The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-16
Baseball Lid In National
League Off This After
noon-Weather Ideal

Play ball!
After the balmy weather of yester-
day the magic words play ball."
which will be uttered on the Polo
Grounds this afternoon by Umpire
Cy Rigler, will be appropriate and
seasonable. On such a day as yes
terday each gentle zephyr seemed to
sing play ball"
Even the fact that each hour brings
fresh developments of the worlds
greatest battle, and that Uncle Sam
is plunged in his greatest Liberty
Loan drive cannot drown out the
music of that baseball command
opening a new season or prevent the
thrill which the far feels when the
home pitcher squares off to let go
the first pitch of an infant sea-
son.
The Yankees and Senators got a
jump on the rest of the field by open
ing in Washington yesterday, but the
opening dear to every fan in this
vicinity will be held on the Polo
Grounds this afternoon, when the
Giants, champions of the National
League, meet the Brooklyn Superbas.
1t will be the Giants first home open
ing since 1915.
President Hampstead of the New
York. club, has arranged for an in
teresting opening day program. Maj
Gen. William Mann, U. S. A, COM
mander- of the Department of the
East and former commander Of the
Rainbow Division, will throw out the
first ball.
There will be other military frills.
The game will be preceded by par
.ade around the field by a detachment
of regulars from Fort Slocum, who
will be accompanied by their band, a
battalion of Naval Reserves and a
company of Marines. The parade will
start at o'clock.
In addition to the Fort Slocum
Band the club has hired Conway's
Military Band to give a patriotic
concert before the game. There
also will be an exhibition of bomb
throwing by the Twenty-second En-
gineers. Marty McHale, former
Red Sox, Yankee and Cincinnati
pitcher, and a lieutenant in the
Twenty-second Regiment, aided by
players from both clubs, will sell
Liberty Bonds. The game has been
called for $3.50, but it may be delayed
a bit by the military program. Cy
Rigler and Moran, the latter a new
conner from the Southern Associa-
ton, will umpire the game. Any
player hitting Churchills sign on the
left field fence will get a $50 Liberty
bond. This offer will last until the end
of the drive for the Third Liberty
Loan
A little fly in the ointment of joy
for the seasoned New York fan is the
uncertainty regarding Larry Doyle
rand Jess Barnes, the brilliant young
pitcher procured from the Braves, in
the Herzog deal. The Herzog ques-
ton still remained unsettled last
night, though Hampstead and Nc
pGraw were working last night with
Haughton and Stallings, of the Bos-
ton club, to bring about some kind Of
an equitable settlement.
President Tener of the Nationa'
League said yesterday that if Herzoe
was not with the Braves in Philadel.
phia tomorrow Doyle and Barne.
would revert back to Boston. Tener
THAT something will happen before
Stomorrow's game, which will make i
possible for New York to retain the
players in question.
The whole point in dispute at pres
&, ent is Herzog's salary for 1919. Her
zog insists that this also be $4,000
but this is where the hitch comes
and he refuses to compromise TIL,
ri, DIV -.
zog a $4,000 bonus. 1t generally i
believed that the New York club will
reimburse Boston so that it can NEE
Herzog's demands, but Hampstead
says he will pay Herzog for sitting OF
the Giant bench in 1918 before h.
pays another penny of his salary il
1919.
Should the Herzog deal be off, jim
my Smith also will return to the
Giants and play second base.
The Brooklyn club, which will b,
the opponents of the Giants this af
iternoon. also opens the season will
quite hole in it's lineup, due to tn
prolonged holdout of Zach Wheat, tn
clubs crack left fielder. The Brook
y1yn club has cut Wheats salary a tri
tfe, and he refuses to take it. Man
,ager Robinson has sent him an ulti
matum that if he is not signed by to
day he will he placed on the clubs in
eligible list.
The pitchers for this afternoon wi
likely be Barnes, provided he is per
united to stay with the New Yor
CLUB, and Burleigh Grimes, the spit
5ball pitcher Brooklyn procured fror
Pittsburg in the Stengel- Cutsha7
trade Grimes has shown to bette
effect than any of the other Brookly
.slaJbsters.
Barnes has been New York's mos
successful pitcher this spring, bein
practically unhittable in the Clevelan
SERIES Next to Barnes, Fred Andel
son likely will be McGraw's choice.
Brooklyn starts the season wit
quite a patched-up team. but a youn
first baseman. Schmandt, is filling i
very credita'bly at second base. o
son at short, O'Mara at third an
Daubert round out a rather unSettle
infeld O'Mara, however, has bee
doing very nicely at third base.
The Giants retain their powerf1
hitting club of last year, and with Il
exception of Kauff, who has Hruise
heel all the regular players are
fine shape.
NEW HEAD FOR WESLEYAN MN
Middletown, April 16.-Edward
Tonlinson, 1920. of Elizabeth, N.
has been appointed acting basebs