Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-16
BIGLEAGUERS !.
SAY GOOD WORD
FOR HONOLULU
Players Leave on MatSonia
With Aloha for Hawaii
Praise Local Baseball IS

The big league baseball party sail
ed for the mainland this morning on
the Matsonia. Twenty-four players,
representing the class of the National
and American leagues, Frank Bancroft
Of Cincinnati. who has been general
manager OF the tour. John S. Shihe.
son of the owner of the Athletics, and
last but by no means least, Boots"
Titman, the gigantic mascot OF tha
Athletics, comprise the male members
of the party. Many Of the players
brought along their wives, so that the
party which boarded the liner this
morning ran well into the fortiess
The big leaguers have been here
since December l. and have played
six scheduled and two addftionkl
games. Each team Won three games
of the regular SERIES. which leaves. the
All-Americans one game to the good
on the entire trip, with but five left 3
on the schedule. Four of the games
between the representatives OF the
two major leagues were splendid ex- /
hibitions OF baseball, and two were /
of the town lot variety. However,
local fans have had their eyes opened
to the possibilities of the national
game, and even those who have had
previous experience with big league
ball found that they had forgotten the s
real speed Of the game, and that their
standards had been let down by see !
ing nothing but the local brand for
several years. Altogether, the trip
of the big leaguers viii be q great !
thing for Oahu baseball, and will give
both players and fans a definite mark
to aim at.
Players and managers were warm
in their praises Of Honolulu and Ha-
waiian hospitality. They have had d
thoroughly enjoyable time, and while
the trip wasn't much of money-mak-
er, on account of the heavy expenses
of the transpacific "trip, the party has
looked on the Hawaiian end OF the
tour as a pleasant midwinter vacation
and the men were well satisfied to
break even.
81 wish we could stay here another
two weeks, with no baseball to worry
about" said shibs this. morning. Il
realize that there b "a Whele lot we
haven't had q chafice to see Of this
island, and would like to have made
trip to some OF the other islands OF
the group II time had permitted"
Il hope to get back here some day.
said Ira Thomas, veteran catcher of
Connie Mack's Athletics. II have had
La grand time, and I hope that our
playing here has been a benefitSt
local baseball. Your players ara
splendid fielders. / have seen some
work on ground balls and throws that
would have been star stuff in the big
leagues, but the hitting and pitchingl
is very weak. The players need bat
ting practise more than anything else.
I realize that they were going against
class of pitching that was absolute4
ly new to them, but even at that they
don't stacktup as batters."
Frank Bancroft said that the trip.
had been absolutely satisfactory from
the business end.
I'VE played in great luck as to wea-.
ther," said Bancroft, and Mr.. Castlef
did everything to make the games a
SUCCESS. We didn't expect to make a
pot of money here, and there Is mo-
kick coming on that score"
| Last night A. L. Castle, who promot-I
ed the series, entertained the players
at poi supper given at the Univer-
sity Club Castle did the actual pro-
noting of the big league series and
did it in great style. Considerable.
credit, however, belongs to II. @. Low
ry, who handled &Ic preliminary cor
respondenee many months back, and
fixed up the deal whereby Honolulu
got a sight Of first-class baseball.