The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-26

Within the last few days THE SUN has
quoted the opinions of three men eminent
in the baseball business on the current
troubles, namely, Capt JOYCE of New
York, Capt. GRIFFIN of Brooklyn, and Mr..
JOHN B. DAY. the Leagues Inspector of
Umpires and Players. The result is that
Capts. JOYCE and GRIFFIN have exhibited
themselves as either ignorant or needless
of the spirit Of the rules already made
for the good conduct of the game. Mr..
DAY thinks well upon the subject. but
his plan for dealing with the situation
Is unnecessarily weak. Tho only rem
edy," aid Mr.. DAY, "is, NO talking to
the umpire!' No Captain or player should
be permitted to go near or speak to the
umpire under any circumstances" That
is manifest; but while the national game
waits for the League to pass stringent rules
for this purpose 1t is suffering seriously in
the public estimation. And there is no
need of waiting for the Leagues action.
The clubs can apply the remedy of their
own motion. The management can reg.
ulate the players on the field without
waiting for the advice and consent of the
League. 1t is within every clubs power to
forbid positively and declsively any players
challenging an umpire's decision. The rule
f~orbidding an umpire to reverse his decision
was intended to prevent this very abuse.
1t was made to protect the umpire from
the bulldozing sure to be attempted on him
otherwise. and to save the games from DELAY.
In failing to enforce the existing regulation
at once the League managers nave not
lived up to the Leagues rules. They are
directly responsible for the wearisome
hours Of unseemly and useless q~uarrels be-
tween players and umpires, with which
the public has been bored and irritated dur
ing the games of every season.
The answers of Capt. JOYCE and Cant.
GRIFFIN to the question. Why do you
kick3 showed the inexcusable absurdity of
the practice. Neither had an answer that
could be considered rational before the
light of the rule %forbidding the umpire to
reverse his decision.
When I am confident that q ruling
against my team is unjust" said Cant.
JOYCE, lit Is perfectly natural for me- to
get hot under the collar. 1t is partly hot
headedness and partly because the umpires
In several cases are incompetent and need
some advice"
Capt. GRIFFIN was extremely frank. "I
freely admit" said he. "that l have found
fault with incompetent umpires, whether
l was In the right or not, simply to in.
fuence them, so nat we might benefit
In some future decision. 1 know about the
rules which prohibit kicking, but they will
always be worthless. 1t Is human pat,re
to object to a ruling when you know Won
are In the right, and all good players do 3d."
So one Captain Of a National League nine
regards 1t as his privilege to pronounce
as 1t pleases him upon the League umpires.
whose appointment and whose Judgments
have been very carefully put beyond the
field players Jurisdiction. The New York |
Captain doesn't hesitate to raise rows aa
expressions OF his feeling, or to confess that
he looks upon the ball ground as a free
place for the satisfaction Of his temper
The Brooklyn Captain Is ready to kick for
bulldozing purposes pure and simple. One
player kicks from personal temper; another
to the end of browbeating the umpire and
these are types of their colleagues. and mere
illustrations Of the intolerable habit.
And here Is a result. Last Sunday wben
the Nswark nine was playing on the
Vailsburg grounds there was a riot in
which the umpire came near being killed
" ohoo iCdooh VIC NdllbDuTR common
ouncil passed a resolution forbiddinp
playing on Sundays, when the crowd
Is greatest. "Kicking rooters and play.
ers," said the Mayor. shave made the
sport so disagreeable that many people are
becoming totally disguised and it is my
opinion that, If matters are allowed to 20
on the way they have during the present
season, baseball, as predicted in The SUN,
Will not be supported by an honest and re-
spectacle sporting public"
In every riot some one must light the
riot spark; some one must lead every mob.
1t needs no argument to show that the
makers and leaders of the mob spirit on
the ball field are the kicking players who
fire the spirit of disturbance by ~wrangIing
with the umpire. They are the incentives
to disorder and the models for the dis
orderly. The dangers now threatening the
prosperity OF the national game originate
them. They should be suppressed at
once and absolutely. without waiting for