The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-08
FIVE LEAGUES TO BEGIN PLAY BEFORE
 CLOSE OF WEEK

| New York April 1.-The American and National leagues. the American associa- l ton, the Southern and Cotton States leagues start the baseball season this week.
 This virtually means the beginning of the annual six months period, during which this year more than 300 recognized clubs of professional players will battfe in almost as many cities throughout the country for pennant honors in nearly two score organized leagues.
 In the west the Pacific Coast league has stolen it's usual march on the other baseball sections by already getting into the game,' but by Wednesday the "fans of the middle west will start "rooting for thier favorites in the American as sociaton circuit and on Thursday, the opening day, enthusiasm will have spread to the Atlantic coast, reaching climax in eight of the major league cities.
 In quick order follow all of the minors "a long list of them-until by the first of June all the forces which organized baseball can command will be in the field for a season which is hailed in all quar- ters as promising a greater and broad CT development of the national game than ever
 Big League Changes
 Although the big leagues retain most of the veteran players and the younger idols of last season, the change in mapagements which seven of the clubs undergo this year is the greatest shake up of the kind within memory. The American league has five such changes. Clark Griffith has left Cincinnati and taken charge of the Wash ington team Harry Wolverton has come from the Pacific coast to put new life Into the New York Highlanders, Jake Stahl, the Boston American first baseman, has come back after a years retirement to manage the team Harry Davis, the Phil adelphia Athletics famous first sacker, has gone to Cleveland to run the club; ! and the Chicago White Sox are to be generalled by Jimmy Callahan. the old | timer whose comeback last year sur | prsed the fans. ..s l Tn the National league there are two changes in management. Johnny King, | the former star catcher of the Chicago | Cubs, is promoted to the management of | Boston after a seasons work behind the bat there. Tn Cincinnati there will be the novelty of an umpire turning mana ger, as Hank O'Day, National league arbitrator for years, has undertaken to | lead the Reds.
 Lynch Is Optimistic President Thomas J. Lynch of the Ma e'N'ioi fSoSuV iS fSis oPeiiiiSeiS eNcoN.~ N'- | coming season.
 1 T look for the best season, the National league has ever enjoyed he said. With | so many of the clubs strengthened, Ii should be a keen race. New York, Chi cago Philadelphia and Pittsbnrg are sure to have close competition among them selves, and this season, Brooklyn, Cln- cinnati, Boston and St. Louis look much stronger than last year. And the more | teams that figure strongly in the race the | better the season will be-
 l Ban B. Johnson, president of the Alnerl- can league, is quoted in a similar vein on the prospects of the junior organization He predicted that instead of there being two prominent contenders in the pennan' race as was the case last season, there would be five or six in close race this year.