Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-04-14
THEY'RE AWAY.
IN THE MAJOR
LEAGUES ALSO
Big Fellows Swing Into Action
With a Record Season
Promised.

Major league baseball teams were to
swing into pennant action today with
the formal opening of the 1920 season.
Based upon the form exhibited in the
| spring training. on southern dlamonas'
| the sixteen clubs of the National ana
American leagues appeared to be In TAR
physical condition and baseball prophets
| forecast close races for the respective
| league flags as well as excepaonal at
tendance and financial receipts due 10
the unusual interest in the gf1ne this
year.
GAMES NORTH
EAST AND WEST.
Eastern and western city clubs. shared
equally i'll the allotment Of opening dates;
In the National league Boston played
at New York while Philadelphia was TO
make its first appearance at Brooklyn
The western division teams OF the
senior organization elashed with chicago
at Cincinnati and Pittsburg at st. Louis.
The American league schedule called
for New York to open at Philadelphla !;
Washington at Boston; Detroit at Chi
eago and st. Louis at Cleveland.
The games TO be played in eehe National
league today were to inaugurafe the for
ty-ffth consecutive season for the senior
major league. for the organization dates
back TO 1876 when the Chicago club won
the first pennant.
The teams Of that city stir hold the
lead, for since 1876 Chicago clubs have
captured eleven championships.
Boston comes second with nine and
New York third with eight.
The American league celebrated its
twenty-frst opening today. having
1900. Since that date the peRnants have
teen distributed among four clubs, Phil
adelphia and Boston. each having won
six; Chicago FIVE and Detroit, three.
MANY CHANGES
ARE PREDICTED.
A..
major teams appears TO indicate that
there will be many changes IN the stand
ing Of the clubs at the close of the
first month Of the races as compared
with that Of year ago.
While It Will be fully a month be-
fore any accurate line can be OBJ
tained upon the real strength of the
teams ii viii appear from the form
displayed in spring practice that they
can be grouped generally at this time
as follows:
National League-The Bro oklyn, Chi
cago and Philadelphia clubs appear to
be stronger than last season, while New
York, Pittsburg and 81. Louis are about
equal in playing strength 10 the form
shown early in 1919. Boston and Gin
cinnati are not judged TO be as strong
( as was the case last spring.
American League-WRsn ngton, New
York, Cleveland and Detroit are all ex-
pected to play a more impressive game
this season than was shown respectively
last year St Louis, Chicago and Phila-
delphia are classed as equal to their
power Of twelve months ago. while
Boston falls below the form of 1913.
INJURIES MAY
HOLD BACK SOME.
Aside from the effects injuries TO
players may have the various clubs may
be sized up as follows:
YANKEEs-Fair condnionS pitchers
vnfa - ind i4i nal
ability among players, but lack OF
GTANTS-Good conditiong ability OF
young inhelders a quesuons pitchers
and Outhelders ready; team as whole
DODGERS-F condition.. shifts on
the infeld that placed Olson on second,
johnson at third and Ward at short
working fine. Pitchers In form.
BRAVES-PoOr condition owing to
raw training weather; pitchers I'M
steady.
RED sOX-Fair condition; morsle OF
players at low ebb; absence Of aggres-
sive spirit noticeable.
ATHLETICS-Rebuilt with youngsters
and full of new life; In good condition.
Enthusiastically stronger than
last year and IN tine condition.
WASHINGToN-In hne shape and ad-
Ilittedly stronger than In 1919; batting
and fielding In good early season form.
WHITE SOX-Good condition; plenty
or Individual aDlllty among veterans OUT
a lack Of cohesion in team work and
some dissension-
CUBS-Fairly good condition. despite
long trip to coast; pitchers In form
may be hampered by injuries to Hol
iOcher and Herzog.
REDS-Reported to be in poor con-
dition: team work below standard;
pitchers unsteady.
BROWNS-Fine condition; pitching
fair; players high spirited and team
looks like a dark horse"
CARDINALS-TOp form physically
except several pitchers, who need more
conditioning.
PIRATES-Io fair shape; team work
not perfected; loss Of Catcher Schmidt
and Shortstop Barbara being hHndicap.
SPOKES-Fine condition: favored gen
orally as pennant winners; pitching am
fielding in good form.
TIGERS-Fair condition; need strong
pitching; fielding and batting should he
up to standard.