Evening journal., 1915-06-29
ENGLISH now take
TO AMERICAN sport
Cousins Across the Pond
Even Show Interest
in Baseball
LACROSSE THE
MOST POPULAR GAME

From London comes the news that
there has been a revival oil interest
in baseball and lacrosse. owing to
tire influence Of the Canadian sol
diers, and that these nauve Ameri-
can games are being played with
great enthusiasm by the youngsters
Of Great Britain 1t is a pretty safe
betting proposition. however, that It
will be a long time before baseball
or lacrosse has any reai hold upon
the sporting public or Jonn Buii's
Island. AS q sport-loving people the
English lead the world, bur tney cling
with a bulldog tenacity to "made-in-
England pastimes, and the games or
iginated overseas have small attrac-
ton for them.
Many previous attempts have been
made to popularize baseball and la
crosse in England Thirty-nine years
ago today two lacrosse teams from
Canada played before Queen Victoria
at Windsor, who thus gave ner APP
proval to Canada's national game"
The two clubs, one composed of a
dozen paleface gentlemen players, and
4Ut ONnNl VI lMElNG luAl-ullOuNu IIO-
1uois Indians, toured all the leading
cities of England, Wales, Scotland
and Ireland While they were al
ways greeted by large crowds. the in
terest was more due to curiosity to
see real live Indians" than to any
enthusiasm about the game. A few
of the colleges took up lacrosse. as a
result of the missionary trip. but the
LITTLE ufforff1n a
It.
Attempting to popularize baseball
in England has been equally futile.
In 1874 the Bostons and the. Philadel-
phia Athletics toured England and
ireland and aroused a transient in
terest in the American pastime. but
II soon died down. Arson Spalding,
Harry. George. and Sam Wright and
other famous players of the period
made the trip. Twice since then
Great Britain has been visited by pro-
fessional baseball clubs, but their
missionary work has had little eff
feet Before the war some of the
London papers published brief ca
bled reports of major league games
in America. which indicated a grow
ing interest in the game.
AS playeu by British BOY ana am
ateur teams, baseball would scarcely
be recognized by the American fan
The English players have adopted
rules OF their own ana many of the
mines" are not mines at all. bur
"elevcns" The "backstopper" usual
ly makes no attempt 10 play up close
TO the batter, and does not wear
mask or protector. but nnds a pair OF
wicket keeping gloves" sufficient pro-
lection for his hands. The pitcher
uses an uVderhand service, and Is
known as the "bowler" All players
on a side must be put out before an
inning is ended and an inning otter
lasts from one to two hours.
An account of a game played be.
tween English and Welsh clubs in
Liverpool contains the following ex
raordinary details:
1.-The game ended an a victory fol
England by rs runs. The English
men had the first innings and scoret
66, j. Barron, Making IA, l.. Higgins
Is. and r. Edgar 10. Against thil
the Welshmen could score only 3!
and the Englishmen proceeded q
make 106 at their second attempt
the feature &C which was the nne driv
ing of Moore of Everton, who ma
hits for each.
"The impression that this mattel
was that a splendid eye is needed TO
success as a batsman The bat, which
Is not more than three and a hal
inches wide. is held at right angles t
he body, chest high, and man 4
allowed TO miss only one ball, whicl
the umpire passes as a good one. Oh
a second offence ne is duly ruled out
And-ye gods and little nshes-the.
called this baseball. perhaps il wa
of the American vintage of 1865