The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-01-18


HENRY CEACNCEy, In the Literary
Digest
Babe Ruth and q team Of major
leEgue stars visited Japan, SIAM
ming out home runs and tanning the
best batters In the Far East The
invading Americans naturally won
their games. but they were playing
teams that were eager 70 learn every
new trick Of the trade. II is q char
acteristic Of the japanese that they
pick ND something new, master T.
and then improve upon Il America
can one day expect that the problem
Of parity VIII involve baseball as well
as ear1leships
The japanese not only play base
ball and play II wen, but they ear.
drink, and sleep il Il is their main
source Of recreation Even though
the japanese are enthusiastic about
al forms Of athletics from their own
Judo cu-jutsu) AMI kendo (fencing)
10 such western sports as basketball,
skiing and rowing. baseball out
ranks III other games put together
in the interest Of japanese In ev-
cry public park. one finds games BE-
ing played from early morning Il
have seen boys walking 70 the park
al dressed up in their uniforms 81
six O'Clock II the morning., until
dark
Al who can play baseball, and
those who are TOO old or too busy
70 play. follow the school and col
lege games closely. The interscholas-
tic TOURNAMENTS, which are held in
the big cities, and al OF the games
Of the Tokyo University league are
broadcast from the two biggest radio
stations in Japan. Millions Of people
listen in Stores, where there are
radios, are crowded
Baseball In Japan is now several
generations old. Il was first intro
duced into the country IN 1889 by Al
American engineer who was working
On the government railways In his
spare time he taught some Of the
lRborers 10 play baseball, and organ
lied games between the different
gangs. American visiting professors
did likewise for their pupils, and Il
was not long before most Of the col
leges had teams. Games frequently
were played against the crews Of
American ships locked IN japanese
ports, and against teams made I'D Of
American residents
Then, In 1906, the waseda univer-
sity team made trip 10 the west
coast. playing against Stanford and
other Of the coast colleges. Incl
deutaIly, II was the first time that
japanese players used spikes. When
they arrived IN Palo Alto, II was dis
covered that the spikes had al been
put On backward. Every cobbler IN
the town had 10 be rounded I'D 70
make the necessary changes before
the game the following day. From
1905 On, trips back and ferth BE-
tween American and Japanese col
legex have been frequent Some Of
the other American college teams
that have visited Japan are: Stan
ford. California, Washington, Wis
constn, Michigan, and Illinois
A group OF big league and coast
leegue players went 10 Japan IN
1908. playing games against Keio.
WRseda and an sIl-stRr team Though
the professionals won al their games,
many Of them were close. Five years
later McGraw and Comiskey brought
their aIl-star National and American
league teams 10 the Orient. Their
games were watched with eager eyes
by the japanese, who are ever anx-
ious 10 learn all there is 70 know
about the game
Perhaps even more important in
the development Of baseball in ia
pan was keio's hiring. in 1911, two
Young PLAYERS of The New York