Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-28
GAME FOLLOWS FLAG.
Wonderful Growth Of Baseball in Many
Foreign Lands.

Sam Crane writes in the Washington
Post:
The national game Of the United
States has spread to lar distant coun-
tries within the last few years. SO tina.
now the grand outdoor sport is firmly
established in the Philippines, Sand
fact, everywhere that the husky. hearty
sportloving officers, jackies. and ma
rines of the United States navy have
so CALAMITY and boldly carried the
Stars and Stripes Where "Old Glory"
waves there will be found baseball.
1t is a game that appeals to all peo-
pies that are blessed with real red blood
and are progressive.
The Japanese are nothing if not pro-
gressive, and even with their country
in the throes of disastrous war they
have found time to devote attention TO
our national game. and only few days
ago $50 Abe. a young Japanese col
legian. issued challenge to Stanford
University. Of California, for a mat h
game between teams of q japanese uni
versity and Stanford. And. more than
all, the Japs want to come to California
to play the game. That in itself shows
the youthful Japs have the Unborn
courage and confidence of their elders
1t is said that Stanford will accent the
def of $50 Abe and will arrange for
the match at once. 1t should prove q
most interesting contest, and will mark
red letter day in the history of the
game. 1t will be sensational era in the
life of the sport. and in fact, that of
all athletic sports.
Baseball is also flourishng in South
Africa. The Transvaal Leader, a pro-
gressive newspaper. has taken up the
sport and publishes full scores of
games and records of players. There
is a South African Baseball Associa-
ton and the players of the different
teams can hit the ball. even if they
have not yet attained the accuracy and
| agility in fielding that their American
cousins have reached. According to the
Transvaal Leader, out Of Z batsmen
who figure in the official record from
July l to Oct. g. 90 of them batted over
800 per cent. A player named Suter, of
the Wanderers, was the LajOie of the
| league, and he made our own ''Larup-
| ping Larry's" record of 3S1 look like
| a bush league mark. Suffers batting
percentage was .535.
| The second batter to Suffer- was
| HOtchkiss also of the Wanderers, who
| Walloped out a base hit every other
| time at the bat, making his average
| 500 per cent. That the baseball writ
ers out in the Transvaal have grasped
| the American style of reporting games
is shown by the following comment in
| the Leader: THE diamond was very
hard and as a consequence, the ball
| frequently wore whiskers, as some of
| the intielders can testify"
Wonder what the Africans would do
| with Rube Waddell and the Chesbro
| spit ball? They are liable to see them
| all right, too. for both are cratic.
South Africa being an English pos
session. the fact that baseball has TAX
en- such a strong hold there is some
what surprising, for Brtons, where
| ever found, look upon the great Amer
| lean game as a direct infringement on
| the sporting rights as established by
| cricket. 1T is only an off-shoot of our
| old FOUNDERS" they are wont to say,
and that ancient game is about on the
| level of lone old cat and 'barnball.''