Evening star., 1924-04-15
BASE BALL LOVERS
PACK PARK STANDS
Opening Game and Fair Weather
Attract Thousands to
Griffith Stadium.
RANKS AND CLASSES MIX
President to Throw First Ball,
Starting Season.

The sun, Clark Griffith, the Olympic
high gods, Cornelius MacGillicuddy
and Stanley (Rucky) Harris smiled
today as they watched thousands pour
into the Nationals stadium, just north
of 7th street and Florida avenue, to
usher in the first game of the year.
The sun smiled because Jupiter
Pluvius, Olympian weather director,
at the behest of the high gods, or
dered it. Clark Griffith smiled he
cause the more who entered the wider
his clubs treasury expanded.
| Connie Mack, Philadelphia pilot,
smiled because he saw victory in
sight
Bucky Harris, Washington pilot.
smiled because he saw victory In
sight.
1t is a day of smiles
The preSiden tia1 box is waiting now
for the first citizen of the republic.
Calvin Coolidge, who will throw out
the horsehide globule which will start
the fray.
All Ranks There.
In the yelling stands, among other
smiling humans, are Army officers
and buck privates, naval officials and
gobs, senators an dschoolboys, rem
resentatives and messenger boys,
fappers and dowagers. The Army
| and Navy officers, senator's and repre-
senators sneaked out to the game
on the pretext they were going to at
tend an important conference. The
Office and messenger boys were kept
away from work through illness in
the family. The others needed no rea-
sons.
They're cheering and shrieking at
every opportunity. The ElkS, in the
south end of the grand stand, are
greeting Brother Bucky Harris with
all sorts of acclamation. The Navy
Band warns up and produces same
real symphony that us disregarded
sadly by many who are looking at
Walter Johnson warming up. Every
body is waiting for the start. Pea
nuts are being consumed at the rate
of fifty bushels per minute. Pop is
being imbibed at the rate of thirty
five gallons per minute. Hot dogs are
everywhere.
White hats are selling score cards.
Bankers have forgotten those call
loans, senators those Investigations,
the buck privates and gobs the
dreaded field inspection, the office
boys the problem of making good
their excuSes-every one O. has turned
to base balls call and is excluding
everything else.
Men There on Duty.
There are five groups of workers
at the park, numbered in scores
where others are rumbered-in thou
sands. Base ball writer's and pho
tographers, white-coated statesmen,
detectives and secret service men,
telegraphers and gatemen and at
tendants. They are on duty. The
others are not.
In an hour or so there will be
procession to the flag pole. The new
Secretary of the Navy will march to
the staff in centerfield with an escort
of bluejackets headed by the Navy
Old Glory will be run up. The pa
rade will come back. All eyes will
turn on President Coolidge. He'll
whip out a ball Billy Evans, the
umpire. will put it in play and then
they'll be off. And every one will
forget to smile while while Walter
johnson will start smiling in the
box as he hurls the old ball home
to Muddy Ruefs pillowlike glove.
Crowds Start Late.
The crowds didn't start to come in
seat tickets were sold out days ago.
There were $4,000 unreserved seats
available, and they went steadily, but
not feyerishly to applicants through
out this morning. About l o'clock
the real vanguard of fans started pill
ing into the reserved section. Then
it was a steady stream. Then it be-
came a bit of a flood. But every one
got in nicely and. was sitting tight
when the game got under way.
The park has been somewhat
changed. The new stand in center
field makes the outer edge of the park
look much closer. 1t will be harder
to wallop the ball over the stand this
year, however, because of the high
wall surrounding the stand.
Well, here they go-they're off
and maybe the next opening-day
story will be written in the fall, dur
ing the initial game of the world
championship series.