Evening star., 1963-04-11

Senators Running
True to Form
BY MORRIS SlEGEL

so FAR THIS BABY baseball season the Senators are
running true to FORM They have done pretty much what
their critics predicted what they would do. Nothing
1t took them five and half months to finish almost
SO out of first place last year. There was evidence
in Baltimore yesterday they better equipped to do the
job in five and half weeks this year.
At the rate they not winning they could be out OF
the pennan before the basketball pennant winner
determined If not by hen certainly by Mothers Day
at the very latest.
Yesterday they helped the Orioles open their home
season. They became painfully ngratatng that they
also helped the Orioles win the ball game
When it was all over there was general feeling
among the shocked Washington shock troops that the
day could have been spent proftaby watching
Young DR. Malone TV He rarely loses the close ones
WITH THOSE WHO measure successful openers by
the number of presidents hand Baltimores kickoff
was twice the whopper Washingtons was Baltimore had
two chief executives on hand One the president Of
the team and the other the president of brewery
The weather ideal-for everything except base
ball Duck hunters 5Ome mixers who enjoy brisk winds
and football fans would have loved 1t. So would the
manufacturers of thermal underwear.
Just before the game the thermometer stood at 49,
just stood and stood that the rest Of the day. The
humidity low but when the orioles rallied to win the
humility Of the Senators was even lower.
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BALTIMORE DIDN'T MANAGE to win the scrap until
its very last opportunity but there encouraging signs
long before that things would break that way.
Ed Brnkman the juvenile shortstop, gave the first
indication this again might not be Washngton's day
Brinkman was thrown out trying to stretch a
175-oo single into double He looped fly into shallow
cenerfed The Orioles nfieders and outfieders became
involved in ursdictional spat and the ball fell safely
among hem untouched by human hands manufactured
gloves.
Not content with uke single for his first hit of the
season. Brinkman raced for second. The regular at
tendanS Jerry Ada and Luis Aparcio weren't there but
Brooks Robinson, who normally can be found only at
third base happened to be out Of position He tagged
Brnkman who had already listed Robinson also missing
in the pop-fly action.
CLAUDE OSTEEN HAD an even unusual day.
In the late innings he suddenly got hankering to be-
involved in rallies. He broke up Senator fareup
in the seventh by overlooking the ormaty OF touching
second base what already recorded as single by
Jim King
Kings run producing single" became a forceout, and
later also became generally painful to the Senators and
personally obnoxious to King His batting average zoomed
to 500 on the strength Of his ht" but when Osteens
oversight was detected King was reduced 900 hitter
again. If the stock market punges as quickly we're
all in trouble
Osteen again became rally-prone in the ninth inning
This time he started one-Bamores He threw first
pitch home run to Jackie Brandt The next four pitches
to Brooks Robinson weren't anywhere close to the en-
arged strike This set up the big Orioe break
through.
en- THE SENATORS, MEANWHILE, had made defensive
change Jim Piersal remember h?) had been sent in
to play centered Just in of the Orioles hit
ball there.
One of them did Jerry Adair hit one which PiersaI
caught Unfortunately Persa happened to be near the
centered fence when he caught it. 1t broke the % e
1t also broke the backs Of the Senator'S who were unfit to
be tied
From popularity standpoint the Senators had little
to complain about There nearly 270O0 influenza
tempters watching the frolc. The Senators thus are
averaging $4,000 an appearance so far
This is not at all bad They also averaging one de-
feat appearance. This is not at all good