Show EXCITING FLAG RACE 1 none more Pro promising mining than present in Amer american loan league six almost cc certain arta in contenders for championship in opinion of president ban johnson J cleveland cle e land Is doubtful by BAN B D JOHNSON president ot of the tha american league With Wit lithe tho baseball season 0 of 1916 is ir full bloom enthusiasm in sama S am 6 great national game Is everywhere overy apparent parent t this enthusiasm furnishes farnish es a striking contrast to the period immediately preceding the campaigns of 1914 and 1915 it Is needless for cor me to refer tu to the distressing conditions under which the game labored in the last two years for these are still fresh in the minds of every fan suffice it to say that the situation having been clarified during the winter months baseball la again duo due for a period ot of prosperity which I 1 hope will equal it if not surpass those wonderfully prosperous seasons ot of 1912 and 1913 believing in the doctrine of pro pre pa P redness the american lea league gue club owners have their teams on ed edge ge and eager for the fray as the result ol of long training seasons under southern shies we have had many exciting races for our pennants but I 1 cannot recall one which was more promising than that which Is now upon us boston chicago detroit new york washington and st louis are from my point of view almost certain contenders for the right to got into the tha world series next october cleveland an unknown quantity at present may develop enough speed and stamina to make matters decidedly lively and interesting te for the others tho the cleveland club Js Is in the hands handa of the new owners this year men of f 7 i ban 13 johnson president of amer brains and push and money the question of expense will vot not enter into their calculations it if they can strengthen their team and make it a factor in the championship race another one of our clubs also aleo changed hands duang du ang the winter st louis the manager of this club la Is none other than fielder sones jones who led the white sox to the worlds championship pion plon ship in 1906 jones when in the american league always showed re ability in handling a team and he knew how to get the best results out of his men me ri why I 1 think the st louis team wit with h jones as its pilot should be rated as a possible pennant contender As for connie mack he is still engaged in the arduous task of rebuilding his athletics but connie wizard that he Is can hardly hope bope to figure seriously in the race of 1916 but at that he may surprise us in conclusion I 1 to say that with normal conditions in the baseball world restored major and minor league club owners the country over face the future with a feeling of confidence a feeling that the grand old game has come back and that the tans fans are now ready and anxious to support it as enthusiastically as they did in the days of its greatest prosperity |