Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04
B|LLYHANS WRITES
OF: CUBAN BASE BALL
Warm Climate Slows Up the
Players From This Country,
Especially the Pitchers.
ISLANDERS PLAY THE
GAME YEAR ROUND
Admission Ranges From 20
Cents to $2-AthIetics
Start Playing This Week.
BY Billy Evans.

Special Dispstch TO The Star.
HAVANA, Cuba, December 3.-Base
hail is~commonly regarded as the great
national game of the good old United
States. \ new and sturdy rival for the
honor. however. has sprung up in the
thriving little isle of Cuba.
The fans OF Uncle Sam are an enthusi-
astic lot. The Cuban rooters are wildly
enthusiastic. 1t is really wonderful the
hold base ball has gained among the Gu
hans. IN American who has never Wis
tied the Isle hasn't the slightest conception
Of tie base ball situation here.
AZ yet tie base ball OF Cuba is prac-
ticaIly conferred i'll Havana. Every lit
tie hamlet has its representative nine
Matanzas and Santiago boast of far bet
Ter than the ordinary teams. but still
Havana is the one best bet. Part of the
year the biggest city on tie Island is
represented by two high-class teams. the
t!mendares and the Havana Reds. Later
the Leland Giants of the United States
are imported TO make the rivalry all the
more keen.
Three games are played during the
week. Sunday, Monday and Thursday be-
ing the favored days. Sunday is nat
urally the big day of the week. On that
Gay pTaCt1Cdlly no one WOTkS, d.iu DIS Tic
amusements are rather limited at this
time of the year. the people flock to the
ball grounds to be entertained. In the
states Moncay is always regarded as
bad day for base ball. but in Cuba it has
second ranking, the poorest crowds al
ways turning out on Thursday. Satur-
day, always a big money getter in the
major and minor leagues at nome, Is not
given the slightest consideration here.
Good Pr1ces.
During the regular season the admis-
sion Is from % cents to 81 in, Spanish
money. When any big league teams play
the local clubs, the prices are just doub-
led. admission to the grounds being 40
cents, while the box seats are sold at s..
The Cubans, however, are good spenders,
and they do not hesitate to pay fancy
prices, just so long as the article Of base
ball is good.
Up to date the Detroit team has played
eight games, winning four. losing three
and tying one with the two Cuban clubs,
the Almendares and the Havana Reds.
very fair record. With the exception of
the first game, which the Detroit team
won by a very lopsided score, all the
games have been highly exciting. Two Of
them required extra innings and In no
case has the victor ever had more than
a margin OF two runs.
The Detroit club has eXerted itself to
the limit in every game. Nothing would
please the Tigers more than to make a
clean sweep OF the series. but three games
have already gone on the wrong side of
the percentage column. Base ball fans
who have seen the Cubans play on one
OF their many tours through the United
States cannot possibly understand how
this same team gives the big !eaguers
such hard battles on Havana soil. The
success OF the Cubans against the Ameri-
cans in Havana Is something Of a mys-
terry TO the Tigers. The players have adj
vanced any number Of reasons for their
Inability to outciass the Cubans. The one
best bet is the peculiar effect the climate
mas on the American ball tossers.
In the first game of the series between
Detroit and the Havana clubs the Tigers
pounded couple Of the Cuban twirlerS
for a total of fifteen hits and ten runs
winning with ease. They accomplished
this feat shortly after their arrival here,
after having been out of the game for
several weeks. Since that day the Tigers
have INDUCED In regular practice, taken
the very best care Of themselves, yet
they have done very little hard hitting
since. It's a rather extraordinary fact
that no American team has ever won a
series from the Cubans on their home
grounds. The Indianapolis club of the
American Association has the best record
TO its credit. having tied the series played
with the Cuban teams some three or four
years ago.