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

HAVANA, May 4.-Base ball has
taken a wonderful hold on the Cubans.
and it will not be surprising to hear
of international Journeys being ar
ranged between the best clubs of the
two countries before a great while
Joe Massaguer is the Connie Mack of
Cuban base ball, and the people there
owe much to this young man for the
manner in which the game has been
doomed and big league clubs sched-
uled for games there. Massaguer is
one of the most enthusiastic fans i'm
agina BILE, and he says he will not rest
until he has Cuban teams playing
against the Yankees for the world
writer an article on Cuban base ball
in his own style. which will be run in
two serials. The first part follows:
Many thousands of American fans
think that base ball in Cuba is some
thing new, /. e., ten or fifteen years
They think that base ball started here
when the Maine was blown up in
Havana harbor and the American occu-
patton took place. But such is not the
case.
Base ball has been played in Cuba
since 1870 1 was born in 1886, am
thirty years old now, and l have before
me a book entitled Eel Baseball en-
Cuba" edited by Senior Wenceslao
Galvez Delmonte -in 1889. There are
very few copies Of this book left, and
1 certainly am proud of it. for 1T gives
me the data 1 want, this time, for in
stance, and every other time ! need
to prove facts of the years gone by.
f0t
a fan. like he used to tell me when l
was a boy.
In that book 1 see that the first
American teams that came over FOR
1885. The Hop Bitters was the best
club. according to Senior Galvez. and
the Florida. the Providence and the
Athletics. Some Of the players tnat
came across the gulf stream with nose
teams were Nash. Fogarty, Crane
Miller. Stricken. Robinson and Scott,
who came as manager and magnate.
They used to play with ten men those
days. there being right-short In each
team.
Later on, as l read in that book
some cuban clubs sent for some Amer,
lean PLAYERS to strengthen the local
pitcher McCullar and Catcher Carpen-
tar.
Cuba's National Game.
Base ball is. like we all know, the
national game of the United States.
1t is an American game. we do not
deny that, but we also claim 1t our
national game. and we stand ready to
prove that in base ball we are the
.econd power in the world. and right
now. in 1915. If all the Cuban stars that
play in different clubs in the states
would be put together in one team
called, for instance, Cuba" we would
| play the Red Sox for the title OF world
champs. and i do not think that we
would beat them. but l am sure that
| they would have a hell of time to
dtspose Of US. And II that Cuban team
should be allowed to enter In league
in the states. after a year we would be
ready to win and lose with the best of
Base ball was imported to Cuba from
the United States by the wealthy
| Cubans that went to the good old
| L. s. A. for schooling. They saw the
game there, they learned it. and when
| they came back home they brought
some bats, balls and the game was
shown here. 1t took fine, right from
! the start. and since then it has been
growing and taking a better hold every
| day.
Cuba has only been free since 1902.
and base ball only started to boom
right since the Spanish rule was
| thrown out ds esuie VI 'Hc Span 'i
| American war. For that reason, when
the Spaniards ruled here. we could not
| do what we can now. and then they
had their own" national sports here
] bull lighting.
| Twenty years ago John ]. McGraw
| inow manager of the Giants). Charles
Frank (now manager Of the Atlanta
club and other well known vets
came to Cuba and played against the
best Cuban clubs of those days. Nc
Graw came back wears later and in
I1911 he came with his Giants, with
( Frank Bancroft, Cincinnati. as bust
! ness manager.