Evening journal., 1919-04-23

After the longest period Of Inactivity
in the history Of the professional game
major league baseball will be resumed
this afternoon. Not since last Sep
tember 1 have the National and Ameri-
can League Clubs been in action in
regular championship contests vaca-
ton Of nearly eight months. This long
layoff must be charged entirely TO the
war. since the War Departments work
or flght" order forced an early cessa-
tion OF league competition last Sep
tember and unsettled conditions devel-
oping from the world conflict induced
the club owners to delay the league
openings for week. The passing Of
eight months has seen a rather startling
change in the legal status and the
Washington estimate OF major league
baseball. Last August General Crow
der announced that baseball was not
an essential business or occupation
Only a little more than a week ago the
District OF Columbia Circuit Court de-
cided that major league baseball was
interstate commerce carried on in vio-
lation OF the Clayton act, and an out
and out trust. This decision Is not
going 10 harm baseball one whit. but
it Is an indication OF the public trend.
Men who in the stress OF war times re-
eanded baseball as a pariah among
Americas activities now regard It in
new light and are looking forward with
intense zest TO the first call OF play
Ballr' We have come out OF the shad-
ows into the golden sunlight. and
baseball, along with every other legiti-
mate activity In this country-sport in
particular-is going 10 feel the benea-
cent effects OF a tremendous boom.
Reports from all sections OF the
country indicate that the fans are just
hungry for the game. Take conditions
in New York as an example. Yester-
day afternoon at the offlces Of the New
York American League Club the OH
cials reported the greatest seat demand
in the history Of the Yankees. In ST.
Louis, where baseball was said 70 be
in a morlbund state, 10000 fans turned
out TO see the Cardinals play one game
with the Browns Nearly 10000 saw
Cincinnati entertain Detroit on bad
day. In the south the Yankees and
Brooklyns collected more money than
they ever before had gathered on a sim
liar tour. The Braves and Detroits also
did a record business and split S25.O00.
The outlook Is decidedly bright, and is
made all the more roseats because OF
the fact that New York is 70 have Sun
DAY baseball financial boon not only
for the New York teams but for all
the clubs which get Sunday dates at
the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field.
Today the National League enters on
its forty-fourth year and the American
League on its twentieth. In a general
"a
stronger aggregation this year, but
this should not detract from the inter-
est in the National League race. Base
ball dope has a habit OF going all
wrong. AS Harry Puiliam was so fond
OF emphasizing at every opportunity.
take nothing for granted in baseball"
Critics have IL that the Cubs will win
the National League pennant. They
base their contention on the fact that
the Chicago pitching staff. with Alex
ander. Vaughn, Tyler. Hendrix and
Douglass. looks like the most formid-
able in the league. However. the Cubs,
like the Giants. have a lot Of veterans.
They have Merkle on first, Pick on I
sccond, Deal on third, Hollocher at
short and Flack. Mann and Paskert in
the outfeld. with Killefer the catching
mainstay. A slight shift In the Giants
inneld. which may come mighty soon, !
and a pitcher or two would make the
McGraw entry far more formidable
than most fans imagine. While on the
subject Of the Chicago lineup. we
nieht say that Pete Kilduff. who was
making so great a stir at this time last
season. Is only a bench warmer now.
In the American League the general |