The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-15
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
JOHN 4. BRUsR,s LATEST views ON
rRE KICKING QUESTION.

JOHN n BRUsH's LATEST views ON
ERg KICKING QUEsTIoN.
Leasue presidents Ask a. g. spsidipG 70 At
een1 the %. Louis Meeting and Aid Thera
"a nts, the Re-wdies-uoach ButteFwsrth
Gives Mis- Opinion on Feotbai Changes.
John I. Brush. President OF the Cincinnati
League Club, sends the following statement to
TIE sur
"a great deal Of our trouble during the play
inr season could DO avoided II club manage
ments would stand together at that time as
rolidlS ns they do as. the fall and spring meet
inrn. But the trouble does not all lie with the
management. Incompetent umpires prectpi-
tsts somd of the trouble; by that 1 moan those
who Will not exercise the authority with which
they are clothed. i have known umpires to
lose thsir positions because OF incompetency,
drunkenness, and failure TO enforce rules. but 1
do not remember Of any dismissals where an
umpire performed tho duties OF his Office 40
cordinR 10 the provisions Of the rules governing
umpires.
Reformation 10 needed in.several directions.
First, We need competent umpires. those who
viii impartially umpire the game without fear
or favor. They should DO scheduled and thon
mot changed at the within and caprice OF club
Presidehts.' There should DO no interference
with umpires on tho part Of club arrangements.
Protests against umpires for enforcing the rules
and maintaining discipline should DO wholly
ignored. and protests against incompetency
should DO ignored until the accumulation OF
evidence 10 sufficient to give proper weight to
the protest. The penalty for violating any rule
should DO enforced and there should DO no re-
mission OF tho penalty on the part Of the club
management. Kicking against the decisions OF
an umpire by the players should be cond emned
and not upheld by tho club Presidents.
"These are some Of tho reforms that i would
like TO see carried into effect. The suppression
Of senseloss kicking. profanity, and vulRarity
upon the diamond is the most difficult problem
that confronts those who legislate for the baseball
Of the future. 1t Is an evil that has fastened 1T
self upon tho game that will require heroic
measures on the part of the National League to
eradicate. The support Of tho press and all who
favor clean aud gentlemanly sports are invited
70 cooperate to this end"
Az may be seen, Brush means busines and 10
willing 70 help in the movement to kill rowdy-
ian Of all kinds. His remarks about "incompe-
s SGSin aI that Il the %0m msEnat SsiV viii ABSOLUTELY com:
Del their pleyor to obey tho rules and Will sup
Rost tae S mi DpoS at amy nyy. S9Ss sne wG %@n drneG ape
human and are liable to make mistakes, but IL
chez. are backed up BY the League and by the in.
odly give satisfaction.
sa That bs sss % %sse to r Ct taS t Sssi so%e 1 rsdIusi
action against rowdyism and kicking must be
taken et the St. Louis meeting is an assured
ciave and aid them in their efforts to make the
s ssHS I s'saat sp safd e a ~ reDo ateas Of F ifG@ SUM- SSf:
ut 10 true that I have been asked to attend
q. heSsus meeting ne tim .i in til the v Interest crest Of fv, fIeS an
TO st. Louis prepared to aid Brush, Soden. Hart,
and tho Others who want to have kicking abol.
keep out OF League politics and have not at
tended the meetinEs for 2 number Of years. but
mirs. Kicking must be abolished without
9 HSa SmSire 60 m s%I'tb b. =" res REhsssSst 10 q tha siG"f% Grmef
support them. I have considered this matter
owner can fall to advocate reforms. In the
interest," Of fair play and sportsmanlike baseball
permitted to run Wild on the diamond"
on the League umpire stan. II Latham can be
90 amusing az an umpire as he was as a player.
I 70 n.SpS % T IN the Ss b ss bsifS world as a 3 Wis DURING n1ss
Q gene between the 81. Louis and Cincinnati
wore IL the lead. and Ted Sullivan as manager
upf try TO win out tho game. He called for
Latham volunteered. and he at once opened up
Q volley of wit that convulsed tho spectators
ives pitching for the Cincinnatis. In the next
tnntns La Haar ws1s t9 w SHS WHEN two 10 men men wero
.rIpam very sorry to inform you. Mr.. White.
that We have been asleep too long. and we must
n49T wake up and cause yoq some trouble. You
With that he smashed a screamer down tho
meantime he scsmpered down to second, and
gaySone Of his characteristic warwhoops, which
out6t the box.
coAch, was here yesterday and. when asked for
s az opinion Sr On, on re- Rs, EsF Co1sn sqESest tic TT to be con.
sity A. G. on next Saturday night. said:
80 far .s am personally concerned. the
them ncei IL little touching up to be intelligent
ly understood. but beyond that no radical
in football last fall was absurd. Just be.
cause a player is temporarily winded or
he should be sprinkled with cologne.
OF course. where u player deliberately kicks
do oSPRsn sase N is0 o 1ss e Sr sSeyEw be Instantly ts s sis;
ruled Of; for his action reflects discredit on the
game. But there 10 absolutely, no harm in real
cutlery against Tho sport last fall was chiefly due
70, sensa tionalism and the inability of students
Il s%f su ,a1 more OF less 80 5Re sSy shs s Bat t Ta,h %Ss
not the. fault of the Rules Committee. How
HuIiy plbyorb w q wore WemDerb OF the 1ale,
Harvard. Princeton, University OF Pennsylva.
mia and Cornell %eievens were seriously injured !
Not one. ~ is, therefore. my belief that the
what do you think OF the guards back in.
reference = asked The reporter.
"Its u pretty effective play" said Butter
worth, smiling, and / see no harm in II. Uni.
yersity OF Pennsylvania worked II out and used
IT With good r suits. There were no men hurt
BY II except. perhaps, players who didn't know
the gHlne:, An there's a source of considerable
football without being hurt. 1t prevails In
minor institutions. and nlukes unsophisticated
persons believe that the game is brutal and
Harvard and Princeton, you will recall the fact
that both contests were cleanly played. There
wsro q few mass plays on both sides, yet they
hurt nobody. | do not believe. therefore. that
tho present rule governing mass plays should be
How about letting the quarter back run with
ITS u good Idea. and opens up many possibil.
itioB. Still. / think tho rules should not be
changed. The public should have a chance to