The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-11

NEW YORK. April TO-
me grandmother's dead" the once
boy said.
Caress!ng his eyes with his sleeve:
TOO bad" said his boss with q shake
Of the head,
you must take . day of for to
grieye."
Tive q pain In me DOME" was the
bill clerks moan.
A. he rubbed his knob. which was
hairless:
You'd better lay off," said tho boss,
with cough:
Your headache might make you
careless
The rest Of the force, with no sign
Of remoree,
Killed their relatives OF. Twas a
shame!
And the boss. with a glance at his
calendar askance.
Hung a sign out: CLOSED for the
game"
At $3.50 this afternoon the cry Of
Play ball!" will reverberate through
out the land. and fourteen million
and eighty-six bald men Will en-
Enthusiastically toss an equal number
OF perfectly good spring "keiieys"
into hundreds Of arenas I'm emula-
tion Of Mr.. Roosevel). The oldest
inhabitant will comb his whiskers in
fiendish giee. Eight million small
boys viii turn back fipnops OF sur
passing 5oyousness. Dickey birds will
carol: peanut vendors will also carol,
and such shout Of gladness will
arise from incalculable ball fields
that old Father Time. II he be not too
dried and withered. will grab of the
presidency Of tho Clock League and
challenge Death. the Shade Circuit
magnate, 10 ball game Of a mill
lion innings.
There are only three big league
cities that will be without a game
today. They are Detroit. Washing.
ton and Pittsburg. At these cities
the frst ofllciai scheduled game VIII
be a week from today.
Chicago. Cleveland. Phiia delphia
and New York are the cities that
stage an American League contest to-
day. while Boston, Brooklyn, Gin.
einnati and st. Louis will see their
National League teams In action.
The opening days games OF the
American League are az follows:
Washington at Philadelphia.
Detroit at Cleveland.
Boston at New York.
St Louis at Chicago.
The National League openings are:
New York at Brooklyn.
Chicago at Cincinnati
Pittsburg at St. Louts.
Philadelphia at Boston.
johnson leads on.
In the Athletics-Senators game at
Phiiadelphia It Ia almost a certainty
that Connie Mack's world cham pions
will be pitted against the wonderful
twiriing Of the great Walter Johnson.
With johnson In the box, Washington
10 a Eood match for any team. and
Clark Griffith declared he Ia sanguine
OF landing the victory over the Ath-
leticx and thereby getting OF to
running start. The Athletics will
probably have Chief Bender in the
box. or possibly Eddie Plank The
same veteran team that ciinehed the
Amer lean League iaureis last season
are to take the field for the worlds
ths m pions. and the battle between
ers should prove a sizzling contest
from beginning to end.
The Detroit invasion Of Cleveland
means one OF the toughest games that
could be arranged. There il intense
rivalry between the two. owing to
Cleveland's remarkable squirt last
year under the leadership OF George
Stovali. and Cleveland II conceded this
year TO be one Of the hardest con-
tenders for Detron's runner-up POSI-
ton. Harry Davis win probably send
vean Gregg to the firing line. and
Hug4lev JENNINGS will likely use
George Mullin or Bill Donovan. both
veterans.
The st. Louis Browns showed such
unexpected form against Bresnahan's
Cardinals in the preseason series that
horse" Of the American League race
this year although they finished a
poor last In 1911. Bobby Wallace will
probably use one OF his young phe-
MONS on the slab against the White
Sox at Chicago today. while Jimmy
Callahan il expected to offer the great
Ed Walsh. Chicago figures even with
Detroit, Cleveland and New York in
the battle for second place in the
league.
!. .i.e~s. Boston and New York. n
Jake Stahl. leading the Boston Red
Sox. and Harry Wolverton In charge
OF the New York Yankees. are the
rival mentors in the game In Gotham.
Eerial berths and boast that the addi-
ton OF recruits has STRENGTHENED
their teams % much ~ to make them
pennant contenders. and q fierce con-
test 10 expected to ensue on the New
York htitUp.
The New York Giants, champions
Of the National ,I1sxgue. wifi play
across the river In Brooklyn today.
Both Of these teams have iined up
groups OF youths A. recruits to the
veteran nucleus. AZ . general thing
Brooklyn ID no match for New York.
but II may be genuine tussle today.
a. Manager Hill Dahlen Intends to
send Nap Rucksr to the fore against
the McGraw clan. Mothewson and
Vanguard are expected to work for
New. York;, With Meyers catching.
The Pittsburg Pirates. who are
being picked by many to beat out
the Giants in the National League
this year. are playing on the home
grounds Of the ct. Louis Cardinals.
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