New-York tribune., 1918-02-17
When Barnie Bancroft
Took a Team to Cuba
Twas Back in 1879 :,
the Cincinnati Enthu.;a,,
Reaped Rich EIarvest
By Louis Lee Arm.

Inc lace tna1 IN 1879 Frank c. b.,
croft, the secretary OF the Cine;,sss
club, took ball team to Cuba7 IT, y
that time the simple Castilian, -
played only such uninvolved ram.. :.
Jai alai. Jai alai is a mixture If h...
ball and la crosse, and is verv -,
on the feet, as well as the snect.,...
eyes.
Frank C. Bancroft, who is affect.
/ ately known as "Bannie" by the h.
dreds Of thousands who have tona.,
him for pass. was wearing a w.
thin suit back in the winter O, ,ss
and he decided it would be a good a.
if he went somewhere wheys q.
weather better suited his elot,..
There is little enough in Cinc;n,,.
now to hold any one there during IL.
winter. and back in 1879 there v,,
relatively nothing, especially when !,
man was wearing a thin suit.
Finds Nine Players
So Bannie looked around until l..
found nine ball players who also were
wearing thin suits that winter. and
they arrived anon-or anime. as It vere
in Ciudad Habana. Ciudad Habans I.
one Of the difficult ways Of saying H..
vana, but it indicates upon the part Of
the sayer a wide knowledge and az.
probation Of the fine art Of speaking
Espanol. We are more Or less an
Espanol scholar, as will become plainly.
apparent as this chronicle is unwount
1t was dark night when the Ali.
Americans arrived in Ciudad Haban,
and as they stepped off the boat SON.
fresh guy on the dock said:
"Buenos noches!"
eve bar that Bird" replied Bannk
promptly. eff he plays won't let ny
team on the field"
"Si, ST." said the bum on the dock
Well, Bannie and the All-Americsrs
looked around, but it was dark na
they couldn't see anything.
you'll get fat kidding us. ycurs
man." said Bannie in the Threatening
voice which he used on some Of ths
gate crushers up in Cincinnati.
"Comprehendio Espanol?" said tls
bum. or words to that effect.
"If he says another word" ssis
Miller Higgins, who was then playils
his tenth season with the Cincinnsl
Red Stockings. "Ill knock him so fl
it'll take carrier pigeon to find him
Argument Ends There
That ended the argument right thml
The bum went UP one side of e.
mercio DC Gale and the All-AmerM
mercio de Gale. Like all cailes, iw
were two sides to Comercio de dgt
and, of course, near the Comeno De
Calle there was q del rio. The bun
told the All-Americans to run and
Jump in del rio, but for some reason
or other they didn't do it.
cess. All the hombres from the b.
ciendas and the senoritas from The
senoritoriums were there. and Banni.
everybody. Soon his pockets were full
of pesos. and, since they were of sue
great weight and his suit so thin, II
seemed for time that he might par
from his clothes, which would hmI
been fine kettle of fish, with all ttE
elite (Fr.) from the senortoriun
there.
Bannie and the All-Americans tool
in SO much dough during their sta
that they started campaign to NOV
Tr1o Ac Ill - +6a k,e
River. which would save them the loSg /
trip South. 1t was Bannie's idea thsi /
if Ciudad Habana were located opposite !,
the Covington and Cincinnati fery.l
the centre of the Ohio River, he arc
the All-Amcricans would almost nsys:
be broke. Unfortunately the plan Eel
through, and the Island Of Cubs is stli
situate in the Atlantic Ocean. PerhapfII
it is just as well that i is. for att
forty years the simple Cubans hsN
learned so much about baseball hs
an ordinary transforming team msb
them laugh.
In 1887 the batter had four strise'
Baseball has been played for gre
number OF years, as we HOW know, p'
it was only in 1887 that the batid
ever was given four strikes. The neg
year the rule makers shifted back
three likes. There are many tlmss
of ct e. when some roughneck ur
pire glv-s u visiting player four,
and sometimes as many as hsl
dozen strikes by the simple method
calling good strikes balls.
Some soft Words
At such times the home pitcher
kind voice gently points out 70 10
roughneck umpire where he is wroh.
speaking in a modulated voice andprt,
acing his remarks with such respss
full niceties as "My dear sir" ="
teemed brother" j" an ost worthy gen'ls
man. and other felicitous expression
that give the umpire undoubted pes
ure. A pitcher has been known Y
speak so sweetly to an umpire tnas y
has knocked bricks out Of the iouaO'
tion of the grandstand. r..,
On September IL, 1912. Eddie Coii'lss
stole six bases on Catcher koehel; -
Detroit, and in addition made wv
base blows off Pitcher Lake. Ca'cna
kocher went to the police station u
ont a warrant for the Apprehension
MT. NOlnNS, Dull HolnlnR cAiho W
the grand jury threw out the case
little later Hughie jennings threw
Catcher Kocher, and that ended a W.
unhappy incident. .,ak
There is skeleton in New Englsss,
closet they viii not thank ls for DIE
ing to light, but i. IS our humble ~,
ion that where matter of bassss sew,
Record is involved nothing should "''
between it and the truth. ,S,
The New England rules back n ~ ~
gave the victory to the team hrst s y.
ing 100 runs. Nowadays some ., .es.
can go fer weeks and months. ana e.,
seasons, without scoring 100 runs,
in the palmy days of 1867 sco.s
L 0fkan iVVat