The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-17
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For Opener
Monday
BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

0y MANN OWN ~ ANGIAAA
Forty.eight hours before Presi-
dent Franklin Delano Roosevelt
inaugurates the 1887 major league
baseball season by throwing out
the first ball at Griffith Stadium,
not q reserve seat is to be had
at Griffith Stadium. This is a
fairly accurate mirror of public
interest in the team. It has to
be, for the Athletics will be here
on Monday. and from a baseball
standpoint they are no bargain.
Last year the Yankees opened
the season, but there was no sell
out. Ed Eynon, secretary Of the
washington baseball club, said to-
day that something like 1850 seats
were placed on sale during the
morning Of opening day.
Now, all Of this may sound like
bad news to John @. Phan, but, as
a matter Of fact, there will be
room for the public, If the public
desires room. Approximately $4,000
fans will be able to walk up to the
turnstiles and be accommodated.
There are 10000 seats in the sun
kist bleachers, another $500 in the
pavilion seats, and provisions are
made to handle $500 standees.
Field Cleared
No one will be allowed on the
field on Monday or on any other
day during the season. The only
possible exception to this set rule
Of the club will be made in the
event, that public demand forces
the construction of circus seats in
right field and in deep center
field. No such provisions have
been made for the opening game.
While Washington fandom de-
lights in specializing upon the
probable pitchers for opening day,
the choice is narrowing down to
Buck Newsom and Joe Cascarella.
Jimmy DeShong will pitch today,
which eliminates him from con-
sideration. The chances are that
DeShong will not go more than
seven innings, although this is the
time of year when pitchers in the
major leagues are expected to
carry their stuff over the full
route: =, 3. s,-.-4s ~~es-..
NeWson would seem to be the
logical. choice for the job, for the
reason that he was uniformly sue
ceSSful, against the Athletics last
year, and also, that Newsom loves
the fanfare and the roar Of great
crowds. He turned in a great
game against the Yankees last
year on opening day.
'... Rates Opener
Cascarella still limpS on his sore
ankle, condition which initiates
against his starting. Just so far
as real pitching is concerned, Cas-
carella rates the opening assign
ment.
Ben Chapman announced to one
and all that his batting slump will
end on Monday. President Clark
Griffith announced that this is all
for the best, and states further
that if a hostile crowd had only
managed to enrage Chappie, the
Alabama Arrow" would be cuff
ing the ball right now.
When the going rings and the
salary checks start coming in,
Chappie will start hitting the
ball. If he doesn't hit the ball
with reasonable regularity he will
not be a pleasant person with
whom to dine or chat. Up to date
Chappie has shrugged off his in
ability to hit. It is said that a
group of scientists attempted to
find his batting average, but after
a protracted search they found
nothing more than a vestigial trace
of the element they sought.
One of these days some true
scientist is going to discover the
cause Of battling Slumps. The
greatest hitters in the world ale
gripped by them. Believe it or not,
the year-or one of the years
that Ty Cobb batted 400 or bet
ter, he had a terrible time getting
a safe hit.
Ask the average ball player what
Is wrong, and he'll Shrug his Shout
hers and say something to the ef-
feet that he isn't meeting the ball.
Which of course, is quite correct,
but it doesn't solve the problem.
Slumps in general grow out of
faulty timing. The batsman
swings too fast, or too, slow, or
does something wrong. He may
stride so far that he throws him.
self off balance, and without bal
ance there can be no power. What
ever the cause, the effect is noted
by one and all when the batting
averages are announced.