The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-04-14
President Set
ToThrow0ut
First Ball
Nv FRANK BUCK" O,NEILL

Will SCI dotNc OA41NAo1, SoSAS % O'AANA
duties today and assume command
Of baseball's army as its marches
on the major league stadia OF the
land.
The Chief Executive viii throw
out the first ball at Griffith Sta
dunn, where the Griffs and New
York Yankees open the 1885 sea-
son in the Nations Capital.
William Harridge, president OF
the American League, will be
seated in Clark Griffith's box near
the President.
President Roosevelt will arrive
ct Griffith Stadium a few min
utes before game time. He will
be accompanied by Vice President
John N. Garner, Postmaster Cen
eral James A. Farley, his aides,
and other members Of his official
party.
The President will be driven Oh
the field to a point close to his
field box. Goldman'S Military
Band will greet the Chief Execu-
tive with the correct number Of
flourishes and ruffles, and will
play Hail to the Chief" as Mr..
Roosevelt is escorted to his seat.
The Washington team will face
the presidential box in single file
and will engage in the usual scram-
BILE for the ball when it is tossed
to the playing field.
Buck NewSon1, right-handed
ace of the Griffmen, will pitch
for Washington. Senior Vernon
Lefty" Gomez, the gallant but
goofy Castilian, viii huTl for the
Yankees.
Injuries Shelve DiMaggiO
Joe DiMaggio, hailed as the
years greatest rookie, will not
play, due to injuries.
Across the land from Boston
to st. Louis, more than 200,0 900
fans are expected to storm base
balls flag draped Stadia. Mar
tial music played by military
bands will add to the color and
circumstance of the occasion. In
other cities, mayors and COVER
nors will add their presence to
the thrill of opening day while
movie cameras grind out their
record of the event for posterity,
or maybe only for campaign pur-
poses.
The American League schedule
for the day calls for the cham
pion Tigers to fare across the
lake to grapple the Cleveland
Indians in League Park in the
Forest City. The fighting st,
Louis Browns, who compiled a
splendid record in the last half
Of 1885, will meet the White Sox
who led the league for, weeks,
only to fade before the rush of
stronger teams.
The Boston Red Sox, pride and
hope of Tom Yawkey, will face
the Athletics in what caustic
critics are pleased to call an intra.
mural game. A capacity crowd is
expected at Fenway Park, where
reserved seats have been at a pre-
MUM for weeks.
In the National League the New
York Giants renew their feud with
the Brooklyn Dodgers at the Polo
Grounds, and the advance sale
indicates that a crowd of 10000
will be on hand. The Boston Bees
will battle the Phillies in Baker
Bowl in Philadelphia. On the
Western wing of the National
League the champion Cubs face
the st. Louis Cardinals, the Pitts.
burgh Pirates go to Redland Field
where Cincinnati will play host
before a Sell-out crowd.
Nothing Left UndOne
Nothing will be lacking in pomp
and ceremony of opening day. A
staff of laborerS under direction
Of Emil Hausemann started work
ct dawn today preparing the
grounds and stands for the events
Of the day. Griffith Stadium
fairly glistened after the stands
crew had completed it's task OF
washing down the seats and pre-.
pairing the stands for the antici'
pated crowd.
Banners and bunting caught the
morning sun as they fluttereC
from field and mezzanine boxes
Close by the Washington dugout
the Presidents flag adorned the
box from which the First Citizen
since william Howard Taft pre-
sided over the White House, has
officially started the baseball sea
son.
With President Roosevelt sci
and ready to throw out the first
ball, Vice President John N. Gar
ner will lead the parade from the
dugout to the center field flae
pole where the Stars and Stripes
will be run to the halyard peak a.
Goldman'S Band plays the Ma
tional Anthem.
The Griffmen and Yankees, lee
by Bucky Harris and Joseph Vim
cent Mccarthy, respectively, will
march in the parade.
Bucky Harris reaffirmed his con
fidence in the ability Of the Griff'
to finish in the first division.
"The Washington club Is SUI
periOr to the 1885 team in every
essential" Harris said this morn
ing. 1--WE will finish in the first
division, and may be the sur
prise team Of the league"
''The Yankees will be . better
team than they were in 1885"
Joe Mccarthy said. 1--WE lost by
three games last year when
Gomez, Dickey and Gehrig were
off form most Of the year .