Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-10-08
Teams Go Into Action
with Star Pitchers
on Mound.
RED SOX FAVORlTES; HOME
FANS CLING TO ALEXANDER
Early Morning Gloom Melts
Away Before Warm Rays
of the Sun.
RED SOX FAVORITES; HOME
FANS CLING TO big ALEX"
Special to the Evening Star.

special to the Evening Star.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. s.-Thou-
sands of fans in the enclosure desig-
mated as the Philadelphia National
League Park and hundreds of thou
sands of fans outside of the park, and
in other cities settled back for a
thrilling game when Grover Cleve-
land Alexander shot up the first ball
10 Boston batsman today opening
the worlds series for 1915. All of the
dope, all of the pre-series arguments;
all of the advance guessing and
weighing of relative merits was for
gotten, the teams were lined up on
the field to tlgnt it out man to man
the Boston Americans and the Phila-
delphia Nationals. Shore went in to
pitch for the Boston Red Sox.
Grounds Packed to Limit.
The announcement that a game
would be played came at 10:45 o'clock
and there was an immediate rush for
the Phillies park at Broad and Hunt
ingdon streets-the smallest baseball
enclosure in either major league,
which early gave promise of close re-
semblance to a carefully packed sar-
dine box when play was begun.
The bleacher gates were thrown
open at IL o'clock, and here 1900 of
the real rooters OF the game found
accommodations at 81 head. The
more exclusive holders of reserved
seat privileges were late in reaching
the grounds, and noon found only
scattering in the double-decked
srandstand.
From early morning the Phillies'
groundkeeper and his assistants were
busy In the playing field. Up to 10
o'clock 1t seemed a game would hard
ly be possible, but another half hour
of work and an unexpected breaking
away of the gloomy clouds Influenced
the decision of the umpires to recon-
mend that the series start on sched-
uled time.
BY noon the soaked and slippery
base paths had been covered with a
top coat of dry dirt and sand. The
pitchers box was in pretty bad shape.
while the ground on either side of the
plate was little less than quagmire.
The grassy outfield was In fair shape,
the sun was assisting the grounds
keeper in his effort to put the dia-
mond in safe condition, but there was
much speculation as to the effect OF
the slow field upon the game. The
Boston players Ildfe IIDiu liie HIb
claimed certain superiority In the
speed of their work, both in fielding
and running bases This advantage
was certain TO bel minimized by the
rain-soaked ground. The players of
both teams, however. were just as
glad as the fans that there was to be
no delay in getting the series under
way.
Boston batters gave an early hint
~ I'm II ts1ar lnd fY1
any way by the short wall, when
Ducy Lewis and Harry Hooper both
lined balls into the crowd. A minia-
ture riot ensued for possession Of the
bleache Up to 1:40 neither man.
ager had given the crowd the slight
est intimation of who the pitchers
would be. Rixey warmed up for the
PhiIs, but the crowd didn't evidence
much enthusiasm, as it was fore
gol conclusion that Grover Alexan-
der would get the honor of starting
the Pills battle.
Dave Bancroft, the young coast
phenom, drew several rounds Of ap-
plause from the crowd by. his scintil-
Iating work at short field. He was all
over the place, grabbing them off his
shoetops and thriving to bases with
lightning speed and precision.
While all this was going on Alexan
der sat in front of the Phils' bench
on a roll of mating and watched the
play closely.
AT Las Boston took the field for
practice. AT that time Shore was the
only Red SoX pitcher warming up.
Alexander also stepped out and began
to loosen up.
With the appearance of the Red Sox
the Royal Rooters from Boston stood
on their chairs, and, waving pennants
in time with the band which crashed
out "Tessie,' they fairly split the
ozone
Burns received Alexander in the
warming up practice, and Heinie
Wagner, Carrigans first lieutenant,
took the shoots Shore had to offer.
The difference in the size of the
Phillies' park and the Boston lot was
stri6ingly illustrated when Gregg and
other fungo hitters put their first Of
fering for the outfielders into the
stands. They had to get the short
range of the Phillies' field before the
outfielders could do any more than
hike after the ball and then watch 1T
drop into the midst of the fans.
Ten minutes before game time the
CONTINUED on Page 2. Column 4.