The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-02
EASY UMPIRING.
JamesJ .McGarr Tells
How 1t Can Be
Done.
ENFORCE THE RULES.
Famous Umpire to Work
in Worcester This
Winter.
ENFORCE THE RULES. !"

"Umpiring would be easy enough if
the officials only enforced the rules"
Such was the statement of Umpire Jas.
~ McGarr of the National league to-
The Spy man in a general talk on base
ball
Every official in the big league had
his troubles this season, the good ones
suffering as well as the bad. Probably
newspaper criticism of the umpire staff
as whole was in a large measure re-
sponsible. N. E. Young, president OF
the National league, who appoints the
umpires, was severely scored through
out the season in nearly all cities of
the league, for having an incompetent
staff.
McGarr escaped as easily as any of
the umpires, which is a creditable rec
ord for his first season out, especially
for this season. He had his troubles,
however, a few times just as the best
| of them.
McGarr said the fault of umpites is
that they are too lenient with the play
| ers. Umpires have 1t in their power
to enforce the rules and run the game
! properly, but they do not take advan-
| tage of their powers The rules of the
| league allow umpires to inflict a fine
on any player who addresses them ex-
cept the captains of the eontesting
teams. McGarr thinks if this rule was
enforced for a short time, the players
would cease their senseless kicking. for
| they do not like to lose their money.
But umpires dislike greatly to fine a
| r an, realizing that the player speaks
/ in the heat of a game, and cannot af-
! ford to lose money as easily as an UNI
pire can take it from him. Then,
too, the officials find it difficult to all
| low the fine to stand. After the game,
a player who has been fined during
| the contest usually seeks out the UNI
pire and asks him not to send in the
notice to President Young. Sometimes
the player heseeches so strongly that
the umpire has not the heart to send
| in notification of the fine. Failing in
this respect, the fine does not go In
renting a fine in this way, the umpire
is only injuring himself, for the prac-
tice gives the players greater license,
and they realize there is no check on
them.
Umpire McGarr said that the players
have some respect for the old umpires,
but try all sorts Of tricks on new UNI
pires and fail to show them the respect
that is due them. The players feel
they can take liberties with new UNI
| pires. and even go as far as imposing
ON uInplr6S VINO are just starting Oul
McGarr escaped the fate Of new man
to considerable extent, for there are
few players in the big league today who
have had as much experience on the
diamond as he.
/ He thinks something will have to be
done for New York, Louisville, Cleye-
land and Washington next season, as
the game was not as profitable in those
cities this season as it has been. Wher
asked about the new league, he re-
piled that he had no more sources of in
+. formation on 1t than anybody else con-
nected with the National league, anC
an opinion regarding it.
McGarr intends to work in Worcester
: during the winter. He expects to be
out early in the spring with the big
league again, and will prepare himself
for the years work in advance. He
was under handicap when he began
the arduous duties this year, being I'M
der the weather when he received the
appointment He attended to his du-
ties, however, although he was under
the care of physician portion of the
time. He speaks in high terms OF
O'Dav, with whom he was associated
as base umpire, the more experienced
official doing work behind the bat. He
also has good words for President
Young of the National league, who
gave him the appointment, and whose
words of encouragement at the outset
were enough to inspire any umpire to
his best endeavors.