The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-14
PLAY BALL TO
Be CALLED ON
MANY FIELDS
MAJOR LEAGUE SEASON TO BE-
cINs TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
AND NEW SEASON OPENS UP
UNDER MOST BRILLIANT PROS
PEcTs.
RY ASSOCIATED Press.

New York. April iS-Granted favor
able weather conditions the sixteen
clubs composing the National and
American leagues will open the 1914
baseball season tomorrow afternoon.
The familiar slogan Play Ball' will
ring out around the circuit and an
other six months OF Americas nation
al sport inaugurated. WITH hardly a
break the clubs VIII struggle for SUI
premacy in the two leagues and the
climax will come with the playing of
the worlds series in October between
the pennant winning clubs OF the two
ORGANIZATIONS
The present season will mark the
thirty ninth year of play in the Ma
tional league and the fourteenth in
the American league National league
history dates back to the spring of
1876 and during the ensuing years,
thirty eight remnants have been won
by eight clubs, Chicago leads with
ten championships to its credit; Bos-
ton is second with eight. and New
York third with seven. Pittsburg &C
counted for four, Brooklyn three, Bal
tirnore three, Providence two and De-
troit one. Since the opening year of
the American league play in 1900 four
teen championships have been won
of which the Philadelphia club Sc
cured five, Boston three, Chicago
three and Detroit three.
During the past winter many
changes have occurred in the ranks of
the major leagues. The Federal League
secured from the older organizations
number of veterans and promising
recruit players in its efforts to estab-
fish itself as a contender for baseball
patronage. Several sensational trades
and the appointment of new managers
also caused decided changes in the
combinations of various clubs The
National league was particularly &C
tive in this respect, the changes be-
ginning with the selection of a new
president in the person of John X.
Tener and extending down through
the ranks of owners, managers and
players. Thus on the eve OF anoth-
er season the%various clubs face the
pennant campaigns in the following
conditions:
New York.
The National league pennant win
ners or last season present virtually
the same lineup as year ago. With
The exception of HerzoG, now man
lying Cincinnati, and Shafer, who re-
used to return to the game, the
siants will enter the 1914 race with
The Identical. lineup that faced the
Athletics in the worlds series last au-
.umn. Manager McGraw is inclined
10 the belief that he can fill the gap
1t third satisfactorily despite Skaters
detection. If such proves to be the
,ase the New York club will be as
strong. il not stronger, than was the
ease twelve months ago.
Philadelphia.
Shot almost to pieces in the raids of
the Federal league, the Philadelphia
National league team has reformed its
lines and will make a. determined eff
fort to show well in the pennant race
in the senior organization. Having
lost Knabe and Doo1an, two important
infield men: Brennan and Seaton, de-
pendable pitchers, and with the pos
sihility OF not having the service of
Killifer, the Phillies enter the PEN
nant race much below last years
strength, when they gave the New
York Giants a battle for first place.
Chicago.
The Cubs will start the season with
a new manager, an infield new in its
combination though made up of eN-
perienced men, and a pitching staff of
veterans strong enough to offset il
a measure what is believed to be a
lack of hitting power. The unake-up