Evening star., 1943-04-20
Foe in Inaugural
To BeFacedin in 9
OF First Is Ti|ts
Wynn Opposes Yonks
In New York Season
Opener Tomorrow

The Mats may have been handed
spring tonic by the gentlemen
whose complex job it is to arrange
the American League schedule, for
this season Washington owns it's
best chance in years to break from
the gate impressively and at least
not choke interest in the first month
OF campaigning.
Last season the Mats opened with
a string of three successive defeats,
then moved to Boston and absorbed
another loss before finally winning
a game, but this season Washington
will be meeting the lowly regarded
Philadelphia Athletics in six of their
hrst nine games, and if they don't
do all right against them, they'll
have a tough time thinking of
alibis
Washington last won an opening
game in 1898. when the Athletics last
invaded Griffith Stadium for an in
augural, and they were hoping to
employ the AS as stepping stone
to a refreshing start today when.
weather permitting. the teams were
to collide at Griffith Stadium at 3
o'clock.
Bluege Leading His Ace.
Manager Ossie Bluege was lead
ing his ace in Dutch Leonard, 33-
year-old knuckle ball specialist. and
ancient Connie Mack was to counter
with Luman Harris. a four-time
winner over the Mats last season.
They were to take the mound after
War Manpower Commissioner Paul
V. McNutt tossed out the first ball.
Some $1,000 fans were expected tn
view the Mats and AS tangle TODAY
and crowd Of 10000 is anticipated
tomorrow, when Washington invades
Yankee Stadium for the opener of a
three-game series with New York,
Washington will face the Athletics
IN OF its first Is games and on the
7 other occasions its opposition will
be the Yankees.
Normally meeting the Yankees
seven times so early in the cam
palgn would be regarded as a mild
sort OF calamity. but this year the
Yankees have been staggering in
spring training and the Mats are
hoping to spank them a few times
before they hit their stride.
Wynn to Face Yankees.
Tomorrow Bluege will send Early
Wynn against the Yankees. then
will shoot southpaws at them in
games Thursday and Saturday. He'll
call on little Mickey Haefner and
Ewald Pyle. rookie left -handers up
from the American Association, in
those last two games of the Yankee
series, then will fire Leonard and
Carrasquel at the Athletics In
double-header Sunday at Philadel-
phia.
Bluege is making no secret OF
the fact that the only newcomers
to the team that was to take the
field today are the key figures in
his hope of lifting the Mats out of
the second division for the first
time in seven years. To Bob John
son, obtained from the Athletics,
Ossie has intrusted the Mats clean
up spot in the batting order and
to the polished Gerald Priddy, OBJ
tanned from the Yankees. he is look
ing for brand of play and leader
ship that will fortify Washingtons
young infield
Dutchs Third in Year.
Leonard was making only his third
start in a year today, for on April
%, 1912, he suffered a broken leg
and severely sprained ankle while
sliding into first base in game
with the Red Sox and recovered only
in time to start two other games.
Dutch was hoping to launch a
more fortunate year in many re-
spects, for that broken leg was one
of his lesser misfortunes of the last
II months. In December his mother
died and recently his 2-year- -old son
submitted to five stitches in his eye
as the result of an accident
Leonard was making his third at
tempt to annex an opener. In 1910
he dropped 10 decision to Lefty
Grove, who pitched two-hit game,
Marius Russo, who hurled a three
hitter.