Evening star., 1898-08-27

| W oile II Non ths sporting press, as well
as the ordinary daily and weekly papers. o.
take an intereTt I'm II. in the most innnort
ant matches dsvoting nearly half a column
to II, which. when IL Is taken into consid-
Grafton that cycling, rowing tennis
hockey, etc, have to be satisfied with half
| a dozen lines, is something worth mentiou-
ing. Many curious comments are made hy
the English spectators on the costumes
wcrn by the players. The masks worn hy
the umpire and catcher and the stomach n
pad worn by the latter especially tickle
their fancy. They are used to the lsggings
ana gloves. but the mask arousa IS the keen
est amusement The game is decidedly go
ing ahead, although not so fast as II was
| three years ago, and in the last year It's
| position has remained stationary. This
year II is being reorganized entirely. \
| splendid diamond has been secured at the
famous Crystal Palace, where any one who
takes an interest in the game always finds
7 welcome, and players can be seen there
| pitching the ball and swinging the bat in
| true American style.
Come TO Stay.
1t is the belief of the American enthusi-
asts in England that the game has come to
stay. and certainly to all appearances 1t
| has taken a firm hold OF the sporting in
stincts of the Englishman OF course IL is
played to great extent for the pastime OF
Americans in England. and whether the
English like it or not they are bound SOON
er or later, to fall into it Amateur ath-
ieAtS ol every hlDu come INTO II from the
suburban localities, and the converts de-
clare they like IL better than any game they
have yet played. There is more exercise
to be got out of it. they say. and they
would rather spend two hours at base ball
than a whole day at any other game To
| see to what an extent il has grown, one
| had only to pay visit to the ground be-
| fore mentioned, at Hyde Farm, Baham
which has now been given up owing to the
| splendid inducements offered by the Crys-
tai Palace Company to make base ball one
of the main attractions of that popular
pleasure resort. Three years ago great
bare field stood in place of the grand stand
and refreshment bars. The game mas pros
pered even better in the north. and II has
been computed that there are twenty or
| thirty teams playing during the season
around and about Derby The audiences
everywhere appear to be well satisfied with
| the amusement they receive, Judging from
| the crowds which attend the games espe-
cially at the crystal Palace. On one of the
bank holidays last season over 10 900 spec
tators watched a game. Possibly not one
| in a hundred understood. but they did not
| leave until 1t was over so attractive was
| it to them.
| Enthusfastic Crowds.
To prove that more than a local interest,
| too, is taken in it. | need only point out the
distance the crowds which attend the
| games have to travel To get to the Crys-
| tai Palace they have to travel eight miles;
| and to the BALKAN grounds, the nearest in
London. most onlookers have to travel two
| or three miles. II a ground could be pro-
cured in the center of London il is calcu-
! lated that just twice as many would at
| tend. as the great popularity OF the famous
| Oval Cricket Ground is partly due to its
central position, and the ease with which
one can get to II by tram. train or omni-
bus Many things have contributed to
make II as popular as il is in EnE and.
! Foot ballers have taken to il. because they
hnd 1t keeps them in condition during the
summer. They get splendid exercise from
| 1t, and consequently play il a good deal
Base stealing an English audience especial
ly likes to see, and the catcher arouses a
good deal of interest, but the coach" fur
nishes the greatest amusement. OF course
| he must not speak to any one except the
| base runner, but his remarks to that indi-
| vfdual often prevent the interest in a game
| from getting low often happens In a
| cricket match especially If he has a witty
| tongue.
Excellent Ball Grounds.
The most popular and widely patronized
ground is that in the Crystal Palace at
| Sydenham. in the southeast of London. The
| up-to-date proprietors Of the great glass
| palace saw that the game would become
| popular, and now the London base baIlers
| have as fine base ball ground as any out
| side the United States, and. indeed. COM
parable to many in that blessed country
But the Wallsend and Stockton grounds in
| the north Of England, good, and can be
compared to no other ground in England,
with the possible exception of the one men
| toned at Sydenham. The ground AT this
latter place is great natural amphi-
tf1eater. Games are played there two or
| three times week during the season, and
| an excellent band has been provided bV the
management of the glass house The Bal
| ham pitch was both picturesque and pretty
and had an excellent grand stand. refresh
ment bar and tea house. Two years ago
ground was opened at Wembley Park and
Is now much patronized. In the north We
| have the Derby grounds, a handsome park
the property of Mr.. Francis w. Lev the
president of the English National Base Ball
Association. The grand stands stretch out
on both sides of the ground, and 5000 spec
tators can see the game from them. Ameri-
cans visiting England will be well repaid by
visit there. Both Stockton and Middles-
brough have grounds, owned by companies,
which, up to the present, have proved a
profitable speculation to the shareholders
Darlington, Walker, Wallsend - where the
Goals come from-and Claravale, all have
good grounds; but the Newcastle base
ballers have not yet INDUCED in the luxury
OF a private ground and play most of their
games on the town moor. 1t is neverthe-
less the opinion Of Americans here that
none of the English base ball grounds can
be compared to the American venues of
play.
All Amateur Players.
The English game is in all respects iden-
tical with the American. As regards the
players, there are no professionals what
ever. the whole of the forty or fifty teams
in England being comprised wholly of ANA
teurs: The English players cannot be COM
pared to any American exponents of the
game in the states. and if a team of the
best American players were pitted against
a team of the best English. the odds are
that the Americans would come out of the
contest victorious. The most that an aver
age Englsh team could do would be to
meet a fourth-rate team from the United
States.
one of the music hall "mummers'' is
said to have spent close upon e., 600 g10,O0O
pushing the game forward. There are
practically no English manufacturers sup
porting the game. OF course ii has not
paid its promoters, but they did not take
1t up as a money-making scheme, nor with
any idea of benefiting their pockets The
assistance they have given has been given
solely for love of the game, and of pushing
1t in England, and bringing il before the
English public as a game worth studying
and playing. The public at present do not
know enough of the game to criticise it.
In France and Australia.