NYC, Dallas Welcome New Teams
National Pastime Returns to Manhattan, Debuts in Texas
NEW YORK and DALLAS (April 1) -- Major league baseball returned to Manhattan this week for the first time since 1950 and made its debut in the Lone Star State, as the UL's expansion teams took the field in a day dripping with pageantry and expectation.  Meanwhile, fans in Boston welcome the league's return as the relocated Boston Federals played their first game at Fenway Park, ending three years of baseball purgatory for The Hub.
   The league's official expansion festivities were to kick off in Harlem on Opening Day, but a spring squall washed out the Gray Sox' much-anticipated home opener, dispersing a capacity crowd of 55,000, who, having waited 10 years and six months since the last game at the Polo Grounds, were forced to wait another 24 hours.
   Meanwhile, 1600 miles to the southwest, a sellout crowd of 35,138 crammed into the subterranean bowl that is Turnpike Stadium to witness the first major league game played in the Lone Star State.  The ebullient masses were treated to a pitchers' duel, but not a happy ending, as the visiting San Francisco Spiders, spawn of the league's last expansion in 1955, shut down the Texans 2-0 behind the six-hit effort of Ron Kline.  Mean Gene Green, Hittin' Machine enters the record books with the first hit in franchise history.

The Tiger Wore Gray Sox
   Day 2 in Manhattan, another 55,000 (presumably some of the same patrons) show up at Coogan's Bluff on a sunny spring day with not a squall in the sky.  Gray Sox starter Bubba Church fell behind almost immediately, as Boston cooked up a run with a hit, walk, HBP, and an error.  But Don "Tiger" Hoak got the capacity crowd roaring, christening the franchise in style with a solo homer down the right field line.  Church and Feds' ace Bob Friend settled into a pitchers' duel until the Bostons pulled ahead in the seventh, only to squander the lead.  One out from victory in the ninth, Hoak took closer Jackie Collum for a ride -- a 420-ride to left-center, igniting a raucous response.  After Church retired the side in order in the 10th, Dick Brown doubled off Dean Stone, and pinch-runner Felipe Alou eventually scored on a game-ending fielding error by first baseman Orlando Cepeda.

OPENING DAY IN BRIEF

	Pedro Ramos went toe-to-toe with Gene Conley for eight innings, and Dusty Rhodes pinch homer gave the visiting Griffins a brief lead in the ninth before Sandy Amoros tied it and Rip Repulski one the game with a 13th inning single.
	Washington scored six runs off John Tsitouris in the fifth inning, including a bases-clearing double by Johnny Romano that broke the game open.  Leadoff man Sammy Taylor had three hits and Don Larsen went the distance.
	Billy Pierce threw a five-hit gem for his 30th career shutout and Lenny Green was 5-for-5 as the Colts arrested the Outlaws 10-0 at Comiskey.  Art Mahaffey was chased after 2.2 innings, trailing 8-0.
	Herb Score spoiled 30-game winner Johnny Antonelli's season debut, allowing just two hits in seven innings.  Middle infielders Rocky "Where's That Confounded" Bridges and Don "Blazer" Blasingame split the Maroons' four RBIs, and leadoff man Albie Pearson hit two singles and a double.
	Ron Kline fanned 10 and anchored a six-hit shutout and sophomore right fielder Billy Williams drove in both San Francisco runs in a 2-0 win in Dallas.  Bob Miller took the loss in the Texans' league debut.

Mons, Spiders Sweep Opening Series
Preseason Poll Turned on Its Head
CLEVELAND (Apr. 3) -- Leave it to the pundits to get everything wrong.  After a preseason survey pegged the Washington Monuments and San Francisco Spiders as likely cellar-dwellars this year, the two clubs took the field and swept their opening series.  Washington won three games at Cleveland, pounding out 23 runs behind the bats of Sammy Taylor (6 hits) and Norm Larker (5 RBI).  #2 starter Stu Miller, who lost 26 games last year, held the Barons to just one earned run in a no-decision, as the Mons pounded Russ Kemmerer and Turk Farrell for an unusual 10-3, 11 inning win.
   San Francisco, meanwhile, spoiled the Dallas Texans' coming-out party by sweeping all three games of their opening series.  Rookie starter Al Jackson, a native of Waco, Texas and the 51st overall pick in this year's rookie draft, provided a highlight (or lowlight), confounding Dallas hitters with a six-hit complete game to earn a 6-2 win in his big league debut.

My Aim Is True
Allison Reopens Fenway Park With a Three-Run Blast
BOSTON (Apr. 4) -- Baseball returned to Boston Wednesday, when the Boston Federals made their UL debut against the Brooklyn Superbas at Fenway Park, ending three years of baseball purgatory after former Boston Beacons owner Charlie Qualls stole the club from the city in 1958 in pursuit of a quick buck in Cleveland (at least that's the locals' version).
   Federals owner Shawn Martin got a hero's welcome, as the mayor presented him with the key to the city and fans showered him with confetti and good wishes during a pregame parade down Yawkey Way.  Martin, a New England native, nearly blocked expansion last summer until the league accepted his demands to relocate the club to Boston.
   Right fielder Bob Allison broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth with a three-run blast off Johnny Kucks, and a quartet of relievers held the lead for Billy Loes, as closer Dean Stone earned his first UL save.

Cherry-Popping Daddies
UL Debuts