Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-04-12
FIRST GAMES FOR
BIG LEAGUES TODAY
BY FRANK G. MENkE.

BY FRANK G. MENKE.
BY Pac. and IntI News GervIce.
NEW YORK, April 12.-They're off
today!
Amid the plaudits from nearly 22O.-
900 Threats, the sixteen big league
clubs get under way this afternoon
barring postponements on account of
weather-for the long, gruelling race
for pennant honors and world series
gold.
AS they toed the mark and awaited
the crack of the starters gun, the
teams looked stronger as a whole than
any that have fought for the hunting
in many years. In neither league will
the race be one sided. In. both cir
cults, at least five teams are conceded
a splendid chance to win. The battles
in both organizations promise to be as
thrilling as any in baseball history.
Five teams in the American league
are figured as pennant possibilities
In the order Of their ranking by dop-
sters they are: Boston, Detroit, Chi
cago, New York and st. Louis. The
ranking fayorites in the National
league are: Boston. Brooklyn. Phila-
delphia, New York and Chicago.
The magnates and league executives
are predicting that this will be a ban.
ner year in baseball-one that will
excite more interest and provoke a
bigger bulge IN the club Golfers than
any since the halcyor days of 1912 and
1913.
The enthusiasm over the national
game among the fans is greater now
than it has been for long time.
With conditions normal again. due to
the passing of the Federal league.
there is certainty that the slick.shod
base balling of 1914 and 1915 is a thing
of the past. The exit of the Feds left
many OF the star players of that or
ganization jobless. Fifty or more
hooked on" with the American or Ma
tional league clubs. That means that
each team goes into the fracas this
year burdened with high class talent.
1t will be the survival of the fittest.
as far as the players are concerned.
Every man that has job must play
his very best to hold it-or another
Will jump in and succeed him. This
the magnates figure, will make base.
ball from 20 to 40 per cent. faster;
Will eliminate the slovenly playing of
the past two years.
Rarely, IL ever, have teams emerged
from the training camps in better con-
dition than they are today. No one Is
Issuing forth with an alibi. The speed
of each team has been developed un-
der southern skies to point where IL
was in readiness today to move away
at record clip-and continue speed.
ing into the October stretch.
The Reds, in the National, and the
Senators In the American league, are
assuming the dark horse" roles. No
one Is picking them for the champion.
ship. Yet both may spring a surprise.
as did the 1914 Braves and the 1915
Phillies. And in each league there are
TWO rank outsiders-the Cardinals and
Pirates in the National and the In.
dams and Athletics in the American.
1t looks like five club race I'm both
circuits-but that is field larger
than any in recent years. The auintets
seem almost evenly matched, and the
luck of the game may decide the issue
In both fights.
But may the best team win.
Here is the days schedule of today's
games and the attendance:
American League Attendance
Detroit at Chicago ......... 10000
st. Louis at Cleveland ...... $4,000
Philadelphia at Boston .... $4,000
Washington at New York ..... $4,000
100000
National League Attendance
boston at Brooklyn ........... 10000
New York at Philadelphia go. $4,000
Pittsburg at st. Louis ........ $4,000
Chicago at Cincinnati .... 90 ooo