The sun., 1919-07-06
EUROPEAN BASEBALL
IN ITALY'S KEEPING
That Is the Opinion Of ]. w.
Spalding, Who Returned
u From Abroad.
HE SURVEYS SITUATION
ItHlian Children Eager for
Baseball, Which Assures
= Firm FoOthold.
BY GEORGE p. UNDERWOOD.

Baseball's future in Europe lies with
Italy. Is the opinion OF J. w. Spalding.
who recently returned from a business
trip Of several months through Great
Britain. France and Italy.
Certainly no one better is qualified to
talk on the subject. Mr.. spalding is
president of a. c.. Spalding a Bros, the
largest sporting goods house In America,
with stores In almost every large city
in5both hemispheres. Business DEGREES
that Mr.. Spalding constantly have his
hand on the sporting pulse OF the world.
.Amerlcan doughboys have been play
Ing baseball all over France and Eng
Lard" says Mr. Spalding. much to the
enjoyment and entertainment of the citi-
Gems of those two countries. But the
French and British took UP baseball
chiefly as spectators. Few cared to
play the game themselves
british tradition. think, DEGREES
that cricket ever will remain England's
national pasdme. Baseball has little or
no chance of supplanting the sport of
the bowler and wickets In the heart of
John Bull. In France soccer football is
gaining in leaps and bounds. and 1t now
practically Is the sport of the masses in
the republic. Baseball, in my opinion,
cannot compete with soccer for popular
ity In France. The Frenchman is not
a natural thrower; besides he thinks
the game dangerous A Frenchman
ever is willing to risk life and limb for
country, kin or home. but not for sport
Conditions Are Different.
Conditions in Italy are different The
italians have no great national pastime
like cricket and soccer in England or
N m nd he
sporting interest and affection. Hence
Italy is welcoming baseball with open
arms.
I'm my opinion the one practically
certain index that Italy Is going to- be-
come a great baseball nation Is that the
youths and male children of the land
eagerly are taking to the sport The
instances I saw Of French or British
children attempting to indulge in base
ball were few and Isolated.
1rhe Y. NJ. c. A. secretaries in Italy
say that the Italian boys are very keen
on baseball and take to throwing much
more readily than either the French or
English boys. AS they have no national
sport 1t Is my opinion that baseball will
go In Italy.
We Americans do not consider base
ba!f complicated sport From child
hood up we are ACCUSTOMED to play or
see it played. We master the intrica-
cies'of the game slowly and surely, but
almost subconsciously. One only has to
attempt to explain the game to a foreign
adl1t to realize that baseball is a hard
sport for the unin.tiated to catch onto.
IF baseball IL going to obtain a firm
foothold In Europe II only can come
/ ABOUT through the Same system Il pro-
grSssed in this country. The fundamen-
tats of the sport must be mastered by
the children. The rest Is easy"
No discerning mind ever expected
BASEBALL to jump into any sudden pop
ularity among the European nations.
STUDENTS of the sport and students OF
hupan nature could not but scoff at
soaie of the stories that were printed
ABOUT baseball supplanting cricket and
soccer and that baseball ieSgues would
| spring up almost over night in Europe
| as soon as the war was over.
To any one giving the subject earnest
thought II Ia apparent that baseball Is a
plant of slow growth and the seed must
be planted in virgin soil Baseball must
bestaken up by the children and youths
Of a land to assure its gaining a firm
hold In the hearts OF a people.
''The way little Giovanni and young
Guglielmo are taking to baseball In
Italy." says Mr.. Spalding, leads me To
NIykve that within another generation
he diamond sport we'll be on tho way
- becoming as popular in Italy as II
here. Baseball then slowly but surely
Jill spread through adjacent countries
am not pessimistic over the ultimate
success OF baseball In France and Eng
Land; only of It's success In the neal
future"
Baseball Primers.
Mr.. Spaldins is of the opinion that
one IF the reasons for the slow growth
ofrhaseball is the completely of its rules
The late A. G.. Spalding and James L
Sullivan both were of the same opinion
Each declared that the rules should
be slmplfed and made more comprehen
siblc to every one. Even the most able
experts frequently disagree. and II Is moi
rare occurrence to see major league
umpires differ on the Interpretation Of
certain rules.
~ Mr.. Spalding's suggestion the
American Sports Publishing Company
noX is preparing vlrious baseball prim
ers, The primers not only will hell
American boys better to understand th'
game. but-as they are to be translated
into foreign manageable will hell
thu spread Of the game throughout thu
world. In a more explicit sense th'
baseball primers that will be printed II
foreign laHSua are not exact tFanSld
lions OF the American primers but ar,
separate in themselves and so wordeC
and phrased az to reach the comprehen
sion OF the different races and blood
thee are meant for.
Baseball" says Mr.. Spalding. fol
lows the flag. The game now is Just al
popular In the Philippines. in Cuba ant
in Porto Rico as II is In the United
st4fes. II the American soldiers hat
besh longer In Europe baseball woul,
hare profited immensely. Just when tn
nrSt real fame of interest was aroHse'
In France and England the armistic
was declared and Americans began Il
leaNe for home. But they have plsntet
the seeds. and soon in Italy--and later
7 believe. throughout all Burope-ai
abundant baseball harvest will b.
reaped."