Evening star., 1901-05-25

dous curve with Doth arms and 1mpels 1t
with great force against the front wall to
be caught on the reboun1 iby his opponent
and returned in the same Manner
Fine Display of Endurance.
On this particular afternoon there was
splendid display of strength and endurance
by the rival champions, Lizundia and Oyar-
zun Time and again the ball was sent
following curved Trajectory to the front
end wall and frequently returning almost
IN the same trajectory, like the majestic
flight OF bird to be caught by the play
er, until 1t seemed If the rivals both
must drop from physical exhaustion. Ulti-
mately one of them did miscalculate little
and the tanto or inning, was ended, but
it had been fought so magnilicently that
the defeated player shared the applause
with his rival.
In this play where the ball is caught on
the fly and hurled to the front wall it is
astonishing to note the accuracy with
which its return trajectory is gauged. The
instant it leaves the basket of the thrower
ms rival seems to gauge where il will re-
turn even before 1t strikes the wall, for
the rebound. A dozen times during the
course of the afternoon I saw one or the
other of the players station himself before
the ball struck the wall and stand like q.
statue on the spot to which it returned.
All the PLAYERS have this faculty, and it
Is difficult for them to deceive each other
when the test is so nearly one of physical
strength as happens when they are taking
the ball on the fly.
Another play which seems easier, because
1t is managed with such apparent delibera-
tion, is to catch the ball on the rebound
from the rear-end wall and send it spin
ming to the front AS the player waits for
1t to strike the concrete flooring and then
the end wall, taking on the second rebound,
he seems to be cOaXing the ball to come
to him. Suddenly his elongated basket arm
shoots out careSSeS the ball for an In
stant and hurls it to the front wall This
play always was made with the single arm,
and the curved trajectory usually is not so
great as when the ball is taken on the fly.
Several times the ball traversed the 300
feet from end wall to end wall without
striking the floor at all One of the play
ers told me that this feat was not so diff
ficult and that in pra actice they sometimes
brought the ball back to the opposite end
without it having made the curvature to-
ward the ground. He said that in open
space, without roof it would be possible to
have the return ball clear the end wall.
Difficult Play.
Another play which is very difficult is
the fiat trajectory. This is to send the
ball to the front wall on a straight line,
something like a batter occasionally sends
an airline fly to the third baseman or to
the pitcher. The force of this fiat trajec-
tory is terrific, and the rebound is such
that the rival player scarcely ever is able
to save the ball, because it's return cannot
be gauged with the mathematical exact
ness with which the curved trajectory can
be followed. 1ASiOguitO, one of the play
ers, excelled In this throw, but it Is ex-
tremely difficult and the liability of miss
Ing the ball in attempting it is great.
What base ball players would call
grounder is the most difficult ball of all
to return. Where a low throw can be made
the chances are about two to that the
opposite side will miss the return ball on
the rebound, but the chances also are about
two to one that In attempting this maneu-
Yer the player himself will commit an er-
ror and land the ball outside the limits,
thereby losing the score. A favorite
neuver also is to make it carom against the
side wall at short angle But this also
is difficult to accomplish.
The errors under which scores lost
vary from a miscalculation lin throwing to
the ordinary muff or fumble. 1t seems
strange to write of a wicker hand mutting
a ball, but the wonder is that the muff is
not made often, as well as the tumble. Oc-
casionally a player who has stationed him
self at the exact spot to which the ball is
returning will muf it or tumble it just as
a fielder sometimes muffs a fly sent from
the home plate in playing base ball. How
ever, it seems to me that most of the err
rors came from physical exhaustion, when
one or another player in throwing the ball
would miscalculate and send it into the
rafterS or the netting overhead or when
in describing the curve on the return ira
jectory 1t would soar too high and get
caught overhead. Sometimes too the
error would come from the attempt TO
carom, which would send the ball flying
into the audience, with the result that
there would be a howl of anguish from
some unhappy spectator
A Great Game
1t was my good fortune to see what is
declared to be the greatest game yet
played. The score is usually thirty, but
this afternoon it was thirty-fv The par
ejat or pairs of partido were known as
the Whites and the Blues, and these rival
parcjos consisted of Lizundia and Pase-
quito, Elicegui and Oyarzun, all noted
players. At the beginning the betting was
about even. The score ran with little
change through a dozen innings or more
neither pareJa at any time getting more
than two tallies ahead of its opponents.
Then the Blues had spell of bad luck and
lost several tantos or innings in succession.
Both sides had to rest frequently to re-
cover from their physical fatigue.
The Whites made a rapid gain, having
fifteen to their credit as against eleven for
the Blues. The Blues slowly regained the
odds and again became nearly even. In
truth, the betting fierce at all times
There were many Spanish women in the
audience. and they bet as fervently as do
American women at horse race, but with
less dependence on their emotions or their
instinct.
One handsome woman beckoned the bet
ting agent, who, in his red cap and white
Jacket, the mark of his official authority,
was walking up and down, and quickly
placed wager of CentenS, or SO on
what seemed to be the losing side Her
companions all protested but she took the
odds and had her way. When the PLAYING
changed and the score again became q tie
she looked complacenuy around, explain
ing that sne had bet because she noticed
that the Blues We're getting tired out AT
this point there were some cat calls for the
umpire, because he corrected a misplav
but in pelota there does not seem to be
much opportunity for dispute and the UNI
plre is not in danger of his life.
AT the end of the thirtysecond tanto or
inning the score was a tie, and the au-
dience was becoming frenzied with excite
ment. The Whites won the thfrty-third,
and the Blues showed signs of being fag-
ged out, but by some extraordinary play
ing they eVened the score. The Whites
We're the popular favorites, and the ma
jOrity of the audience were clearly anxious
for them to win. 1t looked as though this
popular desire would be gratified, for the
Blues were in the greatest physical dis
trcSS. But OyarZun, by a marvellous COM
bination of strength and deXterity. ultt-
matcly placed the ball where his opponent
was unable to return it. and the game was
by the Blues-score, is to Il Then
the roof nearly came off the fronton, as
the victor fell over in a heap, like an ex-
hausted gladiator. The critic in one of the
papers placed the laurel chaplet on his
hrouS in folIouInf words.