Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-08-10
AN UMPlRE'S DUTIES.
some of the Trials and Tribulations OF =
Much Abused Individual

Much Abused Individual
The duties of an umpire are very re-
sponsible and require considerable
nerve and perseverance for one to
properly fill the position. Any one
having these Requirements and fulhll-
ing them to their utmost ability will do
more to elevate the game than one has
any idea Of No matter how good two
mines may be or how well they may try
to play ball, unless they have good
umpire the players will lose heart, and
then the interest in the game dies out.
Time and again l have seen games
which, only for superior work on the
part of the umpire. would have proved
tame and tiresome affairs. Then again,
playe themselves can help to make the
duties of an umpire light and at the same
time increase the interest in the game.
Players are instructed, before coming
on the field, to win the game if they
can, no matter how it is done. There
fore they come out with the determin-
alton to do so, no matter whom it may
injure. 1t is not question of player
disputing with the umpire that l am
going to refer to, for no competent
umpire will perm player to say
word to him while in the field, but it is
the many childish ways the players
adopt to try to gain the sympathy OF
the crowd, and in that way subject tiIt
umpire to many indignities. 1t is
these things that have ruined tho
chances o. many competent men who
have undertaken to discharge the
duties of an umpire Umpires often
overlook these things rather than inn
pose fine on the player. Every club
should warn it's met that such con-
duct on the field viii be met by
II heavy fine. and then let the player
pay the penalty and not the club after
the fine has been imposed. l can men,
ton lots of players who, when they are
at the bat and have strike called on
them. will go through all kinds of con-
tortions to gain sympathy from the
crowd. and, as rule, the crowd, espe-
cially i: the player is a member of the
home club. will set up howl at the
umpire. The player does this to gain
his base, which he could not have
reached on his batting abilities. !
like to get hold of such fellows. |
have no sympa for them. | have
seen pitchers ana catchers 90 through
such baby acts" when the former are
being freely batted. You never saw n
first-class player, or, at least, a man
with principle, being quit of such
work. The clubs themselves are re-
sponsible for the scarcity of umpires.
Let them adopt more rigid rules and
then enforce them while the men are
on the ball field, and they viii find any
number of first-class men who are will
ing and competent to fill the umpire S
position.
There is another thing | would like
to say a word about. and that is giving
decisions made at second base. They
get many umpires into trouble. and yet
those officials are not to blame for
them. Most of these decisions are
purely guesswork, although often cor.
rect. All the trouble down at that
base could be averted by drafting a
rule compelling the runner to keep OH
the line while going to that base, ex-
cept when compelled to run behind the
fielder, who is fielding batted ball
That three-feet limit rule is causing
| the trouble. No man knows how far
out of the line he goes, yet he will de.
clare he has not been more than three
feet, as the rule allows. Robert Fergu-
son, in Chicago Inter Ocean.