BASEBALL TRIVIA

The crowd of 3,223 that attended Tuesday night’s game between New York and Cleveland at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland was the smallest the Yankees have drawn since April 23, 1970, when 1,807 attended a game with the Washington Senators in Washington.

The Indians, who traditionally open on Saturday at home, drew 66,978 last year. This year, Peter Bavasi, the club president, opted for a Friday opener, giving him a three-game weekend with Detroit. The series drew 60,330, or 6,648 fewer than last year’s opener.

The addition of Cesar Cedeno gives the Dodgers five players--Jerry Reuss, Bill Madlock, Enos Cabell and Bill Russell being the others--35 and older for the first time since 1957, when the team was still in Brooklyn.

In Jack Morris, Dan Petry, Walt Terrell and Frank Tanana, Detroit was expected to have one of baseball’s strongest rotations. But through their first nine starts, the four had a cumulative earned-run average of 8.02, having allowed 70 hits, 12 home runs and 44 earned runs in 49 innings.

The Chicago Cubs, who struggled through a 2-5 opening trip, expected better during a 10-game home stand that opened Friday. The Cubs responded to their friendly confines last season, scoring 112 more runs there than on the road. Third baseman Ron Cey and left fielder Gary Matthews, both under fire by media and management, will start regularly during this home stand, proving that Manager Jim Frey has called on the computer. Cey hit .261 at home and .206 on the road last season. Matthews hit .264 and .214.