Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-10
WIN. LOSE OR
HNAV BY FRANCIS STANN
Oh! What a Beautiful Opening!

THIS WAS IN COOKIE LAVAGETTO'S office after it
all and the Senators leading the American
League in everything hitting pitching, fielding, stolen
bases home runs, and batting into triple plays.
Cookie hair askew usual but with bright look OF
triumph in his eye asking visitors to ask questions
One did,
why don't you guys do this four times week?" he
queried, with straight face.
81 wish could" Cookie replied ISN'T 1t great to
have things go like todaya Killebrew Allison Sam
ford Bertoia zauchin every single one having
a great dayl felt sorry for Ramos"
Sorry for Pete Ramos? All he did was get off to a
blazing start tanning half dozen Orioles walking none
and leading from wire to wire in a cozy 90 win
"He should have won by shutout," Cookie lamented
He got too high Boyd in the last inning, and
he was careless with Triandos."
COACH BILLY JURGES, naked a jaybird, came
whstng to the shower adjoining the high-eve boudor
Its great to be on winner he chortled NOW we know
how the Yankees live most of the time"
It was joyous occasion. The Senators hit hard and
timely against the club that reputed to have the best
second best pitching staff in the league. They stole
four bases against only 81 for the entire 1858 season.
In the first inning Harmon Kebrew looked exactly ike
Harmon Kilebrew ground ball hit by Bobby Avls,
thereafter looked like composite of osse Buege and
Pie Traynor
Ron Sanford, the shortstop who isn't supposed to
hit didn't the first two times at bat struck out both
times Then he wound up the day with double, single
and two batted in Reno Bertoa muscled one mile
into the bleachers as did Kebrew, and box wag
faxed a message Western Unions teletype. On the
slim pink slip it read: 4
eddie Yost, Detroit Tigers: Who needs you? Cookie
Lavagetto"
TT WAS. PERHAPS KIILEBREwS day as much as
Ramos Harmon the perennial rookie with hair in fast
retreat goofed up chance in the opening inning and
uncorked wild throw All spring the consensus was that
Kilebrew had to hit the long ball in order to play
Then he made false prophets of the experts by turning
in two outstanding fielding plays on Ron Hansen ana
Billy Gardner And he drilled home run and single,
plus stealing base
This is the washington club that finished the '5S
campaign by losing IS in This is the club that
dropped nine straight in Florida and way stations en- route
to Griffith Stadium This is the outfit that was picked
almost unanimously finish last in the American League
That's where they're still going to finish according 70
the reaists but for the moment the Senators weren't
buying put NY across our chests and you coudnt
tell from the Yankees" Albe Pearson qupped Deadly
serious he added "You know, we can play as we oio
lot of times I'm thinking"
IN ANOTHER PART of the main washington dressing
room Roy Seves saying just about the same thing
You get off to start like today and the world rgnt
and you think you lick any club in the business ana
I think we can. Look, do this again. We CHASED
Jack Harshman and didn't he have record OF oeatng
us IS out Of 20 tmeS?"
Oh, hope high after whopping victory And only
sourpuss would point up that year ago, give or take
few days. Ramos also the opener against the Red
Sox So and the Senators merely reached level OF 81
games back of the Yankees and 10 behind the seventh
place Athletics
Listening to Lavagetto Severs and Pearson was purely
wonderful and wouldn't it wonderful If the Senators
really could do all the things they did on the memorable
dav of April g?