The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-15
HARD DRIVES IN
 BOTH CIRCUITS
 SEEM PROBABLE.
Yanks, After 30 ShutOut of Senators Are Team
 to Beat; Tigers Done?
BY GEORGE KIRKsEY

BY GEORGE KIRKsEY
 United Press Staff Corespondent)
 New York, April l6-(UP)-Its nice to be an American today. You can go to the ball park, sit in the sun and, between bites on . hot dog, yell yuorSelf hoarse at the visiting "burns" or the blind uil- pire."
 For today the baseball season opens and the American fan can forget all about Europe's toll and trouble. At least he can forget about it for two hours or more out at the ball park in the sun and fresh air.
 Tomorrow, 1t may be different story but today all the worlds sound and fury k drowned out on this side of the Atlantic.
 More than 100000 fans will sit in on baseballs grand opening in eight major league cities and thousands of others will listen In on the radio and eagerly await first returns from the opening day skir- mishes. The dethroned New York Yankees, battling to regain lost laurels, got away to a flying start yesterday in the Presidents Special at Washington by defeating the Senators, 80. President Roosevelt, in the role of the nations No. fan, tossed out the first ball and remained throughout the game with a capacity crowd of 32,000.
 Baseball fever ss running its high. est temperature in years. Interest in the spring training camps and exhibition games indicate that at- tendance records are likely to be approached or smashed in both leagues. More than l0,000,0o0 per. sons are expected to attend the seasons games unless some urifore- seen development curtails the cai1as paign.
 Thril!e-s Ahead
 Two thrilling races are in pros. pect, with the American League looking forward to a two.team bat- tie between the Yankees and the Indians and the National League eagerly expecting a threeclub strug- gle between the World Champion Reds, Dodgers and Cardinals.
 Jack Doyle, veteran Broadway pricemaker, has established the Tanks as American League favorites at 7-5 and the Reds as National League favorites at 6-5. The In dians are quoted second choices ct 32 in their circuit and the Dodgers are given the No. 2 spot at 9-5 in the senior loop. Doyle's influx of bets from all sections of the country indicates tremendous interest in the pennant races.s
 Two new pilots will make their bow although they have seen ser- vice before. Jimmy Wilson, World Series hero as Ernie LombardhS substitute, has taken over the Chi. cago Cubs and Roger Peckinpaughs who was fired as manager or the Indians in 1882 after a five year term, is back at the Cleveland helm again.
 Curiosity
 Among the most frequent ques. tions about the dawning season are: How good are the Yankee kids, Priddy and Rizzuto?" Has har- mony been restored to the In. dians?" Have the Tigers old men completely folded9" Can the Reds aces, Walters and Der- ringer, keep on winning7" "Will Higbe win 20 games for the Dodg:. ers?" "1S Pete Reiser as good as they say?" Gan the Cardin- als' infield stand up?" Are the Cubs two rookie Lous, Novikoff and Stringer, headed for stardom?"
 If you could supply the right answers to all these questions, you could name the teams that would meet in the World Series next octo. Der.
 Manager Bill McKechnie has i'm. proved the Cincinnati pitching stan with the addition of Monte Pear. son, ex-Yankee, and Southpaw Bob Logan and is confidently expecting , Johnny Wander Nicer to stage a comeback. In addition the Reds have installed Eddie Joost at short in place of Billy Myers, gone to the Cubs, and Jimmy Gleeson, who came from Chicago in the Myers deal, has won an outfleld berth. Otlaewise the Reds are the same hustling team with gil-edged pitch ing and tight defense which came through twice before.
 The Dodgers have added $l75.- 900 battery in Kirby Higbe from the Phils and Mickey Owen from the Cards but still have a second base problem to settle. The Cards have punch and speed but an un- settled infleld. The Cubs still have basbeall's last holdout Hank Leiber. but otherwise look like they are going to spring a surprise. The Pir- ates are crying for pitching.
 Most experts do not see how the Tigers can repeat Clark Grifiths no-trade rule killed of any chance of reinforcementS for them. If Hank Greenberg is drafted in June as expected, Detroit may have to battle to run one-two- three.
 The rebuilt Tanks look like thys have a tremendously improved club. they have speed and are geared to play inside baseball. But they can still hit, with Henrich, Keller, Cor don and DiMaggio welding the big sticks. One of the Tanks big question marks concerns veteran Bill Dickey. If he doesn't fold. the Tanks are definitely champion ship threat.
 Cleveland has superb pitching headed by Bob Teller, Mel Harder, Al Milnar, Jim Bagby and Al Smith. They have a great second base com- bination in Lou Boudreau and Ray Mack but they lack punch. Then, too, the memory of last years June rebellion still is hanging over their heads.
 What ever happens there will be