The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-25
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
JOHN n. DAY BELIEYE ELS THB
LEAGUE WILL STOP KICKING.

The National Leagues Inspector OF Umpires,
John y. Day, has come TO the conclusion. after
looking into the matter carefully, that the
League club owners Will be compelled to make
radical changes in regard to the handling OF the
umpire stan and the behavior OF tho players on
che neld. Day, 1t will DO remembered. was
quoted in THE Sun last year as saying that the
League umpire stan wns one OF the best that he
had ever seen, but that tho cause Of all tho
trouble on the diamond was due to the methods
Of certain unruly players, who kicked to hide
their own faults.
"There is very little doubt now" said Day
yesterday. that the League will decide at
the aprine meeting that all kicking must stop.
Ths proposed blacklist rule, which has been
suggested with q view TO suppressing foul
language on the field. has met with favor, but
It n not exactly necessary, IL one considers that
q strict enforcement OF the rules as they are
written will abolish kicking, and thereby do
away with all chance Of abusing umpires
and spectators with vile language. It is
one thing to instruct players not to kick;
u 10 another thing to compel Thorn to
obey. This evil has reached such q point and
the game has boen so constantly injured by It
that the League has no other way out Of its
dilemma except to suppress the rowdics. In
1883 and 1889, whom I was President of the
New York Baseball Club, there was little or no
kicking In tho National League. The New Yorks
in those years won the pcnnsnt, and yet they
did not abuse umpires or indulge In rowdyism
at all. 1t was q fact that owners and managers
Of clubs then urged the players to kick more. be-
cause thcy believed that the public wanted
eliveiier game. such as was provided by the
American Association, which was really the
originator Of kicking. In due time, with the
consolidation OF the League and Association.
kicking became in some instances popular, es-
peciaIIy In the 25-cent cities, and as II grew It
became so much worse with each year that even
In 1894, when the New Yorks won the Temple
Cup, they did as much kicking as tho rowdy
Baltimores. The displacement of Roger Connor
by jack Doyle in '94 was the first step toward
making tho New Yorks n team Of
kickers. and Doyle did much to bring
down tho good reputation of the locals
by his absurd protests against just decisions.
While tho magnatcs are instructing and COM
polling players to stop kicking they might with
benefit to the game order their players to let
spectators alone. have seen on many grounds,
in my official capacity. players urging on crowds
TO intimidate umpires and to rattle visiting
teams. This, in my estimation. is a worse evil
than the kicking by captains md other mem
Ssss e e w siHS Ss in nna # e to Is s n"a 'S an ss,sSs , tn.s
respectable persons vii. stop patronizing the
natlonal game, and all Of the clubs will suffer
Day has had experience with umpires in the
past, and no believes that IL the players are re-
cials who have been declared incompetent can
return to the League .i sI Tif , and 81 The require.
good umpire is made to appear incompetent be:
cause Of tho constant ~nagging, bullying. and
browbeating to which he Is subjected while on
tho field.
One Of the League umpircs who will ~oficiate
this year gives n very good illustration of the
wa players have kicked with Inconsistency in
The past. He said the other day:
last year before a large crowd. In tho second
inning, with q man on third the batsmnn hit a
struck The chalk mark in such a manner that /
believed It to be Q fair ball. ! called IL SO, and
s sssr MAN IN f r.. d .aifd ,s ssor SIi, aaI1 SI%p . jones' Of t ,os
his Cat in my face. He called me a robber and
captain Of tho team that was at bat 1--WE will
cafl him SMITH rushed up and said that was
The very next inning. when Capt. Jopesss team
S %as e. Ss Il, there Ssn was S,a,s a r., man 1at 81 9s sss9 9sni an, and The the
was almost exactly like the one in tho previous
inning. In fact, 1t was almost impossible to tell
, "hsshe sna the two s.I hits d sb1. not Fl, strike = fs,r in b the
too. Capt. Smith. who was in the field and
VIII had commended me in the previous inning
1 %e 81 81 s iSSs'p tE;ro %sa' H { d saia a" | m ms and th GsaD ses
that after the game he would see to 1t that was
the play through different spectacle, and
though he had threatened to punch me because
Imade the same decision IN the preceding inning,
And SO Il went all through the game. Which
ever team WAS affected by a close decision the
and the funny part Of 1t was that before tho
game was over the public began to sympathize
with me, for they realized that 1 had troubles of
There have been countless instances in every
S Saye iS sto sSs ap IN the h srsnd w stSnd a spdic on fss
bleachers and openly protested against the silly
and inconsistent kicking Of not only visiting
The fact. that. one does not hear Of any defence
ofIared in behalf OF kickers, and that there are
papersL in behalf OF the rowdies and their
%H y ssG:. II, ,v,t taken sno as s.,, sS1Slusiy yss.I proof Of.
and that the pubic this season Will fPoWn
upon Il unless the magnates show a disposition
% kill 1t of. There have been several inter-
views with, noted kickers, who say that the
game will be dead IL they are suppressed, but
old.timers will remember that no more interest
ing games were ever, played in this country
York and Detroit. Boston and Providence. and
other noted League clubs between the years
a aSs1 a fsir is and s aa tsSss dfys Snti P tSs nSp Tas
was monarch Of all he surveyed.
Julian Y. curtiss was asked yesterday what
pered race at New london between Harvard.
and ssandS high in The stSletlO eOs "ffa ia's Of m Sis
university. He said with emphasis that Yale
would not change her policy In tho least, but he
admitted that the feeling at New Haven was
very much In favor OF q race with Cornell.
yale would be delighted II Cornell would
aecept the challenge as It stands and enter a
threo.cornered race next summer" said he.
There IL no feeling whatever against the Itha.
cans, and Yale's stand has simply been caused
by q determination to row Harvard at New
London for the next Ave years. We have
mover la the history Of our athletics signed any
agreements with any colleges except Harvard.
and that was because Of circumstances
over which we had no control and OF
which the public Is well aware. We have
Arranged to compete I'm every branch of sport
with Harvard, and that Is what the students at
New Haven and Cambridge want. We will 90
without agreements. We would like to have
Cornell row u race with us this year.. and
possibly another one next year, IL everything is
satisfAetory. Il we were signing agreements
lively that we would sign one with Cornell
In preference 10 any, college we know of, ex-
oept Princeton. and the Tigers, at thai,
would not be more highly esteemed than
and worthy rivals. Yale's challenge may have
appeared unsportsmanlike to some people, but
a. go NhA aa,,lE ~ NJ uaN,l lallhnu. L. Kill