The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-16
WEATHER OUTLOOK
IS Ter Ed GOOD
Dean To Oppose Ruffing On
Mound In Yank's-A's Game;
DiMaggio Out Of Lineup
By GAYLE TALBOT

NEW YORK, April 15.-R)-
Though the girders in many a
srandstand still are festooned With
~icicles and a cold wind bowls across
the land, another big league base
ball campaign is scheduled to start
tomorrow. For many it still is the
gladdest day in all the year.
The athletes are Drowned from
semi-troric suns and ready to battle
for those semi-monthly salary
checks. The fans of the Is clubs
are similarly in the pink after hav-
ing digested a few million words If
advance dope on the ~contenders.
All that is required to make the
grand opening about as suspicious
as any in history is a break in the
weather.
The forecasters are fairly optimis-
lie, pending last-minute returns. In
i've of the eight cities the tentative
guess is for fair weather tomor.
TOW, with st. Louis, Washington
and Philadelphia on the doubtful
side. All are threatened with rain.
The New York Yankees, favorites
to win their fifth straight American
league flag at the unprecedented
odds of 7-to-20, tee off against the
Athletics at Philadelphia, with the
florid Rufus Ruffing likely facing
Chubby Dean on the hill.
Joe DiMaggio, the greatest O. all
the Yanks, will o play in the in.
augural, as he slightly injured a
knee in yesterdays exhibition al
Brooklyn. Joe, incidentally, has
played in only one opener in four
season with the champions. Fifteen
thousand is the estimated attend,
ance; possibly an optimistic one.
The prize crowd of the day, 49,
600, is expected to witness the open
err at Detroit, in which big Buck
Newsom of the Tigers is billed to
face George Coffman of the St.
Louis Browns. Detroit fans prob
ably ;re anxious to see how Hank
Greenberg looks romping around
the outfield.
Boston's Red Sox, who have been
chosen by a small band of enthus-
to beat the Yanks this time
and WI might make it interesting
for the Bombers, at that, if their
pitching is passable-start against
an improved Washington club N
the capital. Lefty Grove, 40 years
old ind the only 15-game winner on
the Boston staff last year, likely
will oppose Dutch Leonard, the
knuckle-baller who won 20 for the
Senators. Estimated attendance, 3d.
900.
Cleveland, popular choice TO place
third again in the American league
race, faces the Chicago White So.
before an anticipated crowd of 80.
600 at Comisky Park. Bob Feller,
the 21-year-old fireballer whom Os-
car Witt regards as a potential 30
same winner, goes against Edgar
smith or the SOX.
The big noise in the National
is billed at Cincinnati, whe.-
Paul Derringer, hard luck hero f
the last World Series, goes to the
Ill against Bill Lee of the Chicago
The capacity of Crosley Field,
$4,000, has long been sold out. Gin
cinnati's fans either have forgotten
their bitter disappointment at the
World Series, or have forgiven.
st. Louis, equal choice with the
Reds at 11-to-5 to win the pennant,
opens at home against the Pitts
ourgh Pirates. 1t will be something
o. a homecoming for frankie
F'risch, new manager of the Pirates.
He spent many a happy and hys-
terical day in the Mound City when
he "a head of the Gas-Housers.
Curt Davis, the Cards big winner
year, is billed 10 face Bob
Klinger of the Pirates before a
crowd Of around 10, 900.
Carl Hubbell, who looks like he
might have a brilliant comeback in
h system, is Manager Bill Terry's
nominee in the Giants-Philies open
er at the Polo Grounds. Kirby Higbe
will go for the Pills. Hubbell has
looked like his old self this ring,
and that alone should be sufficient
to pull a crowd of $4,000 to the
metropolitan opening. A lighting
system for night play was installed
at the Polo Grounds during the
winter.
Brooklyn, facing the Bees at Bos-
ton, should be afforded a quick idea
of it's chances Of finishing as high
as third again. Manager Leo Du4,-
cher has selected his big IF" pitch
er, Whitlow Wyatt, Of the "ame
knee, to face the Bees. If Wyatt
looks good, and is not burned out
Of the park, then the Dodgers will
have to be taken pretty seriously.
Bill Posedel is WAITS probable cp-
ponent, with the expected crowd a
scanty 10, 900, all chilled to the bone.