The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-08-23
TINE UMPIRE REPLIES.

EDITOR BuLLErlN:-l was very
much surprised to see the article on
'Unfair Methods by w. +. o. in
your issue of Tuesday, for the rea-
son that your correspondent had
called on me and asked for an OK
PLANTATION of my decision on the
same play and received one that
considered satisfactory. Now that
w. b. o. has gone to the trouble to
place the subject before the public
in such q manner as TO make it APP
pear that L m either dishonest, blind,
or black enough brains to umpire y
game of ball, perhaps it would not
be amiss for me to state the reasons
why the base-runner was allowed to
keep his base. In the first place
the decision was not IN defiance OF
Rule As, Sec. 8, for the reason that
the base runner did not Intentionally
interfere with the thrown ball from
the catcher TO first baseman, as lie
was running in his proper line with
his back 10 the player that threw
the ball and therefore could not see
that the ball was going TO hit him.
I'm sorry the base runner did not
have a pair of eyes in the back of
his head while making that particu-
lar run as he might have lodged the
ball and saved all this trouble.
Now, as long as I'm umpire, not
a single player running to first base
will be required to twist his face
around where the back of his head
should be, in order TO avoid being
hit by a thrown ball from catcher
standing near the home plate. |
consider it the proper thing for the
first baseman to place one foot on
his base and the other to one side,
so that he may lean far enough to
that side, as TO permit the catcher
10 throw the ball to him without hit
ting the base runner or causing the
baseman to get right in the base
runners way.
w. B. o. copied the wrong section
Of Rule-4S, rs Sec. IS intended TO
cover the whole of this question and
reads: The base runner is outfit,
in running the last half Of the dis
lance from home base to first base,
he runs outside the three feet lines,
as defined in Rule 10; except that
he must do so if necessary TO avoid
fielder attempting to field Il batted
ball, and in such case shall not be
declared out"
1t will be seen by the above rule
that man running To first base is
not required to run outside the three
feet lines to avoid q fielder attempt.
ing 10 field n thrown ball. The
rules make marked distinction he
tween hindrance of M adversary in
fielding batted or thrown ball. |
hope W. b. O. will he able to see
that the baseman had no legal right
TO get on the base runners line lo
field thrown ball, for the reason
that ball can be thrown little &c
one side (Which -hould he done) tc
avoid just such accidents.
w, d. o, goes on TO say: That
the act in question was intentional
will hardly be denied, as II
was threatened weeks ago, and
Was defended as allowable at the
time" If w. b. O. mems to say
that such a threat was made by =
player and defended By me as allow
able, he certainly tells Il baretaceC
falsehoOd, because have not de
Tended any threat, as no complaint
has been made to me by any of tho
captains that such threat had beer
made. In conclusion, let me say
that | will he much obliged TO W.
b. o. if he would kindly call on the
base ball players and get list Of
all those that think my decision
wrong, as | will only be too glad to
resign my position to someone better
qualified TO fill my place. if a major
ity of the players think I'm wrong.
One reason for making the above
statement is because feel that Pm
right and il it can he proved by the
players that I'm wrong, why, it i;
Ii ne ! resigned to make room for
someone that IS not so stubborn but
that he can see the right from the
wrong methods of nmpiring game
Of ball. w. +. WALL