Evening star., 1933-04-13
NEARLY 10000 SEE
FIVE OPENING T|[TS
Brilliant Box Work Marks
Contests In Western
Sector of Majors.
By HUGH S. FULLERTON, yR.,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

TINE grand pageant of base
ball has begun its six
i months parade through
America attended by
crowds only slightly smaller than
those of a year ago and with a
lot Of very unpleasant weather to
account for the decrease.
Nearly 100000 fans, ranging from
the President of the United States
down to the humble holders of bleacher
tickets. saw the five major league get
away games yesterday and the displays
OF fine pitching that went with them
lower than the 1882 opening day at
tendance, there was no detection on
the part Of fandom. Rainy, cold
weather, winding up in a freak April
snowStorm, forced the postponement
OF three games along the Eastern sea-
board that were expected to attract
more than 10000. Last years figures
of about 117,000 attendance covered six
games.
OPENING day still is to come in New
4Okh, WACAC EOyVVO VI I1OiC AtC ca
pected to see the World Champion
Yankees open their new season against
the Boston Red Sox; in Boston, where
the Braves face the New York Giants,
and in Philadelphia, where the aspire
ing Phillies tackle the equally hopeful
Brooklyn Dodgers.
With clearing weather predicted, all
three delayed openings were due today.
President Roosevelt, assuming his new
role as the Nations first fan, was one
Of the $4,000 who saw the Washington
Senators, under the new management
OF Joe Cronin, give their first demon
stration OF their threats to the Ameri-
can League supremacy of the Yankees
by setting down makeshift team Of
Philadelphia Athletics, 4 to /.
Cronin, showing no evident strain
from his new role as manager, led the
assault on Tony Freitas, Connie Macks
surprise pitching selection. He smacked
three singles In four tries, while Gen.
eral" AL Crowder pitched himself out Of
trouble several times and, with the aid
OF Alphonse Thomas, held the AS to sir
hits.
TWO four-hit pitching performances,
L dve-hit job, and one brilliant 13-
inning mound duel turned up in the
Western sectors of the two major
leagues, where warm, Springlike weather
gave the proper touch to the openings,
but fans in two cities failed to respond.
Only 10000. fewer than expected,
were on hand at Detroit, where Clint
Brown and Tommy Bridges battled on
the hill for four extra innings before an
error turned the tide and gave tho
Cleveland Indians q 4-to-1 triumph.
Bridges gave Cleveland only four hits in
IL frames, but In the thirteenth Gerald
Walker dropped Cisselps fly, and after
two were out and two on base the Tiger
hurler cracked and allowed three
straight hits for as many runs.
Lonnie Warneke, young ace Of the
National League hurlers last season, was
one of the four-hit moundsmen, as he
started the Chicago Cubs along the right
read toward their second championship
in the elder circuit by shutting out the
ST. Louis Cardinals, to 0. After bad
first inning, Warneke pitched nearly
Dizzy Dean for three runs In the sec
DITTsBURGH's Pirates, considered
I the most serious threat to the Cubs,
got the benefit of the five-hit twirl-
ing job, with Bill Swift doing the ell
bowing, and defeated the Cincinnati
Reds, to /.
Eddie Durham, ex-Bostonian, and Joe
Heving, up from Indianapolis, combined
for the second four-hit game and, with
the aid Of Red Kress and AL Simmons,
gave the Chicago White Sox 4-to-2
victory over the st. Louis Browns. The
days smallest crowd, $500, saw this
game. Kress batted in three runs, while
Simmons. who came to the Sox from
the Athletics in one of the many Win
ter trades, clouted the first home run Of
the season in the fourth inning.