El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-04
.CUBANS TAKE UP
BASEBALL EASILY.
Sixteen Are Now Playing
Good Baseball in Leagues
in the United States.

TEW YORK. April ITO those
n who have seen the Cuban young
L men and boys playing baseball
upon their native diamonds it is not at
all surprising that some Of these play
ers should migrate to the United States
and earn places for themselves upon
both major and minor league teams.
The Cuban apparently takes to base
ball almost as readily as the average
boy in the states and once he has
graduated from the novice class can
field and run bases with the same skill
shown by a majority Of those who play
the game in this country. If ne mas
one weakness it is inability to make
long hits. This handicap, is overcome
to some extent by the speed with when
the Cuban player goes down 70 Ilrst
and from base to base.
Many Play in L. &.
More OF these players are scattered
through the professional leagues OF the
country than is generally thought 70 be
the case by followers OF baseball Few
of them have reached the point of pro-
ficiency where they are assured per-
manent places on the big circuits but
a number are playing fast ball in the
minor leagues and appear to be headed
for the majors
A Cuban enthusiast recently COM
piled some statistics which show that
16 Of his young countrymen are play
ing in the various leagues under or
ganized baseball and twice that num-
her with well tablished and high class
sernf-professionaI teams. There are
also several other players famed for
their skill with ball and bat in Cuba.
who are ready for a tryOut in the
states and he gives il as his opinion
that the time is not far distant when
the Cuban player viii be a factor in
the makeup Of the big league clubs
Prepare For Far Eastern Games.
Elaborate plans are being made
throughout China for the holding OF a
series of tryout games this summer in
connection with the far eastern games
scheduled to be held at Toxic, Japan.
during May, 1917. These meets, which,
are open to the athletes of China JAP
nan. Siam. Straits Settlements, Philip
pines and other far eastern nations and
colonies, have been the means Of boom
ing all forms Of track and field ath-
letics TO an extent never dreamed of a
few years ago.
Much Of the credit for advancement
of athletic interest is due to the Y. NJ
c.. A. which has 1Ostered ana encOur-
aged all forms Of competition for some
years. Such interest was taken in the
early athletic games that the assOci-
alton officials felt that this was the
best means Of reaching the upper
classes of Chinese. and IN 1908 brought
out instructors and established ath-
letic headquarters at ShanEh
The first athletic meeting was held
at Picking in 1910. One Of the most i'm
pOrtant meetings was held in May. 1912
at PeI1in- In February. 1913, 40 picked
athletes went to Manila and competed
with Filipinos and Japanese assembled
there for the carnival games This
event gave rise to the organization OF
the Far Eastern Athletic association
| The second far eastern games held at
Shanghai in May. 1915. we're quite as
successful as the Manila meeting. The
third lar eastern games viii be held al
Toxic in May. 1917. and it is for this
| that the Chinese are now training.