The times., 1898-07-28
PRESIDENT a, FREEDMAN.
evidences of Ru1iianism Among the
New NoFI, plnyPrs


New York Players
when the merits of the unique dis
turbances at theT New York baseball
grounds on Monday are considered care
fully, the affair will be actually welcomed
as an Indication that the VIGOROUSLY bad
things in the national game will be made
better" says the New York Sun.
The trouble began with a spectators
jeer ait Baltimore player, Holmes, for
merly of New York. Holmes struck out,
and his critic yelled at him, That's what
You left here for" The player, putting
the spectator down as partisan of the
management which had discharged him.
cried out. In similar tone, IT'S a good
thing I'm not playing for Sheeny now,
referring, OF course TO Mr. Freedman, the
president of the club, who IS a Hebrew.
There have been utterances and insults
far more atrocious than this heard upon
the New York ground. without sign of
the New York presidents protest, but
none the less one could understand Mr..
F'reedman's anger, even IF various earlier
events had not proven his temper TO be
curiousiy I'll balanced. Mr.. Freedman's
subsequent action, though, in rushing
upon the field and debating with the UNI
pire as to the proDriety of the latter's
expelhng Holmes must be Judged by the
code of baseball and not by Freedman's
rights to Indignation.
ITO begin with, Freedman had no right
to go upon the field That, for the mo-
ment, belonged to the umpire, Its master
alarms, the spectators who had paid to
see the game. the competing clubs and the
National League. under whose auspices
the game was being tplayed. The presi-
dent of the New York Club was as dis
tinCEfy out of place on the bah ground
with complaints because of a personal in
suit as would nave been any spectator.
Freedman made a demand upon the
umpire that Holmes be expelled. on the
ground that the latter had insulted him.
The umpire refused for the reason that
he had not heard the insult. Tnat should
have ended 1t, so far as Freedman was
concerned. If the umpire had expelled
Holmes a Freedmans request, not him.
self being cogniZant Of She offense. he
would have deserved discharge from the
leagues service as promptly as the noti-
fication of his unftness could reach the
leagues president.
Then Freedman took the law into his
own hands again. He deliberately or
dered a policeman to eject Holmes. The
umpire, Lynch. evidently a man able to
stand upon his own legs, promptly or
dered the game to proceed and, the
Freedmanites refusing 10 play, the game
was forfeited to the Baltimores- The
spectators right 10 witness a completed
game was sacrificed to the local spirit
of disorder acting through the president
OF the club.
OF course Holmes was to blame for
opening his lips at all Players are TO
play. not TO talk, and they will show
a more prudent regard for their own in
terests and more seIf-Fespeet if they re-
fuse to be baited into argument with the
benches. SO long as spectators handy
words with players so long will the ball
field have the character of a bear garden
rather than of a place for sport.
Another side of Mr.. Freedman's action.
though, shines with promise. The vigor-
Gus effort on the part of the National
League TO abolish from the national
game the disorder long recognized as dis
graceful and repuisive, Mr.. Freedman's
persistent attitude of hostility to the ef
fort, and his refraining from disciplining
his players for violating the rules, are
well known, and have caused many men
to think that professional baseball would
have to be absolutely prOstrated before
the ViciousneSs in il could be eradicated
and the game again become healthy.
The season opened at the Polo Grounds
with a memorable scene of disorder. in
which a group of spectators. perverted by
years Of Freedmanism, pelted the UNI
pire with missiles. The New York men
have been almost as abusive of the UNI
pire as of old, and as defiant of the rules.
More than one of them have been put out
of the game for wrangling with the UNI
pire. The New York captain, Joyce, once
assaulted the umpire. The spirit of riot
has dominated the Polo Grounds un-
checked, while the president of the club
has broken silence only to defend his
employees ruffianism. But, suddenly,
touched in his own person, he jumps upon
the field and demands that a player be
expelled for disorder. Let him go on. If
he will investigate the subject further
he will find that the game so far as his
influence extends over IL, instead of being
a genuine and wel-ordered sport, worthy
of public interest and patronage, is a low
and unregulated rowdyism, before which
decency and fair play hide their heads
THE rule of the scripture should govern
Mr.. Freedmans studies. Not the mote in
the eye of his brother. but the beam in his
own must be cast out before he sees
clearly the lamentabIe discredit that his
cultivation of disorderly practices in the
New York Club has brought upon base
ball.