The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-24
siLLiNcs-RED LODGE GAME ENDS
UNSATISFACTORY.
ROW WAS OVER UMPIRE
His Demand for Change Disregarded,
Shuster Orders His Men
From the Field.
Mondays Daily Gazette.

Nersy and regardless of their sympa,
thies, it is safe to say that the Bill.
ings people who went to Red Lodge
yesterday to witness the second game
of ball between the teams of the re
spective towns are disguised with
the n in which ended what all
had reason for expecting would be
the best game of the season, at least
thus far. Probably the Red Lodge
people feel the same way, although
they have not been heard from up to
present writing.
The question of right and wrong
does not seem to be clearly settled,
for opinion is strongly divided and
apparently no two persons a be
found who hold to the same view.
Some declare that Shuster acted a
trit1estooz hastily, while others say he
didssexArtly right. But of one thing
theFSis no doubt-the disappointment
all feel is great.
OF course, the row was all about
the umpire. Shuster claimed his de-
cisions were rank. Red Lodge said
they were all right, perfectly fair,
just and honest. Frank Fox was the
unfortunate man who filled the much
abused position and his inability to
discriminate between strikes and
balls seems to have been the cause of
the fiasco. 1t is alleged by some of
those who differed from him in some
of his decisions that a visual defect
made it impossible for him to see
clear enough to render exact judg-
ment, while others are not so charit-
able and attribute other causes. What
ever the real cause, Shuster called
his men off the field al the end of the
second inning and the game ended
because Red Lodge refused to heed
his protests and substitute a new
umpire for the unsatisfactory one.
Up to this stage the game had been
entirely n sided. Billings had scor-
ed four time, while Red Lodge had
been unable to bring a man home.
Billings had made five hits and had
played an e%rrorless game. Red Lodge
had made only n hit and had three
errors charged to it's account.
It was in the last half of the sec
end inning when the trouble really
began. Harker was at bat and was
given a base on balls. Stout followed
and was thrown out at first by Rose,
who was holding down the second
bag for the coal miners. Smalley
made two foul tips, which were count
ed as strikes. The next ball went
higher than his head and the umpire
called it a strike and Smalley was
out. Shuster protested, mildly, and
the game went IN. Donovan landed
into the shortstop's hand, but it was
f11roh1n1 nr1 T0ror1- ~o@~l~l G.-k
and Harker vent to third. Donovan
tried to- steal second, Story threw to
Rose and Harker tried to score, but
was thrown out by Rose at the plate.
This retired the side and Shuster re-
inforced his first gentle kick by one
OF goodly proportions and demanded
a change of umpires. The demand
was refused and Shuster called his
men about him and they walked off.
Here it is where some claim he
made al mistake. They contend he
should have played at least another
inning and then renewed his protest,
which, under the National league
rules he had a right to do. Others
say his team was so much stronger
than that of Red Lodge that he could
have afforded to keep On and then
still win, Notwithstanding that Red
Lodge had borrowed several of the
professional players from Butte and
Helena, as his men had outplayed the
others at every turn.
There are some ugly things being
said this morning about the way in
which certain matters were done, but
OF these nothing will be said here.
At the very best the entire game was
a delorable n and it is feared will
nave a bad effect on the game for the |
balance of the season.
When Shuster declined to play any |
longer the umpire declared the game
IN favor of Red Lodge, 9 to 0, but as
only " innings had been played it
Wps no game and all bets, of which
ner We're many, were declared off.
is Captain Jack" Shuster no
/onger and Billings just for the pres
'ent is short a second baseman. This |
Shuster rendered his resig-
nation to the board of control of the
local team and it was promptly ac.
cepted and the gentleman was given
what was coming to him. BY resign.
ing ne probably forestalled the man
agement, as it was tolerably certain
4thta he would have been Informed
that his services would no longer he
required, his actions of yesterday hav-
ing caused considerable dissatisfac-
tion. 1t is said that he expects to
leave for North Dakota, where he has
a place awaiting him on some minor
club. ~
a meeting of the board is to he
neld this evening, when the team will
pc reorganized. Although a good
player, Shuster is not wholly indis-
.pensaoie and it is believed that some
n else equally as good can be Sc
cured to fill his place.
me cluD is well OF financially. hav-
ing something like $500 in the treas.
urv and owing nobody a cent. With
this amount to the good the directors
satisfied that thew will have no
in keeping the team togeth.
and will continue to play ball un-
til thesend of the season.