The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
soDEN OF RoS7ON .iGIJNsT KICKING
ON THE DIAMOND.

ON THE TdMON
ma sor. All PLAYERS should sion tho Abuse
An Unnpirr'a Diary From, n Humorous Point
or Vir~-Iiockey Teams TN Not Obry the
u~ics-O'Rourks Was lSoom Ifo,inE Mt BoAton
President Soden OF the Boston baseball Club
has como out in favor OF abollshing kicking on
the fold. lie is ono OF the oldest and most OK
poricncod mngnates In tho National League.
The other day Soden was asked II he was In
favor OF ball players kicking against umpires'
decisions. Ifc said:
"This kicking business has increased gradu-
ally since tho League and Association wcro con-
solidated in 1900. In olden times there was III
ways q certain amount Of kicking, but it was
Ronerally in accordance with tho rules that per-
NIT n captain of a team TO dispute with an UNI
pire on n misintcrprctation of the rulcs. But OF
late years players In every team In tho League
have seen 1T TO quarrel with umpires on every
ruling that was against their interests, whether
It was justly made or not. As far as tho
Boston club is concerned. l am in favor
OF enforcing the rules as they nre written
in tho code. 1 believe that the umpircs
should DO absolute in their authority to make
decisions, and that the players should abide by
Shem at any cost. The Bostons, during the past
nve years have received explicit instructions
not to kick, ana to play the game to the best of
their ability. As n result they have earned tho
reputation OF being clean ball players, and yet
shcy have won an indisrutable claim to the
League pennnnt. II all the club owners will in.
ptruct their players to keep away from tho UNI
pires this year and to accept tho rulings OF the
9ndges without protest there will be no trouble.
Tsshall instruct | Manager Scleo 10 order the
laostons to adhere to the rules as they are writ.
tan, and we will take tho consequences. The
Rbston Club wants TO win games on the level.
md tho other clubs can BIO just MS sincere us we
ufc II they want to be. Kicking is unsports.
manlike in every way and should BIO eliminated.
Isee no reason why all the clubs should not fol.
low our example. As far rs l have learned.
Reach OF Philadelphia and '~spalding Of Chicago
take the same view OF tho situation that the
Boston Club Goes. md / sincerely hope that the
other club owners win have the same ideas be-
fare the season opens"
ssSpalding and Reach have already been quoted
"a THE Sun as in favor of nbolishing kicking,
Md now come Ebbcts and Bnrnie of the Brooklyn
Club. They say that kicking in any form should
anxious to find. out what the other clubs arc
willing TO do. President Freedman of the New
York Club declares that he has always instructed
his players TO obey the rules, and. thus let
the umpires alone. but he cannot. deny, that
him in many instances. The magnates have
plenty of time to reach a unanimous conclusion
tothuefeot that during the coming season tho
are permitted to kick and rave as in the past.
baseball enthusiasts, predict that the great ma
tlonal game will fall still lower in the estima-
tion OF good sp%ortsmen.
The umpirc's troubles. while for the most part
seriously depicted, are pretty well illustrated
in the following humorous clipping from the
Bu f.. ~ E re ~ 9 d Aces, ,o. 1t i ts supposed ri,v to Sv DO .
tormonted judge Of play:
Monday-Got along pretty well today: Captain
I'll TX eim later a' on. Larry aahan shook his Il nst un:
der my nose on a close decision in the third, and he'll
with u ssantling, but I say him IN tine to dodge. ,,,
both mines around me four deep; The balance Of the
the sixth inning there was a rush for me from the
right field bleachers. but the police stopped 'em in
Thsy saw 1s shst Gh,y h %1rs club % s nfn'i had I1 an even eve Chance chance
Of ginning IS ,,S and .s they di el,s want want the ,srs game q inter iss
but l ducked, and the blow took Catcher Feeney
s saa Te II had shs ss sse; a P pew sosS %e ! F anaEsa1 o sent P9 hl@ To-
and cigar boxes and shoe brushes at me l would give
1 pees sa,as shs sa Boys Ssn not 's 10 throw a9e the ss shin sSsy until it after e1
the the ram e, was S.. Eyer or the r0 c.,rss the s, END odn 81 the nDd pi MsnI !
toe last man was out / ran for my lie and ths street
bottles crashing D against InsI The tens .,'''i q l
Thursday-This was a red.letter day for me. Only
Mcclure wa. a little too fresh in the serond. andI
sent him 1at to the ben bench III, He | ,a tried sdd an u z G;%",, on nj me ne
the bench. They brought the bench to him:
Brtday-lt rained to-day. Thank heaven!
saturday-It took seventeen policemen and a patrol
wagon to save me this afternoon. The trouble com.
Tss ssow when ms sSfoissfd me- a,n as a on" "rob In the s sSns.n;
m nutes. without cessation. In the sixth. when I
broke loose. Men swore. women tainted and dogs
barked. The crowd swarmed on to the field, and I
In the patrol wagon. enuek.d me into II. and then the
thecrowd in pursuit. 1t was like one Of those Russian
races between a sleigh and a pack OF wolves. Host
closed. and a pop bottle famed my left knee. Finally
we got through the gateway. and the crowd ran us all
pen next week?
Word has been received from Oakland. CAL,
thattGarret Cochran, ex-captain Of the Prince
ton football eleven. has consented to coach the
University OF California team next season. This
IL In line with various offers to well-known foot
ball experts in the past to coach teams of minor
members of the A. A. U. and other advocates of
pure amateurism rs to the incentives Of
been stated on various occasions that, these
college coachers. who DO not work for
their g exact s"s ' STANDING ing IN o the athletic fe" World has R@s
never came up for, q searching examination.
There, arc more ex.Yale men engaged in coach.
ing minor college teams than experts from any
other big university. and it is to their ability
The teams in tho local hockey league are not
living up to their rules and regulations. They
tie It must be played off before another regular.
ly scheduled game is contested. According to
inc records tnero are several instances whcre
this rule has been violated, and unless 1t is set
right there may be a muddle in the final official
standing of the clubs.
The promoters Of local fighting clubs are still
awaiting action by the Police Board. Since
Warren Lewis secured the lease of the Coney
Island Clubs arena Tom O,Ronrke has said
very little. However, he talked this way to
THE, sun reporter yesterdays: at looks very
much as though tho game would start up in
Boston pretty soon, for l learn that a friend OF
mine has secured a good buildin. for a club
and that the law will be soon fixed SO
that event ! hope to hold sway there.
Dixon has gone to West Baden for a rest.
He is not in good physical shape and needs q
long course Of training to get him right. Wal.
colt sailed for Barbados yesterday to see his
mother. He is ,still anxious TO fight Mccoy.
ana my money is up yet. AS far as securing a
local club is CONCERNED. l prefer not, to say any.
thinS just yet. II l can get q good location. l
will apply for u license. That's ALL"
Columbia students are still talking Of the
comments in THE Sun about the development
Of athletic teams under the colors OF the Blue
and White. They have taken the hint with en-.