Evening star., 1944-04-19
.Lanier's 2-Hit Feat
For Cards Is Tops;
Crowds Gratifying
BY JACK HAND.
Associated Press Baseball Writer.

Associated FreSS bAsepAl Writef
Northern spring training got .
yves" vote from the pitching pro-
fession as the hurlers looked over.
yesterdays opening day major
league box scores and settled down
to enjoy happy state OF affairs
that finds them far ahead of the
hitters.
While the sluggers played basket
ball in high school gyms or swung
away at soft stuff In cages under
artificial lights, the throwers un-
hmbered their salary whips with
such regularity that no fewer than
three were able to pitch shutous
In yesterdays inaugurals. Four runs
was high for a winning team, and Of
the 8s hits allowed, 50 were singles.
1t was typical wartime opening.
with pitching predominating, just
as 1t did year ago, but the crowds
were encouraging except at st.
Louis, where. slight drop was ex-
|perienced. With seven of the eight
scheduled games played the turn
stile total for paid attendance was
III 1886, considerably higher than
last year, when four of the games
were washed out, but below the
peacetime normal of 100000.
Cards Lanier Is Standout.
There wasn't bad pitching Job
In the lot. but the work of Max
Lanier for the Cardinals was the
|standout. The veteran left-hander
|got the Red Birds off on the right
foot with two-hit whitewashing
|of Pittsburgh, while his mates had
to scramble for 20 win over
rookie Preacher Roe. Lanier allowed
"a single to Roe in the third and
ditto to Gustine in the next frame.
Only 4,030 came out to see the Ma
tional League champs in their hons
bow.
Bucky Walters meanwhile put in
ian early claim for hard luck hon.
ors when he gave three hits, but was
beaten by Hank Wyse of Chicago.
80. The Reds, inspired by the
largest turnout in either league, 33,-
l54, got five hits but couldn't put
them together for a score. Rookie
Don johnson, Bill Nicholson and
Phil Cavaretta ruined the day for
Walters with hits that counted,
Nicholson driving in two of the
runs.
| Voiselle Delivers for OFT.
Mel Otis gamble on Bill Voiselle,
who lost 81 last year for Jersey
City, turned out to be a happy
choice, as the youngster from South
Carolina be"ame the first rookie to
win Giant opener by beating Bos-
ton, 2-1, before 13,47O. Hal Luby, q
newcomer from Oakland of the Pa
|ciflc Coast League, won himself
Job with double that scored the
two tallies.
Brooklyn's season started on the
dreary side as Hal Gregg, a young
ster on whom Manager Leo Duro-
cher Is counting heavily, failed to
hold the Phillies in check while
Dick Barrett was toying with the
Dodgers, Al. THE turnout of TO-
128 in Shibe Park got big bang
out of watching Freddy Fitzsim-
mons youngster give the Skipper
his first. triumph over the Brooks
since he took the job last summer.
Joe Mccarthy was home In Buff
falo with case of the grippe, but
the Yankees won just the. same,
trimming Boston 80 on Hank Bor-
owy's five hitter. 1t was the eighth
in row for Hank VINO has not been
beaten in the American League
since last August 10 in st. Louis.
Johnny Lindell slammed homer
in the second for an edge the
champs never surrendered. The
Boston turnout of $3.50 was a dis
appointing sixth for the seven
openers.
i Kramer Rescued by Caster.
i The old gopher ball was almost
the undoing of Jack Kramer as the
lSt. Louis Browns edged Detroit 81
with 28,034 in the stands. The run
nerup crowd to Cincinnati saw
Kramer holding with a 20 shutout
with two out in the last of the
ninth but Pinky Higgins spoiled that
with a circuit clout. George Caster
came in before there was any more
damage and saved the game for
Kramer. Vernon Stephens, st.
Louis shortstop, had hit homer
in the first half of the same inning.
Cold weather postponed the Cleve-
land Chicago opener and they will
try again today.