Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-13
Base Boil In Japan


man lesping UP and down in the bleachers, har-
arguing team in the choicest Nipponese, is
strange one to western eyes. But it is common
sight in the summer afternoons in Toxic, Tor
base ball has been taken to the japanese heart
and promises to become the game Of two nations
insteaed Of belonging to the United States alone.
We read in the London Times an account OF the
status OF the game in the Oriental kingdom, with
little sketch OF its introduction into the col
leges:
about twenty three years ago there was
played on plot near the old Shinbashi station
the first recorded game OF base ball in Japan
The initiators OF the game were party OF eng-
neers who had learned the general points OF the
sport during their sojouiA in the United States
as students A student OF the Keio university
(this gentleman is now in his 40s) happened 70
watch these men and by inquiry he obtained the
main points of the American pastime, and, arous.
ing the curiosity OF few fellow Students planted
the seed which sprouted, SO that today through
out the land there is not student but Under
stands and takes a keen interest III the game
There was no fundamental reason-l mean no
abstract one-why the Japanese should have
taken up the game. 1t appealed to them Just
because it was good fun it has an irresistible
fascination to every boy because IT SO admirably
meets the principal object Of play. With the Keio
university introducing the sport to the students it
was soon followed by other institutions"
After the native teams, under the coaching OF
some American teachers, had mastered little
more than the rudiments Of the game nothing
was considered before the question OF arranging
games with teams made up of the foreign resi-
dents OF Kobe and Yokohama. During the first
series, the Japanese were always defeated, tor
they had almost no skill in batting, although the
| fielding was rather better than mediocre. Yet
the Japanese, says the account, is pertinacious,
| and he would not give up until he had developed
| skill and capability at the game which made
| him the master OF the amateur port-teams. SO,
| then like Alexander, the teams sighed for other
worlds to conquer. They found these when the
| American war ships visited the Islands. we
/ learn from the account: IA
| Another stage OF development came with the
| games against teams from the American men-of-
war visiting the Japanese waters. In these, too,
the locals always met defeat, but finally trimmed
themselves down to superior skill, so that the
| iack-tar combinations proved themselves no
| match for the leading squads of the country.
"As a result OF these contests, confidence
gradually crept into the hearts of the japanese
| PLAYERS that they could prove themselves against
| teams OF America (this means teams representing
| the schools OF America). This was how the
States thirteen years ago, where they met with
disastrous defeat after defeat at the hands OF the
| American college players.
aThe Keio University Base Ball association
hit upon an idea that to limit the games between
local teams would only hinder the development
| of the SPORT the only method of learning more
Of the scientific points Of the sport they consid.
cred was to get an American team to japan and
| play al, international series. This would not only
be benefit to the players but it would be al,
| innovation that would attract the public, and
| SO further spread interest in base ball. AS re-
suit the Keio university invited the ST. Louis
| College Alumni aggregation of Honolulu Hawaii,
| to Toxic. The outcome was exceedingly success
| full and it set precedent to have one American
| college team out here annually, the Wasedas and
the Keios to be the hosts alternately.
| "JJp to the arrival Of the Chicago university
| nine the Japanese players were successful, since
they managed to outstrip the American collegians
| in their own game But the Chicago team proved
to be something different In the fielding de-
partment one discovered no inferority, but in
batting there seemed to be lurking something UNI
possible for them to win. The Maroons made
clean sweep of their series in Japan without
losing one single contest. What modification
| This was new thing in the chronicles of Ameri-
can university base ball teams Japan trips.
1.-THE Japanese wondered il they had yet mas
| tered all the fine points in base ball tactics. This
| was the underlying motive by which the Keo
university came to invite two players from the
| New York Giants to Japan in order to coach
! the university nine. After months coaching
| they were taught what is known to base ball
fans as inside base ball." Hence, the Keo
of base ball strategy which can be proved by
| the fact that they are the champions of the
Orient This step, taken by the Keio university
| was a turning point in the annals of Japanese
/ base ball. The Waseda university followed the
course, so that today the Japanese college teams
stand on an equal footing with the class Of
| American college combinations"
|