The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-09-14


the lucky opportunity to go down Their,
and see the Sunday games until yes
terday on account of big league game;
or other assignments.
/ had heard great deal about the
crowds that attend the games there
their polyglot nature and their en-
thusiasm but 1 had always taken these
stories more or less cum grano. Be
Ieve me, | had no need to muss up
the salt cellar, for what I had heard
was not one-half of the reality and
although it was only the Riverside
Juniors who were performing, never
saw such a dense, varied and interest
ed crowd at a public game before in
all my life as l did yesterday.
And the playing. 1t was good. really
good. Those youngsters play the game
and they play it right. In its class |
saw infinitely better ball than some
that has been given out at the ball
park. When | say Gin its Glass; |
capabilities of the pitcher, the force
with which the balls are batted and
the speed of the thrown balls, which
would naturally be less than in big
league game, the boys play in better
team work and make less errors than L
have seen at times out where admission
is charged.
All round the diamond, seated and
standing, quietly and at a proper dis.
lance from the players, was thick
hedge of humanity and such variety
of humanity as you could find in no
other place in the world. Chinese, Jap
anese, light haired Saxons, dark
skinned Latins, Hawaiians of every
shade, from the dusky hue of the pure
native blood to the comparative fair
ness of the hapahaole. And all of them
keenly interested in the game and
knowing the game as well as the wisest
section of the bleachers at big game
in New York or Chicago.
One thing that struck me very fore
IDLY was that they all took the matter
very placidly. There was plenty of en-.
eouraging shouting but very little balk-
ing at the pitcher or yelling at the
umpire such as one hears among crowds
that would consider themselves insulted
if they were classed with our Honolulu
spectators. Yet those same fans on
the mainland could learn lesson in
behavior and fair play that would do
them and the sport good if they were
to come to Aala Park once and see
the way the polyglot spectators of
these islands act at baseball game.
Pictures and Pitching.
I arrived in plenty of time before
the first game which was to be between
the Sweet Violets and the Asahis.
Whereupon | became very busy with
my camera. I generally do get very
busy with my camera and invariably
draw bunch of blanks, but then we
cannot all of us be Jim Williams, and
so | go on taking chances in the hope
that some day [ shall produce a real
photograph. This in gentle expiana-
fully lined up to have their picture
I" took. g." They may be laboring under
the delusion that those pictures will
appear in the paper. Perhaps they do,
perhaps they don't, perhaps they will
perhaps they won't, perhaps, perhaps
not.
Jack Atkinson was there as large as
life and smiling genially round on the
players. He was there in his officia!
position as opener of the series and he
certainly performed, his duties nobly.
Wing was the first man at bat and he
stood ready for Mr.. Atkinson s delivery
which came swiftly over the plate.
Wing swatted it and was caught out,
out this being merely an official fune.
ton, he was allowed to go in again
when the opposing pitcher walked into
The box.
The band was there in the bandstand
md played with much fervor. Seats
we're placed for myself and the official
scorer in the stand and | can vcueh
'or the energy and willingness of those
players, for, between innings, the o. s. /
md myself conversed in signs.
The Games. |
There were two games played, as
usual, the first was enc by the Sweet /
Tiolets who beat the Asahis by to 3,
md the second game went to the
comets over the Aala Juniors by to /.
Inc DeTIu0eES went ia AiSG HAiiC thS
Taps covered the field. The Asahis,
" the way are the only team compos'
d entirely of japanese on the islands.
The cologne bottlers have very pref
V uniform, white with violet trim
nings and a violet monogram on the
,reast. One thing that surprised me
vas to see the way those fellows play
n their stockinged feet and some with
ut even stockings, it is wonderful how
hey keep from slipping all over the
lace, but they tell me that bare foot
5 better even than a spiked shoe.
Wing, who had another chance after
living out on the opening ball, reached
irst and stole twice, so that it looked
rood for his chances to get home. But
PETERSON famed. Kuali flew out, and
Flores famed, so that he got no
nance to score.
When the Mickey Docs came in to
rat noticed one gentleman with the
-erv expressive name of Ouchi arrayed
S to his body in the Asahi uniform
f white and yellow, on his head an
!ncient black felt hat, and his legs and
i ,EN1 I