Evening star., 1952-04-15
President Joins
10000 Fans at
Game
Red Sox Using Three
Rockies Against Mats
Wind Sweeps Field
THE Lineun,
By Burton Howkins

Gus Niarhos,1c Bob Porterfieid. p.
By Burton Howkins
President Truman Joined 10000
fans in the annual advance on
wind-swept Griffith Stadium to-
day as he Mats and Boston Red
Sox prepared to meet in the open
ing game of the 1852 baseball sea-
son.
Top-coat weather, with the tenn
perature in the mid-5Os greeted
the more rabid fans who entered
the park when gates were opened
at noon. About 800 fans went
through the gates at noon and
early arrivals saw nothing more
exciting than the ground crew
giving the outfield a last-minute
moving before the Mats took bat
ting practice starting at 1890.
Gollman's Band entertained them
during the long wait until game
time at 3 o'clock.
President Truman, slated to
throw out the first ball, probobly
for the last time, led an official
party of 46 to the opener. In the
presidential group were Mrs. Tru-
man, Vice President and Mrs.
Barkley and Chief Justice Vinson.
Mrs. Truman, in a letter to Clark
Griffith, president of the Mats,
thanking him for a season pass
and handbag. wrote she would be
late arriving because she was to
attend a benefit for the Gonzales
cent Farm for Children.
A strong wind was blowing as
game time approached.
Parnell Opposes Mats.
Mr.. Truman. who has an
nounced he will not be a candidate
for reelection, has seen the Mats
win the last three times he has
thrown out the first ball. but his
luck was to received it's toughest
test today. On the mound for the
Red Sox was Mel Parnell, 29-year-
old left-hander. who was seeking
his 18th consecutive victory over
Washington.
Bob Porterfield, a right-hander
by Manager Bucky Har-
ris as his top pitcher, was to op-
pose a drastically revamped Bos-
ton lineup that presented rockies
at three positions. Manager Lou
Boudreau, at the helm of the Red
Sox for the first time, said he
would use Faye Throneberry in
rightf1eld, Jim Piersall at short
stop and Ted Lepcio at second
base.
Piersall, a converted outfielder
who batted. 346 at Birmingham
last year. replaced the veteran
Vern Stephens. Lepcio, a 1868
hitter with Louisville, supplanted
Billy Goodman, who led the
American League in batting with
a 1854 average in 1850. Throne
berry. who hit 1902 with Louisville,
took over Clyde Vollmer's job.
One Change in Mats Lineup.
The big figure in the Red Sox
lineup was Ted Williams, who
possibly is making his final ap-
pearance here in the three-game
series. Williams is due to report
for service as a Marine Corps
flyer May 2 and has expressed
doubt he'll be able to resume his
baseball career after he gets out.
Harris made only one change in
his lineup. He sent Tommy Up
ton, a 1893 hitter with the st. Louis
Browns last year, to shortstop in
stead of the sore-armed Pete
RunnelS.
Some 5000 reserved bleacher
seats went on sale this morning
at 8:15 when ticket windows were
opened to accommodate 1873
anxious fans. Two thousand
standing room tickets were placed
on sale later.
Vice President Barkley was due
to arrive at 2:35 and 10 minutes
later the President was slated to
make his entrance with a salute
from the Army band.
ag-Raising Ceremonies.
Griffith was to accompany Mr..
Barkley in a march to centerfield
for f1ag-raising ceremonies at 2:50
and a few minutes later Mr.. Tru-
man was to launch the season
officially with his highly publicized
pitch.
Before going to Griffith Stadium
Mr.. Truman attended the annual
which Federal Trade
c Commissioner Lowell Mason gives
at the Capitol on opening day for
baseball-minded members of the
Senate and House. The President
last years affair.
The luncheon feature, a guess
ing contest in which a prize is
awarded the participant who
comes closest to predicting the
final score Of the game.
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