Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-12
TEAMS READY FOR
OPENING TOMORROW
Usual Ceremonies Will Mark the
Initial Contests in National
and American Leagues.

Now York. April I2.--Amfd ceremo-
MICS and decorations which have become
n fixed feature of the annual event, the
major league baseball season OF 1874
viii open tomorrow afternoon on the
circuits of the National and American
Leagues.
Encoupassed by the blare of the
hands. the swapping of flags ana tue
wierd toss by city or government or
ficials. selected to throw out the hrst
ball of the year, the players OF 10 toaiis
will flash away on their six-mohth pun
suit of pennants the winning OF whlch
entities the victors to battle IN the
Worlds Series, the pinnacle OF haseoah'
Weather permitting, the schedules
will bring together in the Natlohai
League: Brooklyn at Boston; New horN
at Philadelphia: Pittsburg at Cincin-
natl and ST. Louis at Chicago, whlie III
the American League, Cleveland piays
at st. Louis; Chicago at Detroit; fhha-
deiphia at New York, and Boston at
Washington.
Each April within the memory of the
past four generations. similar scenes
have been enacted without losing any
mart of their thrill or attracuveness. ana
tomorrow, baseball parks will be throng-
fans who have witnessed the opening
games of past years. Following the
World War the popularity OF baseball!
appeared TO leap forward with a ferVor,
little anticipated by either player or
lnagnate and there is little lndlcauoh
that the national game has reached the
zenith OF its flight.
Record breaking crowds have Wit
messed the various exhibition games
during the Southern training trips ana
advance sales of seats for tomorrow
initial flag contests clearly indicate that
the baseball fan has increased in num-
her since that October day when the
Cleveland Americans drew the curtain
across the scene wherein the brooklyn
Nationals fell before the prowess OF
Iris Speaker and his brigade of Indian
battlers. Despite the many changes IN
both the playing personnel and manas-
ers of clubs. baseball authorities look
forward to another banner year in IN
tarest. attendance and closeness OF the
pennant races.
Rig league baseball has become an IN
stitution in this country. for the history
of the National League dates back to
1876 and tomOrrow's games VIII marx
tho opening Of the 46th consecutive
season IOE inc ct4iAbA AAaJNA
Raising its first pennant in 1900. the
American Lea que contests will inaugu-
rate the junior associations 22d sea
son.
During the period of IS years In
which various teams have fought foi
National League penuants, those repre-
s.nting Eastern cities still identineC
With the organization, have won =
chaYnpionships while Western clubs
have captured Il. Chicago leads witt
ii remnants. Boston is second with nine
and New York third, with eight. IL
the American League. Boston anS
PHILADELPHIA have each won six pen
nants. giving the East total or il
while the Western clubs have accumu
lated nine, FIVE for Chicago, three 10
Detroit and one for Cleveland
American League uaanagers-Cleve
land. Iris Speaker. New York. Mile
HuCgins: Chicago. William Gleason
Detroit. Ty Cobb; St. Louis. Lee Fohl
Boston. Hugh Duffy; Washington
Clark Griffith; Philadelphia. Comm
Mack.
National League Managers-NeS
York. John ]. McGraw; Brooklyn, WI
bert Robinson; Chicago. John J. Evers
Cincinnati, Patrick Moran; Pittsburt
George Gibson; Boston. Fred Mitchell
ST. Louis, Branch Hickey; Philadelphia
William Donovan.