The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-20
10000 ToSee
Griff-Yank
Opener
BY FRANK BUCK O'NEILL

NEW YORK CITY, April 20.
New Yorks fandom, some 10000
strong, is on the march today to
hail the opening of baseball in
Gotham after President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt inaugurated the
season in Washington yesterday.
Perhaps the early estimate Of
$4,000, almost double the crowd
that saw the Griffs bow to the
Athletics yesterday, is conservar
tive. 1t may be that rumorS fly.
ing along Broadway this morning
are closer to the true numbers that
will flock to the scene Of action.
Up here they say It's a sell.
out; that 10000 will be on hand
for the game.
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia will
toss out the first ball, and
with him will be as many mem.
bers of the official family as
can pry themselves away from
their desks. That means 100
per cent support for the fiery
Italian who is chief executive
Of the city of New York.
Prof. Monte Weaver will at
tempt to harness the bats of the
fence-busting Yankees. This comes
as something of surprise, as
many believed that Pete Apple.
ton, who had beaten the Yankees
three times last year, would get
the call. But Harris decided
upon the holder course of send.
ing the tall math professor in
against the Yankees, who will
have the very gallant but exceed
ingly goofy Castilian, Lefty Gomez,
on the hill.
HOag in Center
Joe DiMaggio will not face the
Griffs. He is recuperating from
tonSillectomy. Hoag will play
center field for New York.
Buck NeWSom did bull pen duty
yesterday and will not pitch for
at least two days, in all probability.
There will be the usual color
and circumstance Of the opening
day in connection with this strife.
Yankee Stadium this morning Is
ablaZe with bunting and flags.
Capt. Francis Sutherland, one
time of the One Hundred and
Fourth Field Artillery, now of the
One Hundred and Seventh In
fantry, will have his band out at
the house that Ruth built, bright
and early.
Commissioner Kenesaw Noun
tain Lands is in New York to
present to the Yankees the world
series prizes they won last year,
and to which they aspire this
season.
There will be the parade to the
flag pole, and the salute to the
granite shaft raised to the memory
of the late Miller James Higgins.
Ten years ago Hug led the Yankees
to a world series victory over the
st. Louis Cardinals.
The GriffS have suffered all the
pangs of men who play over a
game through the night and real
ize just how many chances to win
they tossed aside in that opening
game with the Athletics. If you
want to get to the real cause Of
their defeat you can find it in one
entry in the box score:
Left on bases: Washington, IL.
OF course, some credit is due to
AL williams. who stepped into the
box, relieving Edgar Smith. Viii.
liams was in trouble many times,
but always he managed to work
out of his troubles. Two double
plays, both of them lucky, but
both Of them double plays just the
same did the trick for Williams.
Tough Luck
The crushing blow to the GriffS
came in the seventh inning when
with Kuhel and Stone on bases.
Bluege whaled a line drive back
at Williams. The ball struck the
glove of the Mack pitcher, bounced
into the air and then bounced
right back into the glove again.
That ball was tagged for hit, but
the luck of the game was with
Williams.
Bluege and Hogan failed in the
third inning when the former
fouled out and the latter popped
out to leave the bases loaded.
Great outfielding, with all three
Mackmen sharing the honors, cut
down scoring by the Griffs. John
son caught Bluege's bid for a
triple; Moses robbed Lewis in the
third, and Pinney took a triple
from Stone.
Joe Cascarella pitched fair ball.
all things considered, but his was
far from a perfect performance,
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