Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-29

resigned umpire of the Three-Eye
League, in an interview with a DeCa
tur Herald reporter Particularly is
this true in the minor leagues where
there are so many youngsters breaking
into the business. While | have had
no trouble to speak of this season.
| cannot predict what would happen
to me should | follow the calling all
Of next year
Milan Once Good.
MILAN was considered one of the
best umpires in the Three-Eye league
last year. but he has been Unfortunate
in having everything break against
him this season. My idea of a sue
cessful umpire is to instill into the
minds of the president of the league,
club officials and players at the out.
set of the season that one is honest
andS conscientious. and if an umpire
succeeds in that he will have gained
the respect and good will of all
Another point is to use good judg
ment at ali times and for an umpire
TO never lose his head. An umpire
who can be easily ratified will never
be a success at the business. | have
been in baseball circles for the pas.
10 years. having played three years
and handled the indicator seven, long
enough to understand the rules and
game thoroughly The majority of
bali players today are not familiar
with the rules of play, hence so many
kicks and protests.
Answers with Question.
DO umpires make mistakes? My
answer to tina, query is, do players
make errors? An umpire has his off
days just the same as the players. but
really the umpires mistakes should
not be taken seriously, because. be
he honest and impartial, he has no in.
terest whatever in the outcome of the
game and gives his decisions as he
sees them. / have known umpires
mot in this leasue) that would talk
nothing but baseball off the field and
pass his opinion on who he thought
would win the game. No sane man
Tho holds the responsible position of
umpire would do such a thing, for he
is only putting his head in the official
moose. as it would naturally be infer
in sympathy with the team he men
tons.
The Anvil Chorus.
Il would say a word or two with
regard to the rooters and fans that
have noticed throughout this league
II seems natural for them to get out
their hammers every time one of the
home players make an error. This is
far from right. A ball player is go
ing to do the very best he can at every
stage of the game and if he makes an
error it is really not his own fault
We are all prone to mistakes. even in
the work we have followed for a life
time. Do they make errors in the
big leagues? Most assuredly. and
sometimes worse a dozen times over
than you will see right here in the
Three-Eye. Last season | saw a game
between Pittsburg and Chicago at the
former place, the two teams making
10 errors between them. guess
that's 'booting' them. Only once do
| remember of anything in this
league that came anyways near equal
ing that. It was at Springfield a few
weeks ago when Bloomington played
there and both clubs rolled up IS
errors. My motto is, Where you can't
boost. don't knock
Umpire Is Honest.
4 can truthfully say that 80 per
cent of the umpireS before the public
in the various leagues are honest. and
would not knowingly cheat or defraud
a club or player, for he is aware of the
fact that he will be severely dealt with
by the press and by the national com
mittee. The penalty would be black
list for life. and no umpire is knowing
~ going TO walk into anything like
that You will often hear that old cry
robbed by the umpire. and every time
a grandstand player. so called. is de
Clared out on strikes or on a base, he
Will stand and look at the umpire with
his head bObbing up and down like a
cork on the water. Then the fans
imagine that he is right and the UNI
pire wrong You will hear one fan
say why he was safe a mile or that
strike was clear over his head
have called strikes on players which
were made to order for them waist
high and right over the heart of the
pate. but he would roar just the
same. Then again on the bases you
will hear a player say. he never touch
ed me- had one player in this league
tell me that very thing. even after the
third baseman bad hit him hard
enough TO break mis- ribs. and two
days later he was out of the game as a
result
Inch Good n Foot.
4 say if man is Out BY an inch
he's out and that settles il. OF course
make many mistakes. but always
give my decisions as l see them. and
not as l look 10 the fans and play
ers. VINO can tell from the grand stand
or bieacheTs Oh close play whether
a man is safe or out? If the president
OF the league would allow me would