The daily Alaskan., 1914-04-13
AMERICAN BASEBALL

The following amusing and n- structive account of the great Am erican game of baseball, is taken from the London Weekly Times of February 27, 1914, and shows how the game is looked upon by our cousins across the Atlantic upon the occasion of their first opportun- fly of seeing its intriocies dem oustrated.
 MT. Comiskey and 1Ir. John Me Graw, with their two American baseball teams of picked players, reached London from Paris on Sun day evening. They have now reach ra the last stage of the world tour undertaken with a view 10 introduc- ing America's national game to other nations
 Discussing the tour on Sunday, 1Ir. Sullivan, managing director for lIr. Colaiskcy, said that he and his rclIow-counrymen were well sat Is.GcI wyb the receptions which had hecu accorded them. They left victoria on November Is, 1913, and played in Tokyo, Uong-E0ug, Man u-, Sydney, Melbourne, Colombo, and Cairo. They also visited Alex audrta, Rome, and Paris, bu, were unable to play in these cities Oil account of the uufayorabIe weather. The tems sail from Liverpool for America by the LusiJauia Oil March 1.
 The two teams are the White SoX and tthe New York Giants.
 A huge crowd assembled at the ground cf the Chelsea Football Club yesterday to witness an eyhib- tuon game between the TWO teams. Additional interest was lent to the display by the presence 3r the King.
 The game resulted as rCllOws:-
 White Sox.-5 runs, 10 hits, and 1 error;
 New York Gtauts.-4 runs, 8 hits. and no errors.
 CHARACTERISTICS UT THE
 GAME.
 Most people know that baseball is gIorifieJ rouudcrs played by nine a side. each side having nine innings, on four baags laid diamoudwise, with ball that is hard and white and a bat that is sometimes like m attenuated Indian club. The pitch- yr throws short-arm at the batter, whose oaJcusibIc object is to make a fcur-basc hit, which means one run. We say osteustble object, be- cause the Americans, with char actertsi. specialization, have made the game So scientific that t is not always easy for the inexperienced oulooEer to understand why in lirst-cluss match certain apparently obvious chances are refused. Some where beyond the first base, some where, that is, about very deep royer-pctut, stands the manager % Or coach, of the batting side, who directs, ry am elaborate code of signs. every stroke that is played Nevertheless, the game i5 not hard 10 follow. An American who under stands crickc. can make ii clear iu t0 minutes. And once the main principles are caught, he will be a very phlegmattc spccator who, in watching wcll-playcd game, does not suddenly find himself on his feet and shouting as b he had known the game all his life and were on intimate terms wi,h all the players.
 Baseball combines the excitement Of racing with the personal interest of football A great deal hangs. of course, on the skill of the players. The shorJ-arm pitching allows of an alm2st magical swe"yc and drop, and of a pace denied to bowIers. lOnc very soon ceases 10 wonder why the catcher, who corresponds Co the wicket-kccper, is clad some thing like a siugle-stick player and something like d diyer.) The bat ting has extraordinary force and accuracy; an international forward or N. Nijinsky, could hardly beat for balance and swifness of turn ing the basebalIer who has tried to steal a base but finds that he must get back home And that hap nom. Fr,a-rrnr.f rr.., -r,r-s5r,.1