New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-11
Omen 1916 Season IN
Strenuous Games with
Fast Clubs.
WALTERJOHNSONWIL
BE AT POLO GROUNDS
McGraw's Men Tackle the Great
Alexander Robins
Versus Braves.
By GRANTLAND RICE.

tic embattlcd Nanks and the equally
cn,battled Dodgors VIII emerge from
their igloos this afternoon and polish
at the remains OF the training season.
Having accomplished this extremely
worthy purpose. an hands. as Professor
Willard would pr &. will be ready for
tho little old opening tomorrow after
noon. provided another epidemic oil
snow doesn't blot out the festivities
and throw pale white shroud over inc
scene.
Inc three greater New York clubs
set fire 10 the fuse al Approximately
the came moment. around 80 bells.
Tho Ygnks viii have very little 20
do except beat Walter Johnson
The Giant, have practically nothing
20 worry about save grapple with
Grover cleveland Alexander
And the only things in the way OF a
barrier for the lusty Dodgers are the
Boston Braves. favored by the insiders
10 win the flag.
Anv optimist who would call this an
easy start for the three local clubs
would also call life in the trenches a
10Y ride with nothing TO do but inhale
poisoned gas.
No Soft Start.
The only soft thing about the lanks'
Giants and Dodgers start VIII be the
camp turf under their feet. All three
clubs are thrown into the lions dens on
the same day. and only rare work will
rull them safely through. And this IS
? season. so well matched are the lead
InC entries. where a flying start is 60
ing TO be Of unusual value later on.
They say game in April isn't worth
much: but for all that the Phillies won
the pcnnant last season in the first
-.vo weeks of the race by nicking Q leven
straight. This was just enough TO
slide them safely through, where a poor
'prl beginning would have dumped
thcm 20 q certainty.
The club that gets away 10 slow,
,lounderinC start this season viii have
harder time than usual getting its
balance again. with very few soft
marks 30 work on in the upward climb.
The lank Attack.
The strongest feature Of the Yank
machine is supposed TO be It's attack.
This attack will yet quick action, IN
"a test way. tomorrow; with Walter
Johnson obliging on the opposite end,
This attack will not be seen at its
rest uNLll tUt outNri'at Itoui.i~ '.' NS
lat. begins 10 soak the Jolly old sphere.
'iagee. Naisel and Gilhooley. picked TO
,tart the first charge, have been in the
deadly throcs OF a batting slump for
some time: and yet all three should
Tat somewhere between .275 and 800
on form also on the ball field.
These three have shown, in past
wears. that they can hit; so it Is only
= question Of when they will get going.
Il may be they have been saving up
their basc-hits for Walter Johnson;
which isn't bad idea, once you think
10 over.
Zach athlete has in his system just
30 many base-hits. Why waste them
before they begin 20 count We will
,nev more about this theory when
Magee. Maisel and Gilhooley see the
white in Johnson's eyes. II may be
there is nothing TO IT, Tomorrow alone
will show.
The Real Thing at Last.
The greatest feature of any open
ing dav is tho knowledge that. after
five or SIX months of wan-cyed dope. the
regular thing is arriving AT last. Close
20 800 columns. since last October, have
been employed 20 show just how good
or how had the Nenks. Giants and
Dodgers will he through 1916.
After tomorrow this announcement
will an be made IN one brief line, set
under this title: THE STANDING OF
THE CLUBS. And this daily line will
tell you more about IL than all the
words Mr Webster ever heard about It.
When some one broke the news "a
business Manager Harry Sparrow OF