The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-04-12
"Play BALI" Yell Eight imp.
and 1922 League Season
Gets Under Way =
CIRCUITS BALANCED
BY SALES AND TRADES
Heads of Both Leagues Look
for Close Races and Good
Support By Public {
BY Henry l.. Farrell

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
New York, April 1.-THE baseball
season opens today. There are more
rhetoric and more poetic ways Of say
ing it but it all means the same.
All the usual words will come out.
Eight umpires will yell "Play Ballw
Eight prominent government or city
officials will "toss out the first ball"
will tell how bright their. chances
are for the pennant. The two league
presidents will predict happy and
prosperous season. Then the ball
players will go to work.
The baby 1922 season looks like it
is built for success. After the record
breakers of 1920 and 1921, the game
may not reach new height, but it is
almost certain it will not fall to un-
touched depths. This time last year
economic conditions were such that
the business end of the game wrinkl
led its brow and wondered. There
wasn't much money loose, the finan-
ciers said, but baseball had great
season.
Last season attendance was limited
only by the size of the ball parks and
interest should be even greater this
year because four teams stand for the
pennant in each league. Last year
from start to finish it was cut and
dried proposition between New York
and Pittsburgh in the National League
and New York and Cleveland in the
American League.
During the past winter, sales and
trades have balanced both major
league circuits until New York, st.
Louis, Pittsburgh and Boston all have
prospects in the National league race
while the Yanks; the Browns, the Sem
ators and the Indians have hopes in
the American League.
Interest in the great Babe Ruth
should be greater than ever. Work
ing under a five weeks handicap the
efforts of the swat king to make a
new home run record will be more in
teresting than ever. Form a gate
standpoint" Ruth makes the Ameri-
can League. All the clubs will suffer
until May 20, when he gets back in
the game after serving the sentance
imposed by Commissioner Lands, but
if he starts clubbing them as he says
he will, the loss at the gate ought to
be overcome before the last quarter
of the race.
Players coming back from the
spring training camp all said that a
lot of the chop" had gone out OF the
balls, meaning that the lively sphere
which was in use last year has been
changed again. This may mean that
the 1922 season will not see the fren-
lied hitting that made life miserable
for pitchers and extremely dangerous
for the infielders. The fans got some
what "fed up" on smuggling last year
and they may welcome less Of it now.
Addition of flashy youngsters. to
nearly every club on both circuits
ought to supply the demand for new
blood that has been felt for several
years and it should increase interest
in the game.
Chicago, ILL.,, April 12-"Good for
the players, good for the fans and
good for the club owners is the prom
Use of the 1922 season. Baseball
ought to have its greatest season.
National conditions are better, both
leagues are more evenly balanced,
close pennant races are assured and
everything points to success. "-Com-
missioner K. W. Lands.
Chicago, ILL.,, April 12-"Baseball
ought to have another good season.
Continued on Page 81