due to the fact that Sheckard, tn
second man up, was player along thes
lines. He was always walking when h
was expected to sacrifice, and many wa
the game which was won by reason o
his prowess in this respect There ar
many ball players who when sent TO ba
TO move up a base runner will go afte
most any kind of a ball to hunt. Wit
the result that they make a mess of i