Evening star., 1943-04-19
McNuttW tWiI|Toss
Sphere Marking
Start Of Season
Game to Begin at ;
Tomorrow After Full
Inaugural Program
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

Inaugural Program
BY BURTON HAWKINS.
Minus the customary presidential
presence, but retaining all other
frills and pageantry that normally
mark opening day festivities, base
ball will plunge into its second sea-
son under the grim shadow of World
War II tomorrow at Griffith Stadi-
um when an improved Washington
team clashes with the Philadelphia
Athletics at 3 o'clock.
Tossing out the first ball that
symbolizes the start of the season
will be Paul v. McNutt, who, as
head of the War Manpower Com
mission, later may provide the an
sWer to whether he'll toss major
league baseball out of the national
sports scene. President Roosevelt
for the second straight year will be
occupied with more important af-
fairs and Vice President Wallace.
who performed the chucking chore
last spring, is in South America.
Thus for the first time since Will
liam Howard Taft was inhabiting
the White House, baseball will miss
the fond embrace of the President,
Vice President or cabinet member,
but in obtaining McNutt to high
light pre-game ceremonies Presi-
dent Clark Griffith of the Mats will
be featuring a key figure in base
balls hope of surviving the inter-
national squabble.
Leonard Hopes to Blast Jinx.
For the third time in four years
stout, semi-bald Dutch Leonard,
dean Of Washingtons pitching staff
will pursue an opening game victory
and this time he is hoping the Mats
will get around to scoring. In 1910
he lost dramatic 10 tussle to
Lefty Grove and the Red Sox and
the following year he was the 80
victim of the three-hit pitching of
Marius Russo of the Yankees. Last
year Sid Hudson, now in the Army,
opened for the Mats and lost to the
Yankees.
Pitching for the Athletics. picked
in virtually every poll to finish in
the cellar, will be Luman Harris,
a right-hander who accounted for
4 Of his II victories last season at
the expense of the Mats.
Washington's roster has been al
tered considerably, but the team
that will take the field for the Mats
will include no strangers to Capital
fans. In left field will be Box
johnson, for 10 years a feared home.
run hitter with the AS, and at Sec
ond base will be Gerald Priddy, fire.
quently seen here formerly with the
New York Yankees, but in seven
other spots will be players who were
with Washington last year.
Look Strong in Outfield.
The Mats, generally selected to
finish sixth and 100-1 shots to win
the pennant, are arguing they own
the best outfield in the major
leagues, with George Case, Stan
Spence and johnson available for
duty. OF the American League S
top II hitters of last season only S
will be playing this season and
Washington possesses 3 of them
in that trio.
Ossie Bluege. former Washing
ton crack infielder, will be making
his debut as the Mats manager. sue
ceeding Bucky Harris, now plotting
the Phillies. A fine judge of base
ball talent, the quiet Bluege believes
he has been handed a team capable
of horning into the first division.
When last viewed by Washington
fans stumpy Ellis Clary was playing
second base, but Bluege has shifted
him to third, where he is more &C
customed to playing. His shortstor
is Johnny Sullivan, an improving
youngster entering his third year in
organized baseball, and on first base
will be Mickey Vernon, who played
every Washington game there last
season.
Three-fourths Of that infeld may
be yanked from the Mats on short
notice, for only Sullivan is a father
One of the more heartening items
to Bluege in the Mats abbreviated
spring training campaign has beer
the remarkable batting recovery o1
Catcher Jake Early, who is bearing
little resemblance to the fellow who
hit conservative 202 last season.
Wynn to Face Yankees.
Due to the Mats short exhibition
schedule-they played II games
many of them under adverse
weather conditions-Bluege hasn't
been able to get true line on his
pitching staff, loaded with former
American Association and Interna-
tional League hurlers. His pitching
plans for the next few days, though
are set.
Against the Yankees at New York
on Wednesday Ossie will toss Early
Wynn. husky righthander, who won
10 games as a rookie last season
The Mats then will shift to south
paws, with Rockies Milton Haefner
and EWald Pyle slated to tangle with
the Yankees on Thursday and Satur-
day. The Mats will be idle on Friday
Not until week from tomorrow
will the Mats return to Griffith
Stadium, to face the Athletics in the
opener of a 3-game series, but local
followers of the team are expected to
have good idea of the teams pros
poets in about three weeks.
Between tomorrow and May 6 the
Mats will play 16 games, nine against
the lightly regarded Athletics and
the other seven against the Yankees,
overwhelming favorites to capture
the American League pennant but
currently sadly off form.
AS Wrecked by Draft.
The Athletics have been wrecked
by the draft and the most familiar
player among them tomorrow will
be the good-natured Bobby Estalella,
former Washington outfielder.
Umpires assigned to the game are
Bill MCGOWAN, Cal Hubbard, Eddie
Rommel and Charley Berry. Fol-
lowing are the probable line-ups:
Philadelphia. Washington.
White, CT. Clary. 3b.