The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-30
The National Game as It
 Is Seen by the English

| The following is an English sport writ er's opiinon of game of baseball. Note the 'box score and the critical work excruciating. This was in the London Daily News and Leader:
 THE INVASION OF BASEBALL Our National Sports in No Danger. Shadow Play by New York and Chicago. SUPERB THROWING.
 (By Alfred GibsonD
 The great American invasion of base ballers culminated In an exhibition match at Chelsea yesterday, when. in the pres ence of King George and 5000 other spectators, Chicago CWhite Sox) defeated New York (Gants) after 20 innings had heen played The normal match is nine innings each, but in the event of the the game is continued until one side gets the lead. Chicago got the lead in their 10th innings and the match was declared at an end. As the match was played on a famous football incosure the game naturally challenges comparison with oui rational pastime In the first place, for tn benefit of those who know nothing about the game, 1t may be stated that there are nine men in each team The fielding side have a pitcher, three infields four outfields and a catcher. The pitcher corresponds to a bowler in cricket. only he throws and does not bowl. while the catcher compares with a wicket keeper. The bowler stands some 60-odd feet away. and the catcher with a mask on his face. stands close mp to the batsman.
 AS the game was played across the ground. the batsman stood with his back toward the grand stand. and a heavy wire netting was hung up to protect tho spectators behind. The ball is of the di- mansions of a cricket ball. painted white, ana the bat is like a ladys light Indian club. With the pitcher making the ball curve in the air. 1t Is, of course, most difficult to hit correctly. Not only must the batsman time the ball correctly, but he must get 1t exactly on the center of the wood. which. being quite round and sloping, can only present a fine point That accounts for the fact that 1t was not till the sixth inning that run was scored, and that only nine runs all told were made in 20 innings. lasting nearly two hours. The ball must pitch over . plate about a foot square. otherwise it is foul ball, and three foul balls mean that the batsman is allowed to proceed to the first base, 30 yards off
 Before run is scored a batsman must complete the circuit of three bases and starting point-120 yards: but he can do 1t in sections of one at a time. A hit out of the ground-there were three of them--is called Q home rum, The ball must os hit in front of the player inside the ''da- mond." as shown on the diagram. before he cnn run, but he may be caught out anywhere on the field. Tn principle the game is built up on the oid-fashioned rodnders. but is so highly specialized that 1t may be q different game.
 Before tho match commenced, both teams gave fine exhibition of throwing and catching and they greatly amused the crowd by shadow play" that Is, performing all the actions of pitching, batting. ground feeling and catching without using the ball. So clever and life- like were their actions that many of the spectators were unaware no ball was on the field, During the match only two catches were missed and many difficult one were taken. but mistakes were mads in ground fielding that one would not ex- pect first-class cricketers to make. Every feldsman wears large glove-like an elephants ear-on his left. hand and 1t seemed to me that the impact of the ball was sufficient to make 1t bury itself in the glove which forms q sort of cup. The throwing was superb--muoh better than anything seen in cricket; but as the game consists of perpetual throwing, the baseball player has a much better chance than the cricketer of becoming proficient
 Here are the first four innings. in which the bstsmen were helpless,
 GIANTS
 First Innings. Second Inninxs,
 Merkle, caught. Thorpe, run out.
 Doyle. run out Denlin. run out.
 Dooian. caught Magee. caught
 No runs. No runs.