| Show OPTIMISM KEYNOTE AS MAJORS BEGIN F Federal deral League and Wr ald War Handicap Should Be Overcome in 1920 BASEBALL LL GAMES TODAY TODA AM AMERICAN ERi LEAGUE AG E. E New York at Philadelphia I Washington at Boston t. t S J St. St Louis at Cleveland r Detroit at Chicago c NATIONAL LEAGUES LEAGUED Boston at New York Philadelphia at Brooklyn Chicago at Cincinnati I Pittsburg at St. St Louis By Jack k I International News Sporting Editor NEW N- yo YORK April 14 Base Bas Base Baseball 1 ball took the center cente of the sport stage today as as ih f went up on the 1920 1929 pennant I races in the major leagues I Optimism was the keynote among magnates mag snag nates nate's nates players and and fans The The successful tul comeback of the national na na- pastime in 1919 swept aside all doubt regarding the popularity or Ity Hy of the worlds world's greatest professional sport and s season ason which which opened today promises a return of ot the game to O the successful successful suc suc- plane it occupied before beor the federal b JedI Jed fed ed- ed eral league and and world war d dealt al alt it such I crushing blows Advance reports from the eight major league cities in which h opening games were scheduled today indicated that the teams would be greeted by capacity crowds with bright weather pr prevailing In the National league the opening games ir in New York and Cincinnati attra at- at tra ted monster crowds The Giants al always always always al- al ways popular were scheduled to meet the Boston Braves and a turnout of ot upward upward upward up up- ward of ot fans tans was predicted as a conservative estimate of the opening day crowd At Cincinnati Cin where the worlds world's champion champion champion cham cham- pion Reds and Chicago Cubs took the field Pat Morans Moran's team was assured of ot ofa ofa a a. greeting by the biggest opening day crowd in years President Herrmann Herzmann announced an an- an announced flounced some time ago that every re reserved reserved reserved re- re served seat for tor the opening contest cortest had bad been spoken for The Brooklyn Dodgers opened the season at Ebbets field fieh with the Phillies as their gU guests and the re reJuvenated rejuvenated rejuvenated re- re Pittsburg Pirates lined up against the Cardinals Cardinal In gt St t. t Louis Louls The American league openings found the champion lon White Sox at home with the Detroit Tigers as opponents the St. St In rno Louis Philadelphia hf Browns d in and Cleveland Washington the rn Yankees ic in B s. s ton Perhaps the tha most e enthusiastic opening day crowd in th the American league was wall that in Cleveland today Tris Speakers Speaker's 1920 Indians are looked upon as sure pennant pennant pennant pen pen- nant contenders from the tile start and Cleveland fan fang have llave besieged the offices of ot the club for week weeks to secure reserva- reserva ell for tOl or today's game The majors were not alone I In ushering in the baseball seas season n. n The American as association as- as one of Qt the country's three class I AA minor leagues also opened Us te season today The association will play one of th the longest l schedules in it its its' history having haying hav hay ing drawn up a a. chart chat of ot games The opening games were w re re replayed played with Columbus Columbus Columbus Colum Colum- bus in Louisville Toledo in Indianapolis St. St Paul in Milwaukee and Minneapolis in Kansas City As the sixteen major league teams start their pennant races with millions of ot fans throughout the country coutry looking on on Interest in interest interest In- In terest in the tho pastime reached ed the highest point The winning of the 1919 pennants by Western Vestern teams team teams and the sensational victory of the tle Cincinnati Reds in uI the worlds world's series last fall acted lute like a tonic on oil f The races in both big leagues promise to develop the hottest kind of tion Uon No team in either league will wUl have havea a a. walkaway for the pennant The Cincinnati Cia Cin Reds n ds and the Cleveland Indians got away to fo a a. flying Hying start tart if It being rayon ites itea in the betting counts for a anything A the fans fang and critics are picking the Reds and Indians as likely 1 pennant winners The popularity of these two teams r however b r has not turned q the heads of the big army r o of seasoned f fans who realize realize real real- I ize that the Reds e will find n the Cubs gran d ie I Ithe Giants Pirates I es and D Dodgers very er much u in inthe inthe the way of their ambition to repeat I I In the American league the champion White Sox cannot logically be counted out our of the running before they have had an opportunity to show their strength I Cleveland New York and Detroit not to t I mention the St St. StLouis Louis Browns will contest contest con con- test the right of the White So SoX SoC to hold I Ithe the tle title of champions Interest in the New York Yankees centered cen cen- today on the burly shoulders of of Babe Bale Ruth champion swatter of home runs who made his bow for the first time in a ach championship game as a a. mean mem mem-I mem ber bel of ot the New Yorks I Ruths Ruth's penchant for wrecking right field walls and his Ills chances to shatter his his' own home run record by hitting many long drives Into the th stands and right field bleachers at the Polo gr grounds lUnd this season season season sea sea- son were timely topics among anong the fans And did not forget that Ty Cobb and Eddie Roush champion batsmen of ot thE major leagues last year today set out outrivals lead al alj rl rivals als once olIce again in pelting the i horsehide |
