The Washington times., 1936-04-15

luel of some dozen years ago.
AS Lefty Gomez and Buck New.
som toiled away to what seemed
might be o decisionless effort, my
mind ran back to that opening
day Of the previous decade,
when Old Walter and Old Ed
ward labored on that self'same
mound for IS long innings.
Walker Remembered
The crowd fingered that day,
despite the damp chill in the air,
and it was well rewarded, for
johnson emerged victorious by the
same score that Buck Newsom
came through.
Similar reveries must have come
to Walter himself yesterday. for
he was up there near the press
COOP with his nose stuck In
microphone, describing the play
for the thousands who were I'm,
able to get tickets for what will
go down in baseball annals az
that memorable 1886 opener"
And not since the seventh game
of the 1924 World Series when
Walter himself had Just finished
turning back the McGrawpilot
New York Giants have ! seen q
local baseball gathering turn its
footsteps homeward in so Joyous
mood.
Wives could have hit their hus-
bands up for that extra. spring
dress and husbands could have
begged off for . weekend fishing
trip. Human nature is that way.
you know. There is always a
psychological time to ask.
Bluege the Marvellous
I was thinking, too. as / sat
with chin cupped in two feverish
hands, watching those ScoreleSS
innings 60 by, that Baby Face"
Buddy Lewis, the 19-year-old can
didate for the third base job who
didn't get q chance to play yeSter.
day because Of Bucky Harris fear
the kid might have stage fright,
may be q good many years older
before he actually gets the berth,
unless Ossie Bluege shows more
signs Of Sowing up than he did
as I watched this years opener.
Bluege, the sure-footed, belied
his 35 winters and summers in
every way. He was around that
third bag and well in on the
hunts, like q cricket.
Yes, I find in my heart today
a song for Bluege: Bluege the in
comparable fielding third base
man who can often be very mean
at the bat. It was like q quaff
from the Fountain Of Youth to
see him gliding around his terri
tory, scooping, going into the air,
or wherever necessary to field his
job brilliantly and perfectly.
He came up with q binding
bounder from the bat Of Frank
Crosetti in the seventh inning to
make a throw to first base from
so impossible an angle. and so
much off balance that you
wouldn't conceive the ball could
have stayed in the park If you
hadn't been there to see.
No Chance For Error
It went high to Kuhel. but the
fielding and the throw that fol-
lowed was 50 unbelievable that
Crosetti was credited with . hit,
which Is baseball scoring as it
was meant to be.
And Bluege would be the most
heartbroken man In baseball to.
day had his throw for first base
on Chapman's roller In the fifth,
which hit Buck Newsom suuarely
back Of the ear in the mastoid
area, resulted seriously for Buck.
That rifle projectiIe that drilled
the air, snapped off Bluege's arm
with all Of the force that every
one knows Ossie puts into his
throws. Yet, the fellow is Of such
a passive disposition he wouldn't
harm q thing that lives.
Bluese gave me one Of my big
opening day bangs, as he has so
many times previously.
And Cecil Travis intrigued me.
The lad showed he had q lot Of
recoil. He made his first Of two
errors, in the third inning, but
he didn't let it rattle him. A
moment later he made the play
that Cancelled the bobble in the
fan mind, as it retired the Yam
kee side.