River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-06-08

$500 subjects of t b e
mikado have mas
tered the intricacies of our national
sport, and play a good game. 1.-THE de-
parture of the Waseda team for America
marked the beginning of new era in
the athletics of Japan, says Fred Merri-
field, eX-captain of the Chicago uni
yersity baseball team, who is at present
coaching the Waseda nine. Hitherto
the Japanese players have measured
themselves with the pickup teams of
the ports from the foreign warships or
at best by themselves. OF late years
the local players have usually been easy
victors over their American and Eng
lish opponents, who have had little or
no opportunity for practice There
seems to be nothing that these people
cannot do if they set their minds to it.
The Japanese students ordinarily wear
white uniforms in their play, with blue
socks or 'tabi' for footwear. No doubt
such dress is much cooler in the hot
weather, with no stockings or stiff
shoes, but there is corresponding loss
of speed and quickness of start which
spikes would at once make possible.
Nor does the player feel at all backward
about exposing his shins and calves to
the sun and crowd, for it is the custom
in this StOckingless land to leave brief
space between the tabi and the loose
robes. The native baseballs are tride
smaller than our own, and do not keep
their shape and hardness as well. Tho
American balls, bats, etc. are not
strangers, however, to these children of
progress. All this apparatus may not
be understood at once, but it is here
and is used until it is mastered. Per-
haps the breast protector will not hold
air and is considered worthless. But
when once that little screw at the side
is understood no further questions are
asked, and the rubber is always in good
order. One day was coaching new
pitcher on Drops placing ETC., and
was acting as batter to help his eye. At
suitable stage in the process turned
to instruct the catcher on some point or
other. The point was understood, and
we were about to resume our positions,
when zip! came the ball past my ear,
and caught the unfortunate catcher
square on the cheekbone. Two more
points are illustrated; the catcher
scarcely moved muscle and never a
sound came from his lips; he quietly
walked away to battle his swollen face.
That is a bit of Japanese stoicism, for
we all know how a straight ball stings.
Again, the pitcher had been working so
hard to master that new finger move
ment and locate his batter that he all
but did the opposite to his fellow player.
That is Japanese persistence and eager
ness, just bit of it. There is another
good point in the japanese style of play
ing. They may not be good hitters yet
and may not know much about curves,
but they listen to the umpire and know
how to accept decisions without ques-
ton, aud the financial question has
nothing to do with the matter, either.
l have seen ball after ball skim the bat
ter's eyes and 'Strike! from the umpire
would not affect his temperament in the
least The pitcher might put several
telling drops over the outer corner. and
if the slow-eyed umpire said Bali it re-
manned without murmur, although one
acquainted with the situation knew Of
the disappointment suppressed because
the game was in the balance, and these
drops should have saved it. Give the
Japanese a little more training in the
tine points of the game, and prophesy
he will hit your curves, field, and slide
with the zest, and make his share of the
fun. And then, after bowling politely
to the umpire, he will go home and
teach his younger brother to do still bet
ter at the great game of baseball" Has
do is captain of the Wasedo team.
The University of Michigan has re-
,ently developed the best freshman dis