The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-08
BASEBALL SEASON
STARTS THIS WEEK
Major Leagues Will Play Their
Opening Games on
Thursday.
ALL GETTING UNDER WAY
lUmpircs in Nearly 800 Cities
Are Ready to Cry
PLAY Ball"

New York. April THE American and
National LcagIc. the Amcri,l, Assoc
cltt!on and the Cotton ,sta,cs ana
Southern Leagues start the baseball
Season this week.
1iis virtually means tho ieSinnins
OF the annual SIX months period dur
snE which this year more thaa 500
secc gnized clubs OF professional play
srs Will battle in almost rs Eiany
cities throughout the country, for PEN
psnt hcnors in nearly two score or
Sai.ized leagues.
In the West the Pacific Coast Lcagpe
has stolen lis usual march on the ota.
e baseball sections by alrean' get.
tiLE into the game but BY w .dnes-
day the fans OF the Middle Wes: Will
star roofing" for their fIvoritts III
She American Association circuit. ard
OF Thursday the opening daY Will have
spread to the Atlantic coast reaching
a climax in eight OF the III Jor league
cities. In quick order FOLLOW all Of
tie minors--n long list OF tn ,IE--uptil
bv the first of June all tn, forces
which organized baseball can comma nd
VII be in the field for a season whic..
1. regarded in all quarters rs pronis-
nF greater and better development
OF the national game than over
Although the Big leagues retain most
OF the veteran players and the young
or IDOLS OF last season, the cnange In
msi aEcmcnts which seven OF the clubs
rr oetSo this year Is the greatest
shakeup of the kind within memory
Inc American League has ave sucn
cha nges Clark Griffith has left Gin
eiLDati and taken charge Of The Wash
inE'on team; Harry Wolv4.ton has
come from the Pacific coast 20 nut now
life into the New York H,y,Iandcrs;
Jake Stahl the Boston American first
fascnan. has come back aftc- a years
retirement; to manage the -am Hurry
Daxis, the Philadelphia Atl sites IA.
mus f!rst-sacker, has gone to Clavc
land to run the club. and the Chicago
White SoN are to be generated BY
Jimmy Callahan, the old timer whose
ceme back" last year surorised the
fans e
In the National League there arc
Two changes In management. johnny
King, the former star catcher yf the
CT hago Cubs is promoted to ms nen-
agement of Boston after season.
work behind the bat there. In Cincjn
Eat there will be the novelty OF AZ,
umpire turning manager as Hank
ODay, a National League arbitrator
Tor years. has undertaken to lead the
"Reds."
President Thomas ]. Lyncn. OF Tie
National League. IS very optimlstic
about the coming season.
L look for the best season the Ma
tional League has ever enpoyed" he
said.
With SO many OF the clubs strength
ened 1t should be n keen race New
york, Chicago Philadelphia and Pitts
burEh are sure to have close co,up,ti
ton among themselves, and this son
son Brooklyn. Cincinnati, Boston and
st. Louis look mucn stronger than last
year. And the more teams that figure
strongly In the race the better the sea
son Will be-"
Ban johnson. president of the Amer
1chn League Is quoted in similar
vein on the prospects of the Junior or
EaniZation He thought that Instead or
.here being two permanent contendcrs
IN inc pennant race, as was the ease
last season. there would be five or six
IN close race this year.