Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-04

"a
Well. that game was pretty close"
Balloon" and The National Came"
the books that tell the fans all about
the game in the states forty and fifty
years ago. I remember to have seen in
those books scores that ran into 100
and 200 Euns in a game. One thing
about the oldtimers: They We're not
very good ball players. but they GER
tainly were great runners. Jim Thorpe
in those days would have passed I'M
noticed.
Hurt Batting Eyes.
In 1885 the manager of the "Fe" club
had very bright" idea. He went to
the hardware store and bought nine
letters r. and nine letters &c" of
nickel or nickel-plated ones, and had
them sewed on the players uniforms,
instead of the regular kind used This
was done to have those letters shine
with the sun, and kill the batting eye"
of the other fellows. This proved a big
joke. and it really bothered the play
ers. and they protested. The league
finally ordered the players to take
those nickel-plated letters off their
uniforms. as the effect was something
awful: the players went un-blinded.
In those days they used to play the
game for pure sport. All were anna
teurs and showed great love for the
colors Of the club, the same as the
allies show their love for the national
colors. Professional base ball is alto
gether different.
The fans used to root hard, and there
were fights in every game. The fans
used to call one another by awful
names, and even in home life, broth
ers and sisters who would not SYM
pathize for the same club, were not on
speaking terms very often.
Right now | know two brothers; one
fnl To padv
for the Almendares Blues. Every time
these two clubs play, one of the two
stays out for supper" after the game
is played, for If they both are seated
talking abo>t what happened and what
should have been done, and 1t always
ends badly. Cases like these, there are
many here.
Root for Their Teams.
In the states there are thousands of
fans who go to see a game just for
the game, for the sake of base ball
Over here it is different. They go for
the sake of their team" The Reds
for the Reds, the Blues for the Blues.
And when the American teams come
they always have rooters. If the
Americans play the Almendares, all
the Havana rosters are with them, and
wish to see them beat the Blues even
| II they are locals. On the other hand,
the American visiting club plays the
Havana Reds Well, that day, the blue
rooters are with them. Many times the
sporting editors have said that I'm
those cases. they should unite and pull
fop the locals. giving the visitors of
course, credit for all the good they
do. but it has been Of no avail. You
can not mix water and oil. neither can
you mix Almendares and Havana root
ers.
| ! know cigarmaker, a big fan, who
roots for the Havana Reds. That man
will never wear anything but a red
necktie. II you want to get him GO
ling make him a present of blue
silk handkerchief or a tie.
Base ball, as I have said. was i'm
ported by the wealthy Cubans, and
played here at first by them. all anna
teurs. But later on the locals that
never went to the states took it from
them, and SO it started, and became
professional game before long
At first none but white-players were
allowed. but when the pros broke in
they allowed some colored players and
they soon proved to be faster and
stronger than the white ones and ever
since the teams have always had some
colored players. and sometimes they
had more blacks than whites.