The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-17
CUBAN SAYS YANKEE
FANS CHEER PLAYERS
FROM EVERY COUNTRY
Editor Munoz From Havana
Praises Impartial Manner in
Which Baseball Crowds
Applaud

Victor Munoz, sporting editor Of Ell
Mundo'' of Havana, is travelling with
the Cincinnati team and sends daily
reports of the work of Marsans and
Almeida to his paper Mr.. Munoz has
written the following article, which
will be Of particular interest in New
Britain
l have often heard the United States
referred to a melting pot into which
are dumped men. women and children
of all nationalities, to be reduced to a
precious metal, possessing the best ele-
ments of all, known as that wonderful
alloy, the American citizen.
During the visits to this country |
have taken pains to ascertain if this
was true. 1 found the truth had been
told, but a very important factor in
the making of good American citizens
had been overlooked. My association
with baseball, ball players and people
who attend ball games, has given me
the impression that if America is the
great melting pot of the world, base
ball is the flame which brings the nu-
man metal to that state which makes
the American citizen possible.
1 have seen many ball games in the
United States and have taken care to
study those who attend them. l have
seen Lajoie, a F'renchman; Abbata-
chio an Italian, and Wagner, Ger
man, play ball. I have seen men OF
all nationalities do splendid work in
the field and at bat.
In New York I heard Irish fans
cheer the brilliant work Of an English
player, and in Cincinnati I saw Ger
mans go wild when Mitchell, an irish
man, cleaned UP with triple. Span
iards cheer Americans. Frenchmen
lenthuse when a German makes D. great
catch or throw, and I have even seen
an Indian, a stole in every day life.
toss his blanket when a favorite play
er made an especially fine play.
Then came the first indication that
baseball is at some time to be an in
ternationaI sport. The purchase of
the island, men Of Spanish descent,
convinced me that baseball is reach
ing out and gaining more friends and
devotees every year.
Cuba has gone wild over the Amer
lean game The purchase of Alneida
and Marsans by the Cincinnati Reds
was alone needed to set the island in
an uproar. I am told it is the same
in Japan and I will not be surprised
to hear of American scouts going to
that country for players.
I was deeply impressed when I join
ed the Cincinnati club for the purpose
of watching Almeida and Marsans and
their work for my paper. 1
found the club a most cosmopolitan
one
1 found SEVERED, Norwegian; Ba-
Ienti, an Indian; Mitchell and other
Irishmen; Rescher and other Germans;
Griffith, of Welsl1-Irish descent; Bates,
of English parentage; Gaspar, whose
father was a Frenchman, and my
Cuban companions members of the
team.
Nothing could emphasize the attrac-
tivcness of the sport more than this
gathering of men of all nations, work
ing, fighting and playing together, for
the purpose of defeating other clubs
Of almost the same cosmopolitan char
acter.
These men have been thrown togeth-
err without a, thought of their religious
beliefs or their nationality. They all
know that a man can learn to play
ball no matter what country he halls
from; that the fact that his father
was a German, Irishman, Indian or of
any other nationality cannot prove a
handicap.