Evening star., 1940-04-17
Yankees Defeat
Among Variety
OF Thri|Jers
All Scheduled Games
Run Off for First
Time in 4 Years
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

Associated Press Sports Writer.
Big league baseball's first bite was
as luscious as springs first straw
berry and the flavor will nnger for
days.
The no-hit spectacle Of young Bob
Feller, the 2-hit efforts of old Lefty
Grove and the uniformly fine fling
ing in every one of yesterdays eight
games lifted the 1910 inaugural to a
high place among the sports opening
days, even in the memory of old
timers.
Just about everything except per-
feet weather was present to make
the seasons start a success.
For the first time in four years
every one of the programmed games
was run of as scheduled and 183,957
fans turned out. This was well be-
low the record 249,010 of 1881, but
better than any beginning since 1885
and an auspicious omen for the
magnates.
The world champion New York
Yankees were beaten; the National
League champion Cincinnati Reds
won their first opening game since
1882. There were home runs and
arguments with umpires and an
extra-inning game and above all
some of the best all-around, free
style, no-holds-barred pitching duels
the majors ever gathered into q
single day.
Thrice Before Near No-Hitter.
Fellers marvellous exploit over
shadowed all the others, of course.
With him in control the Cleveland
Indians scalped the Chicago White
Sox, 10. He struck out eight
and generally was the one-man
gang that he was expected to be on
the basis of his spring training
efforts. Three times before the 81
year-old Van Meter, Iowa, speedster
had come within one hit of this
goal without making it. But this
time he made it and just about any
great pitching performance that
comes along now for the rest of the
season will be an anti-climax.
It was the first no-hitter in the
majors since Monte Pearson tanned
the Tribe for the Yankees August
q, 1898.
Fans came so close to getting two
no-hitters yesterday that q lot OF
them probably still would be shaking
II they had known what was coming.
For while Feller was working care
fully toward the first po-hit opening
game in modern major league an
nails, Lefty Grove was tying the
Washington Senators into bowknots
and didn't allow them q single until
the eighth inning. Finally a team
mates error unsettled the gallant
40-year-old southpaw sufficiently for
him to allow two scratch safeties, but
he preserved the 10 victory for the
Boston Red Sox.
Chubby Dean Subdues Yanks.
The Athletics 2-1, 10-inning VIC
tory over the Yankees was another
pitching thriller. with Charley (Red)
Rufing Of the four-time world
champions and Lovill (Chubby)
Dean each giving six hits.
An error by Benny MCoy, Connie
Mack's $45, 900 prize free agent, en-
abled New York to score a run with
out a hit in the third inning, but
Bob johnson hit a homer in the
fourth to tie the score. Then in the
tenth the AS loaded the bases with
one out and Dean, one of baseball's
leading pinch-hitters when he isn't
pitching, brought home the winning
run with long fly.
The outstanding hurting display
In the National League came in the
Phillies' 81 triumph over the New
YORK Giants. Walter Kirby Higbe,
suffering from a cold and an irri.
tating eye ailment. held the Giants
to three hits. Nevertheless, old King
Carl Hubbel was winning q shutout,
10, going into the eighth inning,
when Rookie Mickey Witek bobbled
a double-play chance and Gus Suhr
punched a three-run homer onto
the roof of the right-field grand
stand.
Brooklyns Whitlow Wyatt, a great
r1ght-hander last season until he
wrenched his knee and had to quit
for the season, shut out the Boston
Bees, SO, on five hits.
Score All Runs With Homers.
The 1892 fans who janamed
Crosley Field at Cincinnati to ca
pacity also saw a first-rate pitching
scrap between their own Paul Der
ringer and Big Bill Lee of the Chi
cago Cubs, but also got three home
runs for their money. The score
was 81, as follows: Cincinnati
home runs by Frank Mccormick and
1val Goodman; Chicago home run
by Augie Galan.
The days biggest turnout, 49,417
customers at Detroit, had to watch
the Tigers take a ST. lashing by the
st. Louis Browns behind the seven
hit hurting of George (Sncker)
Coffman, whom Detroit discarded
during the winter.
| At st. Louis 1t was the other way
round, with the Cardinals getting
crushed, Ga, under the 15-hit bonn
bardment Of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Three Pittsburgh pitchers combined
in holding the fearsome Redbird
sluggers to seven hits, but Bob
Klin0er Was a victim ~ q fo,,r-