The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-12
FOREIGNERS ARE
KEEN BALL FANS
McGraw Says English, French and
laps Learn Baseball Quickly

New York, March l2.--Poer into the
dim distant future. baseball fan: use
your imagination a little, and you will
zee that the time IS coming when, if
ON desire to see the final game for the
Norld's baseball championship. you
may have To take a trip To England
Japan, or maybe Australia.
The game which every American
hoy and his father have regarded as
their own Is no longer merely a m
tCnal pastime. II is destined. accord,
ing to Manager McGraw of the Giants
t. become world game. Some dav
nn the streets of Toxic one will read,
Baseball today. Japan versus United
States" or i'm London Baseball today,
Australia versus England"
This may sound like dream" said
Mr.. McGraw yesterday, but if YOU
had seen the enthusiasm which was
shown over the game in all the coun.
tries we visited. you would realize that
baseball some day will surely be play
ed all over the world. 1t was a strange
thing, but in Australia, Japan, and
England. too. there would be certain
sections of the crowds which would get
thc thrill Of some fast snappy play,
and the roofing would be just as spon-
taneous as it is in this country.
This worlds trip was great thing
for baseball 1t came at just the right
time when the foreign countries Were
ripe for it. 1t is remarkable how news
travels. for in Australia "A man asked
me IL it was true that crowds stood in
line all night waiting To get tickets fur
the world series. When | told him II
was true, he said he had read about it,
but could not imagine public interest
in game worked M TO such n point
Seed Sown by Travellers.
American tourists talk so much
about baseball and always show such
a deep interest in the game that fore
igners have come IL believe that it
must be n great game. The Australia
ans were quick to pick up the game
They liked the snappy action and the
swift mechanical play. | think Aus
tralia will have baseball league of it's
own in Il few years, because the school
boys over there are taking it up, and
are rapidly acquiring the knack of
playing.
I'VE are 50 fond of baseball in this
country because we know about il
from the time we are boys. our boys
grow up with the game, and just as
soon as the schoolboys acquire 1t IN
foreign countries, the game is rs goo !
as established. ! was very much inn
pressed with the manner of the Aus
tralians at our bah game. There is
| little or no enthusiasms to cricket. The
spectator can sit back and calmly
watch the proceeding Those who wit
messed baseball for the first time were
prepared to view the game in the same
way. Before we had played two in
nings, however, their attitude had
changed. Why, when Larry Doyle
made LONG hit to right field and tn"
base runners started around the bases
at top speed these calm spectators
were on their feet in second. yelling
To beat the band.
Manager McGraw thinks that Japan
will he the first country to make the
game "A national sport. They have
picked up with remarkable rapidity.
Tie Japs are great imitators," hc
| said, and you would he surprised Ia
see how quickly they pick UP the trick,
of the game The pitching seems To be
the most difficult thing for the Japan-
csc players to acquire. The manner Of
throwing the different curves puzzles
them. and of course IL will take some
time To develop good pitchers over
] there.
Japs To Learn Quickly.
"1he batting part of the game does
| not come easy to the Japanese. OF
| course. they are small in stature, and
II takes them some time To get used to
our methods of slamming the ball. Blu.
| they can run the bases and field the
ball very we'll