Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-24

Jap Ball STARS
Shine Less Brightly
During American Tour
Chicago, June 23.-American col
! lege pitchers have proved too much
for K. Tanaka, centerfielder on the
Waseda University Japanese ball
team now touring the United States.
In the Toxic college league, Tanaka is
known as the Babe Ruth" Of the
/ league. He holds "a record of six
home runs in six games during last
winters season in Japan, but thus
far he has failed to solve the Ameri-
! can puzzlers for a circuit clout.
G. Taniguchi, the Japs' star left
handler, has been likewise unable to
duplicate his record made in Toxic
/ during his American trip. Last win
ter he pitched two no-hit, no-run
games, but thus far every American
team has scored on him. His effec-
tiveness is due mainly to swift
drop. with which he has often re-
tired his opponents with three strike
outs in a row. Taniguchi is 20 years
old and a freshman.
Waseda has two good right hand
'ers in s. Matsumoto and +. Arita.
In the last Of the three games series
with the University of Chicago, Arita
replaced Taniguchi in the 7th inning
with the bases full and two out. He
struck out the next man up, but
when Chicago flied the sacks again
in the 8th, a single drove in two runs
and lost the game and the series for
the Nipponese.
Matsumoto is short little fellow,
quite in contrast to J. Kuji. the
catcher. who is probably the tallest
man on the team. In practice Mat
sumoto has to pitch uphill to
! his lanky receiver, but when Kuji
crouches behind the plate. he picks
off the speediest balls and unwinds
himself in ample time to whip them
over to second.
Captain S. Takamatsu, the left
handed first baseman, is lively
player and Eastern baseball men told
him he was worth a substitutes
berth in major league ball. accord
ing to H. $. Bennington, an Ameri-
can professor of political science at
Waseda. who is acting as business
manager of the American tour.
T. kato and I. Oshito cover left
and right field. respectively, n. To-
monaga plays second and T. kubbta
scoops up the ball in lively American
fashion at short. The third base
man. j. Ishii is one of the best all
around men on the team. j. Nagano
is the reserve catcher.
The Japanese seem to have a diff
ferent psychological slant on base
ball than the Americans. The whole
team plays with constant smiles
wreathing their countenances and a.
mistake means only an excuse for
another display of pearly teeth. They
are an alert lot of ballplayers, never
. still, and always eager to get at the
ball. There is none of the serious
expression or the half-angry look
which is seen on the faces of most
American ballplayers in the middle
of hot game.
Real pleasure in playing the game
eager are they to get into the game"
that twice during the last game with
Chicago, players collided in the field
in their scramble after the ball.
Each time they came up smiling and
took the mistake good-naturedly.
The Waseda players say they have
enjoyed their visit immensely. This
is the first visit to America for this
years team, many of them being
freshmen. Practically all of the
men are merchants sons and all
are taking commercial or political
courses.
1--WE like your big universities
and especially the gymnasiums.'
NJ. Nakamura, the scorer and grad
uate manager. said. I'VE do not
have such big gymnasiums, although
we have all kinds Of athletics such
as football, baseball track and field
meets. boating and tennis"
The team will sail for Japan on
July IA, after a two months and
half tour Of America.
When Coach Tobita of the Waseda
University baseball team runs over
to the third base coaching lines as
his Nipponese ball players come to
bat he doesn't let loose a flow of
Japanese but yells instructions in the
native language of the great Ameri-
can game. All of his players, who
are now touring the country, speak
English in some degree and all of
them use American baseball parlance
on the diamond.
Even the youngsters In Japan call
Out and Strike in English" Coach
Tobita said here recently, when his
nine played the University Of Chicago
a three game series. "Of course all
students in high schools and uni
versities in Japan are taught Eng
lish, but out in the fields where the
small boys play ball. they use the
English terms. Baseball Is the Jap
anese national game, too"
Coach Tobita, who is 80 years old.
has been playing ball for more than
Is years and has been a professional
coach for two years. He was q star
at waseda, which is located at Tokyo.
and captain OF the team In 9O9-1O.