Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-09
won half his games in spite of some
pretty woody umpiring.

WV" AAtAA hhS es@t> AA 9llA ~ Sss~
pretty woody umpiring.
Augusta has done surprisingly good,
work. and l look to see them improve
right along. The team is composed OF
young players and corners. II Augusta
could keep this team a couple Of years
and pick up a pitcher or two meanwhile
you would see them the champions Of the
New England League.-Fred X. Owen in
Portland Sunday Times.
The Augusta team has signed Patrick
Cunningham. an outiielder now playing
with James O'Rourke's team at Bridge
port, Ct. Cunningham had a fine RECORD,
last season, and is said to be a fast man:
He played with Bangor the first part OF
the season. and would have been retained
In center field by that team but for tns
favorable decision of the national noaIu
in the George Henry case. 1t is believed
that he will greatly strengthen the nome
team at a point where its greatest weak
ness has lain the present season.
New York Sun: Tim Hurst. the base
ball umpire. is not afraid of the bigges.
man that walks. although he is a httie
chap and ordinarily very quiet. he Is an
easy going fellow low who can ,n 1ei' boxers
without moving a muscle or ms iaGe.
His soft blue eyes and slight figure give
him the appearance Of a man Who n'ihs ali
easily be imposed upon. Boxers ana pan
players alike however. have learned 70
| respect him.. and they carefully AVOID tne
wrong side of any arguments they may
man from whom they always get fair
| NAV. Once having made a decision he
| never backs down. A few years Z 0 III
| Hurst to task in the course of a BAH
game. Hurst requested him to discuss
the decision which aroused the kicking
in the dressing 0 after the saaie,
where Hurst was dressing. he put ms
hand in mis- pocket and said he would
make u sieve of the umpire If ne was
struck. Hurst promptly slapped Latham's
face. remarking: Now 90 ahead and
shootvr Latham did not shoot but
walked way. (,
Augusta protests against a recur-
renee of any such a roaring farce called
umpirjng as was accorded our team in
New Bedford, Saturday. For some
reason Umpire Bradley failed to put III
an appearance. Under such circum-
stances the fairest way would have
been for each team to have selected a
PLAYER. and used the double system:
but no. Manager Doe was bound to
have the game and, under the rules,
submitted three names to Manager
Harrington. 1t was Il Hopkins choice
for the Augusta manager. but as
Roberts who had been playing left
field for New Bedford appeared TO have
had some few opportunities for learn
ing the game not enjoyed by the other
members of the trio. he was chosen.
r. say thai his work was lurid Would
he drawing it mild. Everything the
New Bedford twirler threw in the
direction of the plate was promptly
pronounced "a strike" and with this
valuable assistance from his friend
Roberts. Pitcher Braun was able to
strike out no less thar II Augusta
players.
But it was different with Weekes-
Everything he pitched was "a BALI
unless some New Bedford player took
pity and struck at it. Under such a
merciless roasting he was forced to
abandon his curve ball, and resort to
a swift straight one over the plate,
which the New Bedford players had no
difficulty in hitting. Now. we submit
that his is not base ball. 1t was no
credit for New Bedford to win such a
game. and no discredit for Augusta To
lose it. To the credit of the New
bedford crowd it must be said hat
they protested against the imposition
in shouts of Don rob them, Beat
them square, etc.
Captain Johnson wanted to take his
team off the field. but Manager Her
liliSlOn let IDdl II Woulu De DtSl 10
suffer injustice han take such a step.
We hope that our team will not be asked
again this season to play a game at
which a local partisan. in the f~arcical
role of an umpire stands behind the
plate to hand over the game to the
nome team. and lend his valuable as
sistance in giving the home pitcher the
strike-out record of the We
have never had but one league game
on the Augusta grounds where 4 staff
umpire was not in attendance. That
game was umpired by two players, one
from each team, and. at its close. both
teams We're rank to say that no
Sqllarer game had been umpired in this
league during the season.
1t doesn't mend matters hat Mr..
Roberts expresses his regret at having
undertaken to umpire Saturdays
game, and endeavors to explain his ex-
hibition by saying he was green at
the business'-a statement we are not
disposed to dispute. The fact remains
that the Augusta team was given q
merciless throw down, and palpably
robbed of whatever chances they may
have had. not merely to win the game,
but to make ven a respectable show
ing.
In Mondays English yacht races the
Meteor won the large ratpr race. finish