New Britain herald., 1928-04-12
By fhe Associated Press.

By fhe Associated Press
 Beset by weather more suitable for the gridiron than the diamond. fl baseball teams yesterday began their annual bid for the fame and fortune awaiting the champions of the Ma tional and American leagues. Two others, Washington and Boston. clashed ill what was just ball game. They had stolen march on the field by making their opening gestures pennantward on Tuesday.
 Nearly c00,0o0 persons witnessed the eight games. Under the condi- tions that was a crrditable showing but it fell far short Of the anticipated 350,000. Opening day in 1927 saw :27,66 fans in attendance although only seven games were played.
 The first general engagement brought with it q series Of surprises; recruits basked today in the lime light that tomorrow may shift and leave them in the dark; sluggcrs were meek before pitching skill, such hurling aces as Petty. Kremer, Root, Grove and Lyons all had nothing to show for their first days work but . "one" in the lost column.
 Wild and unsteady, Grove, the fpeedball expert, lasted only three in- nings against the New York Yankees who moved down Connie Mack's Athletics at Philadelphia, to 3, as partial proof Of their assertion that the games that count were the ones they would win. The worlds cham piops were beaten consistently dur ing the spring training season but they showed no signs of being "punch drunk" yesterday. Grove, Shores and Powers were reached for 10 xafetes, while Herb Pcnnock southpawed his way the route for tho Yankees, giving up seven scat tered hits.
 One of these, and two walks, went to Ty Cobb but that other veteran, Iris Speaker, went hitless. Babe Ruth hit no home runs. but triple and a pair of passes, enabled him 10 score thrice.
 The Pittsburgh Pirates, defending their National league crown, ran into an avalanche of hits at St. Louis and bowed to the Cardinals, A to T. Ray Kremer. Pirate Ace, was knock ed out of the box. F'risch and Bot tomley got six of Cardinals 16 safe ties, each polling out home run. Although he was hit hard, Jess Haines went the full distance Tor St. Louis.
 Led by Andy Cohen, young Jewish star, John McGraw's New York Giants vanquished the Boston Braves at the Polo Grounds. to ,. Cohen playing in the spot graced last year by Rogers Hornsby. accounted for four of the Giants runs and starred afield. Larry Benton was charry of hits and might have had a shutout but for the fact that he groovcd one for Bob Smith, Braves pitcher. who propelled it into the bleachers with one man on base.
 Jimmy Ring outpitched Jess Petty 10 give the Phllies a 4 to 3 decision over Brooklyn at Ebbets field. Petty retired in the seventh to give Rube Bressler chance to double with three men on base, scoring two runs, Harvey Hendrick accounted for the other Dodger tally with a home run. Two recruits, Kelley and Whitney, starred at the plate and in the field, for the Phils.
 A home run by Freddy Mcguire, rookie second baseman. saved the Chicago Cubs from a shutout defeat at the hands of Cincinnati Reds al Cincinnati. The Reds hit Charle Root opportunely to win, to l. Lu- que, giving the Cubs only seven hits, was master of the situation through out, Cincinnati got only five off Root but they came after Cub er- TOTS and that hurt.
 With George Uhle showing a re- turn to form the Cleveland Indian battered Ted Lyons and George Con nally for 13 hits and beat the Chi cago White Sox at Chicago, to .. Jhle held the Sox batsmen under control throughout.
 Forty thousand. the largest crowd Of the day, saw the revanpc1 St Louis Browns beat Detroit at Tiger land, 1 to l. Each team got but six hits but Detrolt's two errors were more costly than the Browns four.
 At Boston, the Washington Sena- tors avenged their first game defeat at the hands Of the Red Sox by ham mering out an 10 4 victory over Bill Carrigans charges. Four Red Sox hurlcrs para1ed 10 in" mound to little or no avail ken Williams hitting was the only bright spot from 3, Hub viewpoint. H" got ii home ,-,,p and .yvo 1of1bles