The Washington times., 1931-04-25
ATTENDANCE
SHOWSGAME
IS SAFE
By BABE RUTH

BOSTON, April 25.-Well, the
baseball season has produced its
usual crop of pleasing features
end disappointments already, and
it is only about 10 days old. The
most remarkable feature Of it, to
my mind. has been the attend
ance at various parks. Every
body knows that times have not
been good for months and
months, so naturally we did not
look for any such turnouts. ~
The crowd at the Yankee Stad-
ium on opening day was the
largest that 1 recall for an open
ing game there and that is where
the top figures are always
reached.
Then we had another bumper
turnout for the first Sunday, so
big in fact that thousands were
turned away. The Cubs played
to capacity crowds Of about $4,000
OIL these same days, and fans
stood up in several other parks.
The Giants and Braves had 49,
600 in Boston for the first Sun
day, and Brooklyn fans filled
every bit of seating and standing
room to see the Robins play the
Phillies. The fact that Robb:e'S
team had not won a game up to
that time, and that the Phillies
are no great drawing card, made
nc differences.
II was a wonderful tribute
to baseball, everything cOnSid-
cred. l have not seen greater
enthusiasm since / have been in
baseball.
There were other bright fea-
lures furnished by the players.
Rogers Hornsby certainly made a
strong start in his new job as
manager of the Cubs by hitting
important homers just where they
counted most in close victories.
Herb Pennock stepped out for us
and proved that the old arm is
still able to go the route, and that
his control is as good as ever. You
know three years ago everybody
figured Pennock was through be-
cause of the attack of neuritis,
but it looks as if Herb will be
able to fool the boys for a long
time to come. He told me in the
clubhouse after he had pitched
his first victory of the year that
his arm felt fine.
Schang Going Strong
MY hat is off too, to Wally
Schang. Here he is, past 40 and
nearing Al, taking his place as
first string catcher on a big
league ball club. We all thought
when Wally went with the Tigers
that his work would be that of
third string catcher, or in the bull
pen. Bucky Harris had other
catchers who were younger. and
who also had experience in the
big leagues. But Wally was
behind the bat in the opening
game and he was behind in the
game that followed. Harris an
nounced just before the season
opened that Wally would be his
first string catcher. When you
stop to consider that Schang
caught his first big league game
back in 1918 and has been crouch
ing down behind the bat for 18
seasons it is remarkable to find
him as first string catcher in
1881.
Clarence Mitchell is another
of the real veterans of the
game who gave old Pop Time
the laugh as he started off on
another campaign. Clarence
has celebrated his fOrtieth
birthday, but you would never
know it from the way he
pitched the Giants to an easy
victory over the Phillies in their
first series of the year. That
Philadelphia park is no easy
one for a pitcher, either, as a
ball is likely to go over the
wall at any time, and those
PhillieS sure can hit 'em over.
But all the glory was not alone
for the old-timers like Pennock
and Schang and Mitchell. There
was at least one youngster who
did not need as much as week
to establish himself as a big
favorite with the fans of his
home city. That is Joe Vosmik.
the new outfielder of the Cleve-
land club. 1t looks as if Vosmik
will add a lot of hitting power
to the Indians and they had a
lot, anyway. Vosmik started to
play baseball on the sandlots of
Cleveland, so if he becomes star
with the Indians he will be fol
lowing in the footsteps of George
Uhle. The difference is that the
Cleveland club has been develop
ing Vosmik in the minors for