Play Ball

In eight major-league ball parks, the players trooped out of their dugouts. Politicians trotted on to the field and shook hands all around. Someone placed a floral horseshoe on home plate. Red-coated brass-bandsmen, tootling gaily, marched off toward the flagpole leading a procession of flag-bearing U.S. Marines, high-hatted bigwigs and sheepish ballplayers, shuffling out of step. The flag was raised, the Star-Spangled Banner reached high F, the mayor threw out the first ball. Thus traditionally the baseball season opened last week. Immediately dopesters' expectations were knocked out of the ball park.

Few greybeards could remember a more sweeping reversal of form. Day before, in the President's Special, gala curtain raiser that preceded the regular openers, Franklin Roosevelt had done his duty like his predecessors before him (see cut), but the New York Yankees had whitewashed the Washington Senators, 3-to-0. That surprised no one. In only four out of his seven previous starts as the season's opening pitcher had President Roosevelt watched the Senators come through for him. But in their hometown opener at Yankee Stadium, with Mayor LaGuardia pitching the first ball, the Yankees looked like bushers instead of co-favorites (with the Cleveland Indians) to win the American League pennant this year. Against Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics, a 100-to-1 shot in pre-season betting, they were drubbed, 3-to-1.

> In Cincinnati the World Champion Reds, favored to win the National League pennant again this year, looked as bad as the Yankees. Despite their star pitcher, Big Paul Derringer, they were walloped by the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-to-3-The Cards, fed Vitamin B all spring, broke out in a rash of home runs that sent Derringer to the showers in the eighth inning.

> In Cleveland the fine-feathered Indians, promising to make a brave showing for their new manager, Roger Peckinpaugh, were socked by the Chicago White Sox, 4-10-3. Fireball Bob Feller, baseball's No. 1 pitcher, who chalked up a no-hit game in last year's opener, retired in the sixth inning--after walking seven men, hitting two more, allowing five hits.

> In Brooklyn Dodger fans, believing reports from spring training, are all set for their first pennant in 21 years. So, when Boss Larry MacPhail's fabulous collection of stars was beaten by the New York Giants, 6-to-4, in the opening game, impatient Brooklynites hastily dubbed them Larry MacPhailures.

> The St. Louis Browns, the only major-league club that has never won a pennant, met the Detroit Tigers, perennial front runners and the defending champions of the American League, with the result that the Little Brownies, full of ginger, beat the Big Tigers 8-to-1.

There was never a livelier opening day, but there were still 153 games for each club to play. Yet at first week's end, the favorites were still far behind. In the National League the Reds were in next-to-last place (with only one victory in five games), the Dodgers were fourth, and the Giants, brusquely brushed off as a second-division team in last winter's Hot Stove League, were out in front with five victories in a row.

In the American League the Boston Red Sox were in front of the Indians and Yankees. The Little Brownies, with as good a percentage (.500) as the Yankees, were in front of the Tigers. Many a fan was ready to wager that the Browns will finish ahead of the Tigers this year. Reason: hard-hitting Hank Greenberg, the Tigers' most valuable player, was placed in Class I A by a Detroit draft board last week, will be called for military service within a fortnight.

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