The Washington herald., 1920-04-14
Rain Welcomes Grifmen in
Boston for Opening Game
By GEORGE L. MoRELAND.

Boston, April 13.-In the land OF
the cod and festive bean for days
on end the suns not seen and dia-
mond stars from Southern CLINE
with chillsr and shivers pass the
time. o. Weatherman. on you we
call: Roll up the fog and let's play
hall!
Powerful wishing and a lot of
good luck are the only things that
will fix Boston and Fenway Park
so that the Nationals and Red Sox
may open the American League sea-
son today instead Of umbrellas.
Clark Grifith's champion wallopers
left Albany for the Hub flushed with
victory and ambition. Their COM
plexions have paled, however. in the
steady downpour wished on this Sec,
tion for more than twenty-four
hours.
The only bright spot in town is
Fenway Park, which has been trans
formed by Ed. Barrows into a garish
burst of new paint calculated to
dazzle a man with smoked glasses.
The paint doesn't keep of the rain,
though. And to make matters
worse, colder weather is promised
with clearing skies. All the optim-
ism in the world Is needed to believe
that His Jumps will clear the home
plate for action at 8 o'clock tomor-
row afternoon.
Seemingly Injured to polar condi-
tions, the Sox. who returned to their
own baliwick yesterday, put on a
snappy practice this morning. All
the Nationals could put on was new
road uniforms. The rockies posed
around in their pristine habiliments
and stuck to the dugout as much as
possible. The days work" was
completed with half an hour of ball
tossing N the afternoon.
Lefty Russell. the fork-handed
splitter who formerly teamed with
the Yanks. Is billed to do mound
duty for the Sox in the seasons
premier. This doesn't scare the
Washington athletes a bit, however,
for there's not a chance that Walter
johnson won't perform in the pitch
er's box. II johnson is as right as
in the Cincinnati trays and IL the
boys hit behind him as they did
against the Reds, it's all over but
the shouting, they maintain. Walter
has captured seven starts in the
last nine years and got a tie in 1918.
Howard Shanks has arrived from
Monica. Pa, his native heath, but
Pitcher Bill Snyder Is stranded
somewhere between here and Akron,
Ohio. where he dropped off to visit
his family after the team left Gin
cinnati. The striking switchmen
may relent enough to put him
through in time for the festivities
tomorrow. though he is not billed
as a headliner.
Boston fans are on the qui vive
as to the elimination of a deal
hanging fire for some time. wallie
Schang. the big backstop, has re-
FUSED to sign with the local club.
He was to be used in a trade with
the Yanks whereby Bodie and Pratt
were to come to Beantown. Witt is
demanded by Miller Huggins in re-
payment for his two stars. II
Schang signs on, it Is probable he
will be offered with some less i'm
portant man than Witt for Bodie and
Pratt.
Next Sunday the Nationals play
in New Haven. Courtney, who
worked with that club until he
Joined the Washington forces late
last season. is billed to pitch
against his old teammates. What
men are needed will be taken to the
Elm City by Griff Sunday morning
and the balance of the club will be
transhiped to Philadelphia where
Connie Mack's anaemic outfit will be
encountered Monday.
Jacinto Calvo, the Cuban out
fielder, showed up in Boston this
morning and affixed his name to a
1920 contract with Griffith. Leonard
and Ellerbee also arrived.