The Longest Season

Gregarious Al Lopez, manager of the Chicago White Sox, wore an unusual frown. His team had never opened a season in Washington before. "What do I do when I'm introduced to the President?" he asked. "Curtsy?"

"Just a handshake," answered a friend. "A curtsy would be improper, because you're older than he is."

As the 1961 baseball season began in cold, dank weather last week, other players had other worries:

P:White Sox Outfielder Minnie Minoso stepped proudly into the batter's box in the first inning at Griffith Stadium, pounded his favorite bat ferociously on home plate--and broke the bat. But the Sox won, 4-3.

P: In San Francisco, Giant Pitcher Mike McCormick, who boasted the best earned-run average in the National League last season, threw one pitch to the Pittsburgh Pirates' Bill Virdon, watched it sail over the fence for a home run. McCormick headed for the showers one out later, the losing pitcher.

P: In Baltimore, thousands of bumper stickers proclaimed "It can be done in '61" in six languages including Russian, but the Orioles lost to the Los Angeles Angels, 7-2, when White Sox Castoff Ted Kluszewski, who hit only five home runs all last season, walloped a pair in the opening game.

P: The Milwaukee Braves' Warren Spahn, who needs only twelve victories for a major-league total of 300, was touched for a tenth-inning home run by Daryl Spencer, lost to St. Louis, 2-1.

P:At Yankee Stadium, only 14,607 fans showed up, Mickey Mantle struck out twice, and the Yankees--minus George Weiss and Casey Stengel--were whitewashed by the Minnesota Twins, 6-0.

It will be a season like no other. Lineups have been juggled past all recognition, and American League teams have had their benches stripped to provide players for new clubs in Los Angeles and Washington. There are six new managers in the two leagues, and the Chicago Cubs are trying to get along with no manager at all. In the longest season ever (each American League team will play 162 instead of the traditional 154 games), almost every record will be within reach. Babe Ruth's 60 home runs, Outfielder Jim Lemon's 138 strikeouts, all the endless statistics of other summers will be under attack.

But if the sportswriters are right, one thing will be the same. Filing their annual predictions, they picked the Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates to repeat.

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