The Washington herald., 1914-04-12
Opening DAYS
ARRIVE SHORTLY
Big League Players Now
Take Possession of
Limeight.
FEDERALS OPEN MONDAY
Happenings of Past Five Months
Make Good Reading for Fans
During the Winter.
SPECIAL to The Washington Herald.

special to The Washington Herald.
New York, April 1l-And now that the
SHOWS of yesterday have skidded hence
or thence and the old base burner that
warmed our chilled shins during the
last six months has been chucked into
the cellar, We come to the realization
that the winter league season is over,
and that baseball is with us once again.
The Feds pry of the lid in an official
manner tomorrow, and the organized
ajors do the same little thing in their
leagues on the day following. And from
then on until the autumn leaves begin
to fit hither and thither. and the foot
ball gladiators rush into the spotlight
once again, America will be afflicted
with its annual summer madness, known
as baseballitis.
Looking back over the happenings of
the last five months one suddenly realizes
the truth of the statement that you
never can tell" In the early section
of December II looked as If those per-
sons who provide bread. butter and other
things for themselves through punching
out little sporting articles were confront
ed with a mighty-a dreary-task. The
prospects were that nothing would hap
pen during the interval before the regu-
lar season opened again. and that one
would have to draw quite largely upon
ones imagination-and memory-for little
squibs now and then.
But the signs fibbed So many things
busted between December and this
day and date that it keeps one up rather
late at night figuring out not what one
could write about, but. rather. figuring
out which subject one should select out
of a score or more of subjects.
As may be remembered. Garry Herr
mann and Charles Ebbets, the merry old
magnates. who have a liking for Waldorf
wine, started things agoing by framing
up the Tinker deal Then Tinker stepped
in and set them whiZZing along faster
by issuing an ultimatum to Ebbets More
lUcre than you offer or I'll hop to the
Feds"
Ebbets Loses Tinker.
And then along came Ebbets, care-free
and happy, thinking he had Tinker where
Tinkers spinal column seemed to be rub
bing up and down against a blank wall,
murmuring, "Ha, ha. jump IL you
wanter." And that's what Josephus did.
much 10 the surprise of the baseball
world in general. and to the greater sur
prise Of the aforementioned Mister Eb-
bets. who since has lost a lot of his
girlish laughter and a considerable pOr-
ton Of his care-free happy manner.
And then events happened so fast that
it seemed as though some one were stag
ing a lightning-change panorama. The
ederal Leaguers, that had been merely
looming in the offing up to the time that
Tinker looped-the-loop. and which. or
ganization wasn't given much thought by
any one. suddenly blazed up largely on
the baseball horizon.
The leap frog stunts of the majors who
couldn't resist the bulging Federal bank
rolls, the threats of organized baseball to
sue the Federals, choke 'em to death. boil
'em in oil, and eat EN- alive, and other
loud talk of like nature, furnished more
copy.
And then just when things seemed
about to resume their normal status, lust
about the time when the Feds ceased 10
be a sensation and were voted as among
those present, just when il seemed as n
things would quiet down, along came
Charles Webb Murphy. who poked his
frame into the spotlight by suddenly can
ming the peppery Mr.. Evers.
Once again reams and reams of copy
were available. Where would Evers goo
What would happen to Murphy? Would
Evers jump to the Feds? These ana a
score Of other little questions on the same
order seemed to call for answers. ana IN
a dutiful way the composers of sporting
squibs attempted to answer them
After Mister Murphy was duly and
completely canned from his Cub presi-