WHAT DIDN'T MAKE THE BOX SCORE
Anybody who can read the standings and the box scores knows how right some people were to hope, how right others were to fear. Frank Lane's Cleveland Indians are having a happy time and the White Sox of Bill Veeck and Chuck Comiskey have brought a proud glitter to the eyes of the long-faithful in Chicago. Milwaukee is reassured, San Francisco is feeling fine, and in the interests of April charity no word will be spoken here of the mood in Pittsburgh and Detroit. Yet some of the events worth signalizing after the first nine or 10 days of the season are not susceptible of treatment purely in statistics, and we gladly set them out here in pictures.
Some other items that didn't make the official box scores: Stan Musial got into an argument with an umpire for the first time in the memory of the oldest inhabitants of St. Louis, and the spectacle so unnerved the umpire that he threw the new Cardinal manager, Solly Hemus, out of the game. Bill Veeck offered fireworks and two Dixieland bands and gave away 15,000 cans of beer at the White Sox home opener. In Montana, a rancher whose hatred for the New York Yankees survives the 2,300 miles of geography between Great Falls and the Yankee Stadium wired each American League club except New York an offer to put their squads on the cuff for two weeks of postseason deer and elk hunting. All they have to do to qualify is beat the Yankees out of the championship. Roared Rancher Albert Kochivar: "The myth of Yankee invincibility [is] pure bull." And Casey Stengel was rendered grammatical by the sight of Ryne Duren getting belted at Baltimore. Marveled Casey: "And he was ahead of the hitters all the way!"
Gloves for warmth is response of Pirates' Dick Stuart to 38° weather in Pittsburgh. Batting with his gloves on, Stuart achieved a triple, 400-foot sacrifice.
League-leading grins are exchanged by Cleveland's Frank Lane and Woody Held, whose five home runs in seven games got the Indians off to a 6-1 record.
Lugubrious look marks face of Ted Williams as he leaves office of his Boston doctor with instructions to wear cervical collar for bad neck 10 days more.
Coliseum Cynosure is Roy Campanella as he visits plate for first time in Dodgers' new home and provides misty scene for 61,552 at Los Angeles opener.
Rabbits' feet (four live ones) romp past Chuck Cottier in Braves' 11-5 loss to Pirates at Milwaukee, bringing good luck to Pittsburgh, which won its first game after five losses in row.
Bare-fisted catch by Willie Mays, after a collision with Jackie Brandt who was going after same fly, spares the Giants, leading both leagues in errors so far, from another awful boner.
SIX PHOTOS