Evening star., 1899-04-10

headquarters on starting out will probably
sound like this: Don't worry; let the
other fellows do the worrying" This will
strike you as splendid, and you at once de-
eide to adopt it. More will power will be
required, however, to live up to the resolu-
tion than you imagine. The players will
fuss and fume But you expect that; and
even such thing as little run-in on the
field should pass from your mind with
good dinner. A sneaking thought may lin
ger that you ought to have fined Pitcher
Twirles five for discoloring new ball, or
banished that boisterous first baseman from
the game; but there won't be anything
especially to worry about. Later on you
incur the displeasure-mild tern-of some
immense holiday crowd. Under other cir
cumstances you would feel somewhat i'm
portant to receive the undivided attention
of fifteen or twenty thousand people; now,
however, you feel a mighty lonely man.
As the crowd files out of the ground your
dressing room is bombarded by braWny
fists, and choice threats reach your ears.
When you emerge from shelter you look
about as pleasant as a man marching to
execution. The passageway to the street
cars is lined by an angry, but more or less
curious, mob. Score cards and peanuts
reach your head more than once, and you
hear everything you don't care to hear.
Your only friend is the umpire with whom
you work-partner in crime, as 1t were.
But you reach the hotel safely, and. having
disguised yourself in citizens clothes, go to
d lHtdleT anu Try 10 forget yourself oi
the way you pass a dozen bulletin boards
displaying the scores of league games.
Your name umpire will look particularly
obtrusive. Still, you may feel a sort of
cheap pride in recalling that perhaps a
million people that evening viii glance at
that same score and name. In fact, you
may worry only a trif1e, until you pick up
the papers the following morning. If there
is one thing ruinous to an umpires peace
of mind it is to ponder over what the press
anywhere a
line to half a column of criticism daily is
bound to affect his work. So stick to tele-
graph and editorials.
Real Trouble Begins.
Suppose, however, you have become in
ured to these minor troubles-and are ready
for the next degree After some particu-
larly stormy game you are waylaid by the
club manager, or perhaps a delegation of
the board of directors, who inform you,
with the aid of more or less lurid ad-
jectives, that decision of yours at the
plate will cost $500 at the gate tomor-
row. and further, that protest has been
filed against you with Nick Here is
chance for worry. y ou are actually influ-
encing the dividends and must go. But
even when this stage has been reached you
may take some comfort out of the knowl-
edge that it will take at least three pro
tests to force you upon President Young's
attention. If an endless repetition of these
scenes rODS you OF no sleep, and You feel
absolutely indifferent as to the trouble you
make others, and they make for you, con-
slider yourself peculiarly fitted for umpir-
ing. You will get along.
In addition to instructing you ito give cv-
cry decision as YOU see it" the president of
the league will direct you to give close de-
c!sions in favor of the base runner. At first
you will find this difficult to live up to, for
the reason that a team captain, seeing most
of the close ones" going against his club,
SF.t IN l. IJa
would hardly make such a claim of an old
umpire, but you, being a yOungSter, H. will
peremptorily demand his clubs rights to
at least half of the good things. Better
stick to your advice, for you receive no
thanks, whatever you do as the following
Incident will prove:
Hard to Satisfy.
Several seasons ago the Washington club
enjoyed the rare pleasure of defeating the
C.ncinnatis rather handily on the Red Legs
own field. The contest was peculiar from
the fact that no less than twenty-five close
decisions We're rendered during its progress
Bob Emslie, one of the best of umpres.
was judge, and he gave Washington
twenty-one of the twenty-five close rulings
on the favored runner score. The game
being played on Sunday, the players of the
Boston club Were among the spectators,
Pitcher Nichols counted the number of
close decisions, and afterward observed that
in all his career on the diamond he had
seen nothing to compare with the share
Washington received that day. A few days
later Emslie Officiated in Washington. The
home club had lost a close game and
Manager Schmnlz indulged in one of his
characteristic curtain lectures to his play
ers. As finishing touch he glared fierceiy
at Emslie. who was packing his grip. and
exclaimed Yes. and TO top ii all, we never
get close decision at home abroad!'
Not without Friends
hat in, u
ness you will be compelled to associate al
together with uncongenial persons The
players YOU seldom meet off the field The
men you umpire with will not impress you
as robbers and thieves" devoid of all
conscience or feeling. Most of them are
men of family. kindhearted, generous and
sympathetic. Some time ago one of the
young umpires on the staff had good reason
to think so, when, after a discouraging
weeks work. he received a cheering letter
in part as follows:
We Just left Cleveland. and as the club lost
three out OF six games they In the best Of
humor 80 don't mind them, my boy, If they get
back at you on any decisions just walk back to
your position and shame them out of the kick
| was Just reading the Sunday - and don't
blame you. my dear fellow, if you got dsgulste,l
Rut don you mind: We have all grown so this sel.
son. and 1t seems impossible to please the losers
Keep up a good heart and don't let them drive yon
out Alr Young Is with you, and every fair minded
man who attends the games.
lou have found out by this time that you have
10 friends in the business. The ones who ought 20
help us along are the first to jump us. Now MY
hoy. don't worry. | tell you this and | am as ha!
as ever was. All my worrying comes before the
game If we could only overcome that it would he
much easier hope you will receive this lettcr I'm
the spirit in which IL is II your heart Is sore
Il Kind word don't hurt YOU and don't get any
too many in this business. The best of luck TO yo
i my wish Yours truly, LYNCH
So. you see, that even in this unthankf1l
business you make friends worth having
And, as said before if you are worry-proof
umpiring will not be the most undesirable
work in the world The short hours and
fair compensation short season considered; ;
the opportunity to see the country and
study human nature, all are desirable To
young men of the right tempera rlsnt the
profession of umpiring surely holds ont in
ducemerts enough to warrant years of
training and preparation. If you feel you
are not the man for the calling the purport
OF this scrced will not have been entirely
lost If it has interested YOU in behalf of the
muchly abused umpire, whose troubles are
soon 10 begin.