[The_Myth]

April 15, 1952: Welcome to opening day, the most glorious of days. The New York Herald Tribune has published its predictions for final standings:

American League

1. Cleveland - 98-56
2. New York - 98-56
3. Boston - 82-72
4. Chicago - 80-74
5. Washington - 68-86
6. Detroit - 65-89
7. St. Louis - 65-89
8. Philadelphia - 62-92

National League

1. Brooklyn - 93-61
2. St. Louis - 86-68
3. Philadelphia - 84-70
4. New York - 81-73
5. Boston - 74-80
6. Chicago - 74-80
7. Cincinnati - 66-88
8. Pittsburgh - 60-94

Top sportswriters believe Cleveland’s Al Rosen will have a superb season with a .319 average and 26 home runs, while many also feel strongly about the 20-year-old Yankee standout Mickey Mantle. There are also high hopes for Jackie Robinson at age 33, a .310 season being predicted. Top pitching performances? Look to the Phillies, where both Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons top writers’ opinions.

Our top prospects in baseball are:

1. 3B Eddie Matthews - Boston Braves
2. SP Jim Bunning - Detroit
3. OF Henry Aaron - Boston Braves
4. CF Dick Hall - Pittsburgh
5. SS Harvey Kuenn - Detroit
6. 2B Al Smith - Cleveland
7. OF Wally Moon - St. Louis Cardinals
8. OF Bob Cerv - New York Yankees
9. 2B Jim Gilliam - Brooklyn
10. SP Larry Jackson - St. Louis Cardinals

For opening day, a full slate of games. I’m planning on a six-city whistle-stop tour for this first week of play:

Today - Boston at Washington, 2:05 p.m.
Tomorrow - New York at Philadelphia Athletics, 2:05 p.m.
April 17 - Philadelphia at New York Giants, 2:05 p.m.
April 18 - Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 2:05 p.m.
April 19 - Detroit at Cleveland, 2:05 p.m.
April 20 - St. Louis at Chicago Cubs, 3:05 p.m.

I’ll be taking the 20th Century Limited from New York to Pittsburgh, and it’ll be a tight race to the ball-yard that day. Hopefully we make it on time. I’m planning on a full New York and Boston adventure to begin May, and a St. Louis trip in mid-May.

Sadly I’ll miss the finest pitching duel of the day between the Giants and Phillies (Sal Maglie vs Robin Roberts); instead, I’ll catch Mel Parnell against Connie Marrero, which isn’t very bad at all.

At any rate, I arrive at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., just about 20 minutes before first pitch. And then President Truman tosses the ball from his executive seat into the mitt of Washington backstop Clyde Kluttz, the veteran who came over last season in a trade with the Browns.

You may see me in the photograph published the next day in the Washington Post; I'm two right of President Truman. I wasn't wearing my hat, a bit of a faux pas, some may say.



As for the game, it’s quite the outing for Senators ace Connie Marrero, who tossed himself a complete game with three strikeouts, allowing just three hits in the process. Offensively, both Pete Runnels and Sam Mele struck three hits for the home whites.

Here's a color image of the game from one of those new rooftop still cameras.



After the game I get to the train station, order up a scotch and begin the journey north to Philadelphia.

April 16, 1952: Waking in a hotel room in Philadelphia, and the Inquirer tells me that it was a one-two sweep for the local clubs. The Phillies scored early and often to defeat the Giants, 7-4. Robin Roberts pitched the whole doozy while, how about that, New York’s Bobby Thomson picked up nearly where he left off with a home run. And the Athletics stamped out the Yankees 6-3 at home, backed by Bobby Shantz’s nine innings.

BULLETINS: Cincinnati’s Ken Raffensberger shuts out the Cubs at Crosley … the Cardinals win a thriller against Pittsburgh on a Stan Musial game-winning single in the 11th … Brooklyn takes down the Braves on a two-homer day from Bobby Morgan … Larry Doby homers as the Indians keep the White Sox at bay, 5-4 … and Browns hurler Bob Cain throws nearly the whole thing in a 9-0 gem over Detroit.

April 21, 1952: After a whirlwind week hopping about the country, I’m taking a two-day respite in Chicago before another train ride back to New York. Here’s what we’re seeing after one week of play:



HEADLINES

• The Spirit of St. Louis lives … sort of. The Browns outscored Detroit and Chicago by a total of 32-17, winning two of three at Tiger Stadium and three of four at home against the White Sox. Their attendance? 4,754 per game for four games. Lousy.
• Brooklyn won the battle of New York with a sweep of the Giants over the weekend. Thrilling contests, and Gil Hodges (.400, 4 HR, 5 RBI) is an early MVP frontrunner. Very early.
• The Phillies are 5-2, jumping out to a hot start thanks in part to 25-year-old super-hurler Robin Roberts and 22-year-old hot-shot Curt Simmons. Roberts is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts to one walk, and Simmons is 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 15 strikeouts to two walks.
• The best pitching performance this week? The Yankees Vic Raschi went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, giving up just eight hits over two starts to the Athletics.

Attendance leaders:

• American League - New York (23,782 per game), Cleveland (19,298 per game)
• National League - Brooklyn (22,203 per game), St. Louis (13,749 per game)

Attendance trailers:

• American League - St. Louis (4,754 per game), Philadelphia (7,341 per game)
• National League - Cincinnati (6,860 per game), Boston (8,780 per game)

Overall, attendance and revenue is way down from last season, but it’s the first week and a cold April. I’m not thinking about it.