The Washington times., 1936-03-21
D. e. First
Tohspect
lMqggiO
D. HIDH AAHH1
By KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor


terized no recent debut.
The President of the United
States will be on hand as
usual to throw out the first
ball, and the park will be a
sell-out. There will be bands
and there will be bunting.
The New York yankees, ever a
eolorful ball club as teams repre-
senting Gotham must needs be,
will furnish the opposition for the
first time since the memory OF
man runneth not to the contrary,
and to boot they will have proba-
bly, the outstanding 1886 rookie to
make the occasion more auspi-
ciouS.
He is Italian Joe DiMaggio, the
Pacific Coast League rookie who
grabbed off the winter publicity
because he refused to sign the first
contract offered him after having
been bought from the San Fran
cisco Seals for $4,000 over a year
ago for delivery this spring
Sells Self to Fans
The oliVe-skinned outfielder had
the fans with him from that mo-
ment and when he finally coaxed
a raise out of Col. Ed Barrow, who
controls the Yankee exchequer, he
accomplished a very unusual thing
for any yearling ball player.
The lad doesn't lack Snowman
ship who can get a raise in salary
before reporting to his first major
league camp, especially when he
has a swell hitting record in the
minors to back it up, no small part
Of which is a tendency toward
home-run hitting. Joe DiMaggio
Is the hero Of all those facts, and
in the meantime he has made sew
eral other gestures which have en-
HANGED his value to the Yankees
and his magnetism to the fans.
After his salary difficulties
were Strengthened out to his salts
faction. Joe reported to the st.
Petersburg camp almost a week
before he was ordered. When the
other rockies arrived, Di Maggie
had had the benefit Of four or
five days out there in the sun
shine. His muscles were supple
his batting eye was keen and MS
legs were carrying him nimbly all
over right field during the very
earliest fungo hitting.
He's Far Advanced
The result of such enthusiasm
for his work has brought Dt Mag
sio UP to the middle Of the ex-
hibition series one Of the most
advanced players on the Yankee
ball club.
He is hitting .667 against spring
pitching and he is spanking 'em
Savagely for extra bases betimeS.
Two triples already decorate his
record in four exhibition games,
during which he has but 10 out
of is times at bat. His fielding,
meanwhile, has been errorless and
It Is beginning to appear every
day that the loose Latin from the
Coast is exactly the man to fill the
noble brogans left vacant a year
ago by George Herman Ruth.
He has hit to all fields, three
each to the various sectors of the
outer garden. One of his blows
was fluke infield scratch single.
He has faced six pitchers, three
right-handed and three south
paws. He has made five hits
against each style of serving.
So you will observe, my friends,
that Washington's opening ball
game next month is to produce
something more than the formal
ity usually attending such events
here. It brings us the New York
Yankees for an opening day diet
the New York Yankees with
italian Joe Di Maggie. the most
colorful and no doubt ablest
rookie in the American League
this spring.
This buck-toothed boy has al
ready captured the fancy Of the
scores of baseball writer's trudg-
ing through the Southland. More
has been written of him than of
any other dozen kids you can
mention who are receiving their
first big-league trial.
Sure to Help Yankees
- DiMaggio, together with Monte
Pearson, the pitcher traded in by
Cleveland on Johnny Allen, may
prove 5he margin of strength
which might make the Yankees a
first-place club this year, instead
of the second-place finishers OF
last.
At the plate the six-foot italian
handles a huge war club. He
takes a free cut, grabbing the
bat well on the end of the han
die to get a whip into his swing
that generates pounds of power
His position at the plate is nat
ural. He appears relaxed stand
ing up there. High one or low
one, he Is always prepared to
adapt his swing to any kind OF
pitch, a technique which many
mature major leaguers do not
possess.
. Out there in the garden, Joe
DiMaggio shows plenty of conf
dence. He is a sure ball hawk
always under the ball when II
descends, and his rifle throw in