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Show I : Fast Competition to Rule During Season in Major Circuits Greatest Season in History Expected During 1920; Clubs in Both Circuits Stronger Than in Previous j Seasons i They're off I Wednesday afternoon In the big cities, of the east, the teams entered in the flag races in the American and Rational leagues will open play in )t what gives promise of being the great-pst great-pst season in organized baseball. This season the teams in both leagues will bo stronger than in past years and the l ooting of the fans should also be keener keen-er than ever before His Majesty, or rather His Umps, the dictator, and manv times termed the king on the baseball field, will send the men away to a fast start, with weather permitting, permit-ting, amid the clicking of the turn-, turn-, stiles at the entrance of sixteen parks. I in the United States, i 'Twill be a grand occasion for the I big leaguers. In fact, for some, it will) J be more than grand for others the' tears arc apt to make their appearance For instance tho White Hose under' Kid Gleason, are said to be weak yep,j S so weak that they will have to playj J classy ball In order to stay in the first division. The loss of Chich Gnndil.j Charles Risberg and Weaver, is sure; 1: to cripple the Sox. These stars have: departed from the Pale hose and are j JfT. connected with outlaw leagues.' 1 Gandil is managing a team in the , Shake Oliver Yellowstone league while Risbere anu WcaYcr are dickering! with other outlaws in other parts of , the country. The White Hose of 1919 1; champions in their league, will be rep-J I; resented by a mediocre team during coming season. Ij Moran and the Reds. ' On the other hand, Pat Moran and his Reds, world's champions last year.j I will have a hard nut to craks in their! ' circuit this season. The Cubs, Giants, j Pirates, Cardinals and Dodgers all ex- pect to have classy aggregations in I. harness and the going in that circuit! will no doubt, be nip and tuck through-I through-I out the entire season. Prexy John fi Bydler should see the greatest race in t the history of the major leagues this j season especial' in the National fl league race. ( The White Hose will be fed heel f. dust from the tap of the gong by the c Tigers, Qankees, Browns and Indians, according to eastern baseball scribes, the American league hamps of last year to finish in the second division in fact, a majority of the scribes pick On paper the Cleveland Indians look like the goods. Whether the Speakcr-Itcs Speakcr-Itcs will be able to aellver the goods or whether they will fall down in their attempt remains to he seen, but at nny rate, they will be in the running. The Yankees and Tigers should cause trouble' trou-ble' while the Senators may also be heard from. The Mackmen and Red Hose are failing to cause the rival managers trouble. Alexander Hopeful. Grovcr Cleveland Alexander, star nioundman of the Cubs, is out with the statement that he will win thirty games for his club single handed, during dur-ing the season. Alexander should be one of the mainstays of the Cubs. While the fans are picking their favorites fa-vorites the stove league readers of chatter are dickering on the possible winners of hitting honors. Ty Cobb, champion in the American circuit for a number of years, may have keener competition, but unless Ty breaks a leg or quits organized ball, he will no doubt, he leading the procession when midseason arrives. But on the other hand, some youngster, green, and new, to the big leagues, may s,pring tho un- ; expected. In the National league,. Eddie Roush of the Reds, will probably have keener competition this year than last. In fact, some of the scribes expect the hitting honors to bo just as close as the flag race. As for the twirlers, both leagues 'have some first raters, and picking champions at this time is next to impossible, im-possible, but It is a certainty that at least three unknowns wjll shine. And with tho day of days but two' days away, His Umps casts a wicked I eye toward the ball park and wonders whether "jpop" bottles will fly in his' direction, or whether the whpels ofj motion will swing into action in perfect per-fect precision. At any rate, he is set and ready to shout, "Play ball." |