New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-22

eide, but the Yanks have already b
and have been bumped three times
as though they were going anywhere
The Yanks, with the most formidable
batting array and pitching staff that
reads invincible, have been through the
same trouble as the Giants. They
have not been able to get started. Babe
Ruth. the $15o,o00 slugger, has not
slugegd at any place to date and very
young or very worn-out pitchers have
been laughing into their flannel sleeves
at the Yanks.
1t may be that to-day is the day that
is set for the start of the Yanks. At
any rate, indications are that pretty
close to a capacity house will be wait
ing at the Polo Grounds this afternoon
to see Babe Ruth crash one into the
stands or out of the place and officially
initiate the season for the Yankees.
Band to Enliven Occasion
Harry Sparrow, business manager of
the Yankees and a noted exterior
decorator, announced last night that
the Polo Grounds would be handsomely
draped for the occasion. Franks band
will dispense melodies and be ready
for dirge in the ninth if the Yankees
fail to get started.
There will be a military tinge to
this opening. Lieutenant General
Robert l.. Billiard, commander of the
Department of the East and booster
of sports of all sorts. has been Sc
lected to throw out the first ball. The
general will be accompanied by his
the military owners of the Yankees,
Colonel Jacob Rupert and Colonel T.
L. Huston. Lieutenant General Billiard
formerly commanded the LIST Division
in action around the Marine and at
ChateauThierry.
1t is highly probable that Jack
Quinn, the Yankees official saliva
finger, will open for the home team.
Quinn won the only game that has
been credited to the Yankees to date.
1t is. practically certain that Mr.. Cor
nelius McGillicuddy will put Scott
Perry to work.
There is no chance of drawing the
curtain over what happened to the
Yankees since the start Of the season.
Pessimists would describe it as life
of shame. They lost the very first
game of the season to the Athletics;
then they won just one. After this
they went to Boston, where they made
the Red Sox look like baseball team
and caused the Boston fans to wonder
why Babe Ruth brought all that money
in the baseball market.
Slow Start, Fast Finish
8 But the optimist might point to the
fact that the Yanks have been starting
with rush and finishing it with
limp, or rather a whole assortment of
1imps, in years past. The ouija Loards
tell them that it is best for the Yam
skees to get off to sluggish start, or
even be left at the post for a bit.
This will be Babe Ruth's debut at
the Polo Grounds as Yankee, and
Tot of new Yankee fans will turn out,
a look at the most expensive baseball
player in the big leagues. On the
whole, the Yankee fans are not greatly
depressed by the teams poor start, for
It is not in the cards for them to do
as badly as they have done on the
road. At any rate, they could not do
worse.
: In anticipation of something of
rush fog seats the gates will be thrown
open at 1890. At 1:45 Franks Band
will turn on the music and the teams
over the green. At 1920 Lieutenant
General Billiard will enter with his
staff and be escorted to his box by
.Colonels Rupert and Huston and their
istaffs. Promptly at $3.50 General Bull
Hard will take a wind-up from his box
sand toss a new official baseball into the
lot.
: Rain in Boston yesterday prevented
the Yanks from retrieving themselves
pr wallowing in a little more shame up
at the Goldfish Sector. They arrived
late last night, prepared to show them
selves to the home folk.
= Babe Ruth frankly announced that
he had designs on the right field fence.
He hasn't busted over any fence or into
any stands since the real season began.
Must Remedy Defects
Right now the Yankees seem to have
p powerful, but cumbersome machine
That has not found itself. 1t ought to
BE finding itself in the very near fu-
ture or the engineers will have to be
called in to find the defects.
This business Of starting slowly and
picking up speed is all right, but the
start cannot be postponed until too
late in the season. The American
League race promises to be about as
tight as it was last year and round
toward the end Of the season some of
those games that were lost in the start
Ing process might help whole lot.
The weather man waxed optimistic
last night and predicted fair and
warmer. If he has called the turn cor
rectly the Yankee opening to-day
should be the biggest in the history Of
the club. The remainder of their stay
Will depend largely on what they ac-
complish this afternoon. What will
happen during the remainder of their
stay will depend on whether or not
they show signs Of getting started for
The season to-day.