The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-07-30
DAY OF THE UMPIRE
His Work is Greatly Purifying
Baseball.
Forty five of the Big League Players
Have Been Put Out of the
Game This Year.
THE UMPIRE NOW AN AUToCRAT


Philadelphia North American.
The umpire has a trump to play
against the recalcitrant. All he ha,
to do is wave his hand say, ITO the
bench" In making the speech he il
merely the mouthpieoe for president:
Of the leagues.
They have authorized him to deal
out discipline with an unsparing hand
When the offense is of an aggravated
nature they add to removal from the
game the punishment of three days
suspension.
A delving into the records shows
that in the big leagues to date forty.
five men have been sent to the bench
for misconduct on the field. Twenty
four were National players and TWEEN
ty-oue American. Several of these
have suffered more than once. The
worst offenders are Lajoie, Peltz and
McGraw, who on three occasions have
bad a chance to think it over in retire
m cut and conclude that kicking
doesn't pay
A rev lew of the records for this sea.
son shows that the umpire, to SPEAK
of him col, ,ctively in both leagues,
has been ress, uably busy dumping
tainted baseb stars into the chloride
of lime, writes Char ley Dryden.
Most Of the players were banished
from the game for using language nm
becoming a Hottentot.
Outlines a g., 900 per annum beaut
apgered over q decision AGAINST his
side, passes close to the umpire, srd-
without looking at that person he
turns loose a flow OF language that
would shrivel a tsnnery.
For that the player goes out Of the
game, assisted by the police. The
spectators have stem or heard nothing
that would in their opinion justify
such harsh treatment, and the umpire
comes in for wholesale abuse. He is
the goat for fair.
Some time, after an affair Of this
sort, seek out the umpire, Instead Of
shaking your fist under his nose just
ask him what the player said.
We have often met umpires who pos
sessed what is said to be human intel
ligence coupled with human feeling.
Like as not he will repeat the language
applied to him and then you wonder
why the player did not take an ambu-
lance from the field instead of walk
ing off with the sympathy of the en-.
tire community.
But these instances, we are pleased
to note, are rare. Nine times out of
ten the offending player gets what is
coming to him and at that he misses
the bnlk of it. The umpire's position
is roast at best, and he endures
enough mental and physical anguish
without being tainted with an alleged
bench show pedigree.
"In my opinion, a great deal of
credit for the improved conditions on
the ball field should be given to the
players, for undoubtedly it has been
their cooperation in the new order of
things that has brought about such
good results" says President Pulliam
of the National league. Rowdyism
will soon be a thing of the past on the
ball fieln, and the patrons will gain
thereby, because they will see clearer
cut games. The umpiring will be
much better, for when an umpire is
free from nagging and abuse he is in
much better condition to give accurate
decisions.
This year has seen great gain for
clean baseball" says President John
son of the American league. THE old
disputes that resulted in scandalous
scenes ON the field are now virtually
impossible. Since the American league
came into existence the players have
learned that the authority OF the um-
pire is paramount. Things for which
men are promptly sent to the bench
would have passed without reprosch
ten years ago. We have had little
trouble this season and expect less
next year. There is less rowdyism
now than ever. Clean base ball is here