Evening star., 1928-04-10

BY the Associated Press,
$-HE alibi. these don't count,
has gone into the discard will
last years major league uni
forms the cubs have worn IL
their Spring iun&ets through
The South and West and the time has
come To think of serious things,
everything Washington and BoStor
we're scheduled 10 do today Will be usee
AGAINST them and the other ~ cluoS
OF the two leagues place themselves IL
A responsible position tomorrow,
President Coolidge was listed TO starr
the curtain raiser with no chance thai
he would be batted from the mound
for he was TO throw but one ball anc
the fireworks can start
The Griffmen, beSet by injuries
needed all the presidential heip theS
could get in their advanced openlng
Their ouDonents. the Boston Red SoN'
have everything to gain and nothing
: TO lose Even their friends have plcSeo
$ them to finish far down in the second
division and If they can play them
selves anywhere near the top OF tlS
second tier, they will be regaroeo as
cettinC somewhere. Washington. on
The other hand, has received some
championship support, slight, but en-
courarinE to Bucky Harris and ms as
sociates. Few have consigned WaSnlnS-
ton 10 the second division.
Flying Start Is Sought.
AS the long grind starts tomorrow
for all the National League outfits ana
six of the American League standard
bearers. managers are impreSSing upon
their athletes the advantage OF nylng
start. 49,,
frst part of the schedule for fun ana
the rest of the race in a vain effort
70 get even. AS was the case last year,
Connie Mack's PhiladeiphianS meet tne
champion New York Yankees at the
gun.
The standpat Yankees, who have
found the going hard in their Sprdg
games. have advised their friends 10
swat until the season starts. Ihe
friends have waited and the champions
must now put up or shut up. Manager
Higgins pitchers are ready. He VIII
learn If he has enough Of them.
Connie Mack offers an old base ball
act in a brand-new setting when he
presents Ty Cobb and Iris Speaker on
the same club He also viii know II
his pitchers are as good as he thinks.
Pittsburgh. defending its National
League title, is sure 70 see plenty OF
pitching In its opening series. The
Cardinals may have their faults. put
pitching is not one of them. The
Pirates think well of their sharpShoot-
ers. too. and the Cardinal-Pirate mix
I'D should leave no doubt that the sea
son has started.
More than a base ball game viii be
the National League opening in New
York, where the Giants and Braves
clash. The two clubs are filled with
ulavers who have worn the colorS OF
both. Rogers HornSby. Eddie Farrell,
Kent Greenfield and Zach Taylor viii
try to show McGraw that he was wrong.
while Larry Benton and Frank Hogan.
the probable New York battery, came TO
New York from Boston.
Indians-Sox Wen Matched.
Cleveland and Chicago. longer on
pitching than in any other department
of play, are fairly evenly matched on
the basis Of their training records and
the early pitching may reduce the hit
ting to a minimum
The Chicago Cubs at CiiaesfssSati viii
fry their hardest TO get away to a flying
start in what they regard as Q pennant
year while Jack Hendricks will have
his first chance to prove that his team
has been underated by the critics.
Detroit and st. Louis, playing this
year at Detroit. viii hope that the
Michigan weather is more reasonable
than the Missouri elements encountered
last year, when 1t seemed for a time
that the season could not be opened
within week Of the scheduled start.
Only one game was played in the first
series Of 1927 and that failed to reach
decision. Manager Moriarty is de-