Evening star., 1895-08-12
Cause of Dissatisfaction With Base
Ball Umpirss.
KILLING INTEREST IN THE GAME
The Public Disgusted With Sense
less and Continued Kicking.
NOTES OF OUTDOOR SPORT

No matter how miserably team has
played, a howl is started against the UNI
pire. and he gets all the blame for the de-
feat. A close decision against a team
starts the jaws of the kickers, the protest
is taken up by the bleachers, and for the
rest of the game, no matter how hard the
umpire tries to be just, he is only hooted
and howled at.
The impartial base ball fans are begin
ming to see that the trouble about the UNI
pires does not lie in the inef1iciency of the
officials, nor in the bad judgment of Uncle
Nick, who selects them, but in the con-
tinued kicking Of players, who try in this
way to cover up their Indifferent playing.
The cry of robbed Is taken up by the
bleachers, the newspapers re-echo 1t, and
Uncle Nick and his staff are criticised
from Boston to Chicago.
Emslie and Keefe can still umpire a
game without fear of being mobbed, but
that is because they made their reputation
before the umpire warfare was begun in
initial appearance on the diamond at this
stage of the game it is doubtful if he could
hold the umpire-drubbers in check.
Umpircs Given No Show.
The truth is nowadays. they won't give
the umpires a chance. Take the case of
Hunt, who began his league carees at Ma
tional Park. When he stepped out to the
home plate an old base ball enthusiast
in the grand stand remarked There's
good umpire. 1 know him, and have seen
him umpire many times. He has good
Judgment and is firm. He'll do well if they
only give him a show"
1t wasn't long before decision excited
the ire of the Senators. Captain Cart
wright made his protest, and after he had
finished Scfappy Joyce, who had no busi
ness to open his mouth, took up the quar-
rel, for such it had become, and wrangled
In disgraceful manner. The bleachers
took their cue, and Hunt was howled at
era laughed at for the rest of the game.
OF course, he was ratified. 1t was his
first appearance. How could he do justice
to himself lacking the confidence of both
players and audience. and with Uncle Nick
watching the game? 1t was a case of a
&C cd umpire spoiled at the start.
The same thing is done in other cities,
anc now the umpire problem is the most
dif!cult one to solve in the base ball world.
another year opens, or the public will be-
ccme disgusted and will lose interest in
the rational game.
When they go to see ball game they
don't want to be treated to an imitation
prize fight.
How 1t Is Done.
The Senators are conceded to be a sec
ond-division ball team. They can play and
do play sc me very clever games of ball,
half the teams of the league. Yet the cry
of robbed has been made so often that
nearly one-half of their defeats have been
attributed to inefficient umpiring
What the Washington public wants Is a
hall team that will go on the ground and
fight the opposing team with bat and ball.
and not the umpire with their tongues.
The umpire has a very difficult position
to fill. He is in the game all the time, and
is the target for all the billingsgate that
can be collected from both teams and
crowd of on-lookers that to say the least,
is not impartial.
Uncle Nick's Judgment.
There is no question about 1t; the present
umpire system is not working satisfac-
torily. But, as has been said the blame
does not rest on the umpires nor on Presi-
dent Young. but upon players and public
and the newspapers.
AS fer President Young, no one for a mo-
ment doubts his honesty and sincerity, and
should not doubt his judgment. He has
picked out many good umPires but it would
be impossible to select good one now.
The players and fans would not let him do
justice to the game nor to himself. OF
course every one knows what the kicking
players expect to gain by their protests
They have no idea that the umpire will
change the decision that was the direct
cause of the rumpus; but they hope to
Hidhe MN leel lhdl ne mas not acted justly
toward their side and will even matters up
by giving subsequent decisions. in their
favor; and incidentally to awaken the SYM
rathy of the crowd and convey the impress
sion that they are being robbed The i'm
partial observer sits quietly and thinks
that If these kckers would only play ball
as earnestly as they protest they would
stand a good show of winning the game.
After all. the managers are much at fault.
If the players were given to understand
that they would not be upheld in their
course. and would have to pay their fines
themselves, matters would soon improve
Isn't 1t about time that the ball tossers,
so-called, should attend to the business for
which they are hired and give the umpire
little show?
/ IT'S Incoming disgracefu1