Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-10

Increasing Troubles Of the Unfortunate
League Umpires.
Magnates md Players to Blame for
the Present Existing EVIL. I'm
the National Came
From the New York Sun.

with the respectable patrons all over the
country In almost every instance where
there is trouble the field the poor UNI
pires are blamed. so that today they are
regarded by the thousands of unchaiitabie
persons who attend the big league games
as a common enemy. This feeling of hos
tility has been brought about not so much
by the incompeteacy of the umpires or
wiilful partisanship on their part as by the
actions of the players. who in almost every
instance are backed mp by the clubs with
which they are under contract.
1t is fact that every winter the League
magnates have tackled the umpire ques-
ton, and, with desire to rid the game of
Its only objectionable feature. they have
framed rules which they intended to be
stringently enforced. 1t is also truism
that the umpires, receiving Instructions
from n. E. Young, president of the league
have gone forth determined to observe the
rules to the letter. 1t is a fact too. that
they have done very well during the first
few weeks of every season. when the eX-
element and anxiety over victories and de-
feats have not begun to hold sway. Then
ii is that the umpres begin TO feel an in
fiuence which retards them in their work
the field.
Acting under the original instructions re-
ceived from the president OF the league,
they punish players by inflicting fines and
by expelling them from the games. The
players go to the owners OF their clubs or
to their managers and say they are being
robbed" which oftentimes serves 10 cover
up defeats and excuses bad playing. The
club owners and managers wire long pro-
tests to the president of the league, and
that official is forced to remove the ''objec-
tionable" judge of play to some other city.
Soon the president has received from GER
tain clubs so many protests that he has no
umpireS to send to them. So he is forced
to assign one Of the objectionable ones
who, the moment he appears is subjected
to all sorts of indignities from players.
The umpire. by this time. desiring 10 re-
tam his position, which yields salary of
about $l.J0O and expenses, becomes trifle
intimidated, unless he has unusual back
bone, and favors the home club. by this
means he believes that he will escape
newspaper criticism in partisan cities, and
thus mold his job. The visiting teams are
made to suffer IN consequence, and the
umpire comes in for more trouble ii that
direction. Later, when the schedule shifts
umpires who have not treated western
clubs fairly in the east, are compelled 10
go west. and receive all sorts of abuse
That is the way, therefore, that these un-
fortunates get into trouble, for which they
are really not to blame.
The magnates are to blame for this state
of affairs from what they do themselves,
and even from what they permit the play
ers to do. The features of professional
base ball today are kicking noisy
coaching rafting g. opposing players by
using insulting remarks. and urging On eN-
cited crowds to 'roaStt umpires. The
that il has been rather enjoyable this year,
but the other evils still exist
1t is not intended. however. to attribute
such methods to all the league clubs. In
the eastern cities Of the league there is not
nearly so much turmoil as in the west
Boston is, perhaps, the fairest city toward
umpires and visiting players. There is sell
dom any trouble there, because the patrons
of The game in the hub are better edu-
Gated in the fine points of base ball and
knew when their team is playing good ball
In this city and Brooklyn such a thing as
mobbng an umpire is unheard Of But
there has been considerable kicking over
umpires' decisions, particularly at the Poo
grounds. Capt. Joyce's players have been
guilty of almost constant; kicking, especial
Iy away from home. 1t is also true thai
the crowds at the Polo grounds have not
been disposed to treat visiting teams with
fairness. such as was their wont in the
days when Mutrie and Buck Ewing held
the rcins. Constant yelling to rattle OPP
posing teams has been frequently INDUCED
in. and umpires have been verbally roast
ed There have been Instances, too where
decisions which were manifestly unfair
against visiting teams have been applauded
by the spectators and openly sanctioned by
the New York players.
In Philadelphia thera is partisan feeling,
but the players there have always been
noted for their peacefulness until this sea-
son. There have been no acts of violence
there and there has been no reason for
them. for the Philadelphia have not been
playing winning ball. The Baltimores have
been regarded as notorious kickers, as well
as skillful ball players. bat they are con-
sistant in their protests The crowds in
the monumental city are intensely partisan
and visiting teams are not received with
open arms. Partisan crowds in Washing
ton have 10 good reason to lose control of
themselves, as their team has seldom cut
much of a figure in the race.
In the west, therefore, nearly all the
trouble with umpires is to be found. Chi
on ~
cling teams Ike to play. Arson does not
tolerate senseless kicking and believes in
fair play. As a result there are few of the
disgraceful rows there which ere certainly
hurting the game, and visiting teams win
or lose on their merits. Arson at one time
was knewn all over the country as Baby.
because he kicked, but he never rescrted
to rowdyism, end at no time were his pro-
tests half so vehement and violent as char
acteriZe the actions of the big kickers in
the league today. Very little trouble has
occurred at St. Louis, chiefly because Won
der Ahe'S team is trailing along at the END
Of the procession, and public interest is at
a low ebb. But in Cincinnati. Pittsburg.
Cleveland and Louisville things are decid-
eddy different.
In all of these cities rows have occurred
this year, and umDIes have teen shame
fully abused. Visiting teams have COM
planned of the unfair behavior of crowds,
and in several instances the police have
been called upon to protect out-of-town
players from deliberate assaults. 1t is a
matter of record tnat, umpires are intimi-
dated by flaming articles in the daily pa
pers of those cities, which call upon the
crowds to carefully superintend the UNI
pire's work 1t cannot be denied, either,
that visiting teams have been subjected to
personal abuse liz Geld type, while the home
teams have been urged to do everything in
their power to win, whether by fair means
or foul. In a word, a bitter antipatky to-
ward the eastern clubs appears to exist in
these four cities. and general desire to
win al all hazards.
Tebeau, the Cleveland captain, has the
reputation of being the most notorious
kicker in the league. He was mixed up in
several serious scrapes last year, but he
has been rather quiet this season. by his
methods, however. and those of his men,
the interest in base ball in Cleveland has
been practically killed, so that, in order to
live. the Cleveland club has been compelled
to play Sunday ball at home
In Cincinnati Buck Ewing, who directs
things from the bench, appears to have
greatly changed his tactics since be was In
charge of the New Yorks. But he is by no
means as bad as some other players. The
crowds there have but one desire-that is
to win any old way-and they are particu-
larly bitter toward the New Yorks because
of the feud existing betweea Presidents
Brush and Freedman. The behavior Of
Louisville people is chiefly due to the nov-
city OF having team that Can win a few
games, while IN Pittsburg rowdyism mas