The times., 1897-08-10
NAGNATES ARE TO BLAME
They Are Resposible for the Umpire
Problem.
Club Owners Must Back Up Presl-
dent Young or He Can
DO Nothing.

Inc Umpire question is the one important
topic in baseball circles The Times was
carly in the field condemning the prac-
tice of blaekguards and thugs who are
masquerading as ballf players, and who
have unstintedly abused every umpire that
officiated The New York Evening Tele-
gram very sensibly indorsed what The
Times has advocated. Among other things,
il says:
Every winter the League magnates get
together and try To do something which
Will put q stop to rows on the ball field.
AS far as theory goes, they arrive at
conclusions which are all night, but when
the time comes for practical illustration
OF their views, matters are no better than
they were before. For some reason or
other, the scenes on the field this year
are fiercer than ever before. And who Is
TO blame! Why, the poor umpire, is the
cry, not only OF the cranks, but Of the
players and some of the magnates as
we'll
the umpire is the bane OF the ball
players existence. If it We're not for
him, every team would win the pennant,
to hear the members of each team talk.
Whenever team FORCES to the front,
the other teams Immediately tell their
friends that the umpires are fayoring that
team.
Nine out of ten persons who go to u
bali game think that tie captain of IA team
has the right to kick at decision Of the
,-,., .,pirA lob, .a frl.
distinctly state that no player shall ques-
ton any decision, and the captain shall
question Il decision only when an interpre
tation of the rules is involved. Were these
rules enforced there would be no disgraceful
scenes on the field
Nearly every time an umpire gives Il
close decision the players OF one Or the
oeher teamsurroundhinL The players know
that they can gain nothing by such ac
tons, as the decision given cannot be
changed But they imagine that they can
scare him into giving them the best of the
next decision.
MEX Young's resignation as Gov
ernment clerk SO that he can pay all OF
his attention to the affairs OF the National
League shows that na tiers have rea ched a
crisis. 1t is the custom Of youngsters who
have just broken into the game to have a
fling at the venerable Lea que president
whenever their teaIl does not get every
thing in sight from the umpire. What they
want Is for theiudge uf play to give the
game 10 them. Tin Hurst once remarked
that the most kicking came from bum
players, who became crazy when they sa W
they were not good enough TO win game
on its MERITS.
President Young might just as Well have
held his Government position. He can do
nothing when the players are backed up by
some OF the magnates. umpires cannot
give both teams tha best of a close decision.
L have seen our team get the worst OF de-
cisions and lose when We should have won,
said j. Earl Wagner. of the Washington
club, 20 me the other day. I have also seen
oar teasl get the bsst of decisions and win
when thought the other team wasenUitled
to the victory. The whole thing equalizes
itself, however. during the season.
And ] want TO say continued Mr.
Wagner, that President Young is the fom
datiou stone Of baseball. The National
Leaguc w.ll never realize his worth until
be steps down and OUT
THE majority Of players are so bold as
TO assert that they are entitled TO the best
of IL at home They do not want au
umpire to do his duty. II they do not
get the best of it they are usually backed
up by the officials of the club who tele-
granh to President Young, protesting the
umpire.
I'm one city every man on the staff has
been tried, and every one was protested
except one. Strange as it may appear, the
club had no use for such stanch men as
Lynch, Emslie and Hurst. The weaker
umpires want TO hold their positions. They
do not want TO take the bread and butter
out OF their mouths, and so, in order to
curry favor, they are apt to give the home
team the best OF 1t.
The rules are all right as they stand.
| They provide for decorous conductor play
| ers on the field. There would be no rows
| and the umplre's lot would be far more con-
genial were some of the ma gnates not
engaged in attempting to browbeat and
terrorize the umpires. Matters will go on
| Just as they are, Notwithstanding what
| President Young may do. as long as some
| of the n,agnates Continue their present atti-
tude These magnates and the pla yers are
| responsible, not the umpires.''