Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-27
HAWATIANS PLAY BASE BALL
Honolulu Boasts of Having a Dozen
Regular Teams.
TAKE INTEREST IN THE GAME
Fond of the sport and Play IL
Islanders of Every Nationality Are
with All the Avidity of
Regular Americans.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Deo 26.->As an
American possession, II is natural that
the Hawilans should have taken most
kindly of all the Antipodean countries to
our national game-base ball. They seem
to have taken it with their Americanlsm.
play II cleverly and have developed an
army of fans" which would do any
American possession credit. Honolulu, tho
capital city of the group of islands, has
a dozen regular teams, half Of which can
play as good stiff game of the best
amateur variety. The mixed nationality OF
the inhabitants finds a genial blend in
the delights OF the game. and members
OF the English. German and French COL
onies alike play base ball with all the
avidity of the born American. The true
enthusiasts at the sport. outside the
Amerioan-born contingent are the Chinese.
They are an athletic-loving lot ard play
the game with much skill and thorough
understanding of It's fine points.
This the University of California team
found when they made a visit to the
Hawiian Islands as the prize for winning
the amateur championship Of the Pacific
coast. In the city of Honolulu alone they
played with eight different clubs. which
authorities Of the island competent to
meet them. winning six OF the nine games
In which they participated. Their most
successful opponents were the team OF
the Chinese Athletic union, made up en-
tirely of fuI-blooded Chinese.
Many See First Game.
Fifty-five hundred people saw the first
game between the Chinese team of the
boys from the Berkeley institution. which
the Chinese players won by score Of
TO 4 Lai Tan, leader of the Chinese
team, who plays at shortstop. worked his
players so well that they seemed the
strongest in both attack and defense. So
elated were the Hawaiians over this
victory that at second game played. a
week later. over 1000 people were on the
grounds to watch the game, which went
to ten innings.
With the score to at the end OF the
ninth, the Californians went to the bat
and by heavy hitting and clever base
running. put two runs to their credit and
apparently had the game "clncled." But
the Celestials had plenty OF sand, for
they came back at the Berkeley BOYS, and
four players in a row, all under 20 years
Of age, piled up a slashing single. a three
bagger, a bunt and a two-bagger, and
before the side was out had scored the
three runs necessary to win, by a score OF
s to Z. The Chinese spectators came to the
game prepared to see their fellow-coun-
trymen win. and the successful team, when
the winning run was scored, was greeted
with salvo OF 5000 firecrackers, as well
as the cheers and other Characteristic
demonstrations OF true base ball fan"
Captain Lai Tan of the victorious team
is known in Honolulu as the speed
demon and holds the Hawaiian record
of 10 10 seconds In the l00-yard run. and
the broad jump record for the islands OF
twenty-three feet. In the two games
against the University OF California he
had twenty-four chances for put-outs and
assists playing at shortstop and at the
second bag, and accepted overy one OF
them. He visited this country both In 1912
and 1919 playing third base on the Homo
lulu Chinese team which toured the
country.