"FANS” FOR THE NONCE

Evening Star, Issue 19022, 18 August 1925, Page 5

"FANS” FOR THE NONCE

mm SEES SOME MSEnttj FLEET TEAMS SHAW AT CASIBMII What Dunedin spectators learaud most when tho baseball teams from the United States ships Stoddert and Dooniur tried conclusions Curisbroote was that u crowd of frantic. New Zealand barrackers has nothing on tho baseball fans. Though the fleet personnel—the only ones, probably, who knew, anything about the mystic rites were few in comparison with the large attendance of Dunedin then 1 barracking was as sustained as it was keen and as versatile as it was vocafesh ° U Eveii the players themselves took part. Tho men in the outfields (is than tho right word?) shouted like a crowd of auctioneers. Tho officials on wm field interspersed the discharge of thefa duties with pieces of friendly' adneet to the players, or doubtful compliment# j with noisy “fans” in tho gallerjw Thffj local people, who came out of curiosity*! more than anything else, and certainly*, got something for their money, weret for tho greater part of the seven itv* nings in a state of bewilderment, ew cept on the few occasions when a bat* ter succeeded in hitting a long This was obviously good play, and “Attaboy,” “Hits get ahead,” and the other Americanisms were drowned, under the familiar ovations that hav® made Carls brook what it is.

It must be admitted by everybody? that the resident spectators were quite? impartial. A sailor, evidently well versed _ in) the game, took pity mi the prevailing) ignorance of the natives by describing the progress of the game, but now and then absent-mindedly assumed that hisi hearers possessed at least an elementary knowledge of the rules. Even th® cricketers were puzzled, for it was not as much like cricket as they first imagined. It was more a mixture of cricket and rounders. The rules, of which th® umpire evidently had a good knowledge, were also puzzling, though the an* notmeer throw some light on the meaning of “foul ball,” “too low,” 0? “strike two.” Armed like Japanese fencers, the hatter and tho umpire stand at one corner, the umpire behind the batter. Th® ball, bigger than a cricket ball and covered with white cowhide, was thrown to the hatter by the pitcher, a functionary who stood 20yds or so away. The batter carries a long baton, with which he attempts to hit the ball, failing more often than not. When the hatter docs succeed tho ball generally goes for a “sixer,” to adopt cricket parlance, mid lie is thus enabled to make the run around the three round-ers-like bases and,home again.

The teams were: U.S.S. Decatur (341).— Doniel (third base), Jacobs (left field), Haynes (catcher), Garland (first base), WitHams (short stop) , Olsen (right field), Harris (centre field), Kilburg (second base), Hall (pitcher), Rogers (captain). U.H.S. Stockleit (-302). —Geoglmoj (captain, .second base), Eggleston (pitcher). Steed (left field), Ifrcitag (first base), Stokes (third base), 11. MWaiker (centre field), Slutsky (short stop), Hall (catcher), H. G. Walked (right field). Umpires, Fitzgibbous and Williams £ announcer, Gillette; scorekcepefy

Kemp. _ , t The looms, not blessed with quite th« requisite weather for their game, di<t not play the full number of innings, an<l, the game was a draw. J It is not often that a ‘ Star ’ report®?; has to admit defeat, but llte raystorierf of baseball are past him. Therefore the following account of the game, sup* plied by a kind-hoar toil baseball writer,; is subjoined without prejudice:— “ Baseball teams representing thtf U.S.B. Sioddcrt and U.B.S. Decatn? wore the principals in an exhibition,' game played at Carisbrook on Monday afternoon. The contest was railed afte* seven innings of airtight baseball with! the score standing tied at 1 rnn each. “Benny Hall performed on the mound for the DecaMir. and held th® aggregation from tim Sdoddert to tw® bits, while bis team mates were garnetsing seven oil' Eggleston. “ The .Decatur’s first and only scorn' came in the fourth, when a scries of well-placed hits brought Galland home. At this stage of the game the bases were full and our man out: but Eggleston showed bis ability to tighten up in the -pinches, and struck out the next two men who faced him. In the fifth the Decatur had an opportunity to sew up the game when singles by Haynes, Garland.' and Williams filled the bases araiu. But once more Eggleston strutted bis stuff, and retired the side bv fanning Olsen.

“The Stoddert gang tied the score in tho sixth. Gcoglian was safe, on an error, made second on a muffed fly, and scored when Stokes brought the fans to their feet by sending a screeching double to right field.

“ Tho game was replete with thrilling plays. The Decatur pulled oil two double plays, and Gcophau, of tho Rtoddert, made a sensational catch at second base.” SCORE HV IXXIXCR. C.R.R. Slocldort —

There it is with all its vivid parlance* When, “tho tans'’ were brought to their feet they probably didn't know that it was because. Stoke* sent “a screeching double to tho right Hold.’’ T,ut they did recognise it, no doubt, as one of the episodes in the play that was obviously clever; their was in accordance with Otago’s tradition to give credit for a good piece of work, whatever the game.

1 o ;i 4 r, 6 7 TL flits ... 0 n n 1 n 1 0—2 Huns ... n 0 n n 0 1 0-1 r.s.s. Ilifs Dcrniiir- ... 0 i 0 2 p } 1 0-7 Tin ns ... 0 0 (1 f. h 0 0—1