Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-29
"SIX YEARS IN HADES.
THE UPS AND DowNs OF A BASEBALL
UMPIRE DESCRIBED.
Interesting "Reminiscences of Ben Young.
Who Retired Before it Was
Too Late.


That's what every crank on baseball,
every paragrapher and everybody who
knows what the national game is says.
But are they all consistent in this appeal
for mercy? Yes, at all times-except
when attending ball game. 1t is then
that the umpire becomes the target
for abuse from all quarters. He is ieered
at, Missed, cursed, rotten-egged, mobbed
and only short time ago one was mur.
dered.
A successful umpire seldom remains
long in the vocation. Some dime museum
is sure to gobble him up and exhibit him
as freak"
Every Sacrameutan has seen or heard of
Ben Young, who acted as one of the official
umpires of the California League for
time and was generally considered to have
fair judgment on the intricacies of baseball.
But he went the way of his predecessors,
and was virtually hooted off the diamond,
simply because everybody didn't agree
with his decisions,
Young then voluntarily divorced himself
from baseball and sought pastures anew in
the wilds of Nevada county. He has be-
come mining prospector, and between
times teaches class at Grass Valley
the art of penmanship.
But though he is far aWay from the
scenes of his former troubles, he has not
forgotten baseball nor the experiences he
went through. In recent letter to the
San francisco Sporting Life he gives some
very interesting "reminiscences of his con-
nection with the California League, some
of which are here reproduced.
In the past" says he, II found con-
siderable amusement in reading the
glowing accounts concerning the various
umpires who have, since my leave of alb
sence, been appointed to do the work
that Ben Young failed to do, namely,
to please everybody. First came Gene
Van Court, one of CalifOrnias fayorite
sons. used to get it pretty hard myself
IN the days that are no more, but then |
had vast amount of sympathy left for
Van Court. | was among strangers, but he |
got it from his so-called friends. But such
is life. Wonder what Gene now thinks of |
O'Neill, who, on account of supposed |
prejudices, made the most ludicrous bluff |
every known to the baseball world. He |
was going East because the umpires had |
singled him out among all the rest aud |
made him the victim of their whims |
That was when. Tip was little known, and |
his boisterous coaching was more appre. |
ciated than it now is. By this time the |
public has had ample opportunity to OBJ |
serve O'Neilps ball-playing, and as / Judge |
it at this distance, are less inclined TO con-
slider O'Neill the greatest ball player of the |
coast.
''McCue did not get much of show as
an umpire, but Sylvester did. Yet, if any,
thing, 'SyP got it worse than any of us.
Sul' fC1H lax, sl..,El - -
tne man dollar. | told him that he
would not last unless he fined right and !
left, until the chronics got enough. He
very properly told me in reply that had
done considerable filming and got no credit
for it, but on the other hand got several
good roastings in the papers for fnirg
O'Neill when it was impossible to do any.
thing else but let 'er CO. In all, fined
$l05 worth in the California League. Syl-
vester soon saw the error of his WAYS but
not until il was too late for redemption.
He is now gone and forgotten like the rest.
sheridan, though, is the boy who keeps
on without break, O'Neill or no O'Neill.
l have seen all the king umpires of the
East--kelly, Gsffney, McQusid, Ferguson,
Lynch, Goldsmith, etc.-but | unhesita-
tingly say that Sheridan is the peer of them
all. l am well aware that this is saving q
good deal, but while acting as manager of
the Stockton club had particular opportu-
nifty to watch his umpiring as an inter
ested' spectator, and in all the games, most
OF which we lost, | never had occasion to
make single kick. or to Interpose the
slightest objec ion to any of his rulings, SO
well did he do his work as an impartial
umpire. My previous good opinion of
Sherry was even increased during nv
You know it is common.
when interested in the loss of game. as a
manager would be, to have less respect
and opinion of an umpire after game than
before; but not go in this instance | still
think that Sherry is beyond question, and
in the fullest sense of the word, the ideal
umpire. He will not be seen in California
next year. He can have the highest salary
that is paid an Eastern umpire, and Sheri-
dan will surely go East, unless paid by
the California League in accordance with
the services performed. | remember well |
when Sheridan was paid but $50 per month
by the California League, and catching it
long and hard from the press, public and
everybody. But things have changed since
then. Sherry has struck his gait and
stands alone without a rival
Now, since am out OF baseball for the
present, and indications are that | shall
continue to be for some time, if not forever,
l have at last settled down and begun
task that have had under consideration
for several years past. l intend to increase
the baseball literature with volume en-
titled Six Years in Hades, or the Ups and
Downs of Baseball Umpire How do
you like the title? Don't you think the
name is attractive enough to persuade
buyer? / have outlined the work and am
putting my odd minutes to its completion
1t may also be published by the column in
the leading Sunday papers. ] can relate
most humorous incidents, laughable scenes,
exciting occasions and 'hair-breadth es-
capes. The bowling mob of 10 900 enraged
spectators at Louisville is still vividly be-
fore me; Birmingham, Columbus and
Nashville are not yet forgotten, in short,
there is no scarcity of material upon which
l can expand, and produce, as think, a
reasonably interesting narrative"