The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
KICKERS ON THE DIAMOND.
TROUBLE rs OF THE UNFORTUNATE
LEAGUE EMPIRES INCREASING.

ussuatss and Fisycrs 70 blame TOR the Exist
tag H,ts-Ruies That Are Not Enroreed-
DtskraoeruI Rows That Have Occurred
This sease.-Doubis Umpire system . Pos
sisie Remedy Judges or Play Honest.
The umpire question. as far as the National
League Of professional baseball clubs is con.
cerned, has reached such a stage that unless
the magnates who control the biz CLUBS anord
some remedy tho national game seems bound to
lose caste with tho respectable patrons all over
the country. In almost every instance where
there Is trouble on tho field the poor umpires
aro blamed. so that to-day they are regarded by
the thousands OF uncharitable persons who at
tend the big League games as q common enemy.
This feeling OF hostility has been brought about
not 90 much by the incompetcncy OF the umpires
or wilful craftsmanship on their part as by the
actions Of the players. who in almost every In
stance are backed up by the clubs with which
they arc under contract.
II Is n fact that every winter the League
magnatos have tackled the umpire question,
and. with q desire to rid tho game Of its only
Objectionable feature, they have framed rules
which they intended to be stringe.tly enforced.
II 10 also q truism that the umpircs, receiving
instructions from n. e. Young. President Of
the League, have gone forth determined to OBJ
serve tho rules to tho letter. 1t Is n fact, too,
that they have done very well during the first
few weeks Of every season, when the excite.
mont and anxiety over victories and defeats
have not begun to hold sway. Then 1t Is that
tho umpires begin to feel an influence which
rotards them In their work on the field.
Acting under the original Instructions re-
ceived from the President OF the League, they
punish players by inflicting fines and by expell-
ing them from the games. Tho players go to
tho owners OF their clubs or to their managers
and say they are being robbed which often
times serves to cover up defeats and excuses
bad playing. The club owners and managers
wire long protests to the President Of the League
and that official is forced to remove the "objcc-
tionable' judge Of play to some other city.
Soon the President has received from certain
clubs 90 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 ali sorts of indigni-
ties from players. The umpire, by this time,
desiring to retain his position, which Yields a
salary Of about 81, 800 and expenses, becomes
q triho intimidated, unless he has unusual
backbone. and favors the homo club. BY this
means he believes that he will escape news
paper criticism in partisan cities and thus hold
his job. The visiting teams are made to suffer
AZ CohbONuOhSOp hil tho uAlipi tJiiCo IA "
moro trouble In that direction. Later. when
the schedule shifts, umpires who have not treat
cd Western clubs fairly In the East, are com.
PEELED to 60 West and receive all sorts of abuse.
That is the way, therefore, that these %unfortu-
mates get into trouble, for which they are really
not to blame.
Tho magnates are to blame for this state Of
affairs from what they do themselves and even
from whit they permit the players to do,
The features Of professional baseball to-day
arc kicking" NOISY coaching" rafting"
opposing players By using insulting remarks,
and urging on excited crowds to roast" um.
Ing" 30 that 1t has been rather enjoyable this
year, but the other evils still exist.
methods to all the League clubs. In the East.
ern cities Of the League there is not nearly so
much turmoil as in the West. Boston is per.
ing players. There is seldom any trouble there,
because the patrons Of the game in the Hub
and know when their team is playing good pali.
In this city and Brooklyn such a thing as mob
hing an umpire liz is Epindhheeard Of. But there has
cisions. particularly at the Polo Grounds. Capt.
Joyoe's players have been guilty. of almost
1t is also true that the crowds at the Polo
Grounds have not been disposed to treat
their wont in the days when Mutrie and Buck
Ewing held the reins. Constant yelling TO
rattle opposing, teams has been frequently in
'.roasted.", There have been instances, too,
where decisions which were manifestly unfair
against visiting teams have been appla uded by
Now York players.
In Philadelphia there ls partisan feeling, but
the players there have always been noted for
thcir peacefulness until this season. There
pave, been no acts OF violence there, and there
has been no reason for them, for the Philadel-
phiae have not been playing winning ball. The
Saltimores have been regarded as notorious
are consistent in their protests. The crowds in
the Monumental City are intensely partisan, and
visiting teams are no! received with open arms.
Partisan crowds in Washington have no good
reason to lose control Of themselves, as their team
has seldom cut much of a figure in the race.
with umpires is to be found. Chicago. like
Boston, Is a place In which travelling teams like
kicking and believes in fair play. As a result
there are few Of the disgraceful rows there which
are certainly hurting the game, and visiting
one time was known all over tho country as
Baby because he kicked, but he never re-
protests half SO vehement and violent as char.
acterize the actions OF the big kickers in the
League to-dayi Very little trouble has &c:
Ahe's team Is trailing along at the end of the
procession, and public interest is at a low ebb.
Louisville. things are decidedly different.
In all OF these cities rows have occurred this
Visiting teams have complained 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 n
matter OF record that umpires are intimidated
by flaming articles in the daily papers OF those
cities, which can upon the crowds TO care
fully, superintend the umpirc's work. 1t can.
pot BIO denied, either, that visiting teams have
neen subjected 10 personal abuse in cold 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 an.
tpathy toward the Eastern clubs appears to
exist In these four, cities and a general desire 10
Tcbeau. the Cleveland captain, has tho repu-
tauQn OF being the most notorious kicker in
the League. lie was mixed up in several seri.
GUS scrapes last year, but he has been rather
quiet this season. By his methods, however.
and those or his men, the interest in baseball 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
changed his tactics since he was In charge Of
the New Yorks.. But he Is by no means as bad
as some other players. The crowds there have
but ono desire-thnt Is to win any old way
and THY are particularly bitter toward the New
Yorks because OF tho feud existing between
Presidents Brush and Freedman. The be.
havior OF Louisville people is chiefly due TO the
novelty OF having a team that can win n few
games, while In Pittsburg rowdyism has been
cultivated AVar stnna fIa lay. N ~. II .