Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-04

If ever a man deserved the unqualified
sympathy of his fellow beings, that man
is the base ball umpire. Yet what is his
portion? Nothing short of universal con-
tempt and condemnation.
Perhaps this perverseness is caused by
an attitude of mind similar to that of the
child who holds a hearty dislike for the
boy who is pointed out to him by his
parents a model. For it falls TO the
lot of the umpire to assume the role of per-
lection both on and off the diamond in the
playing season.
1t is absolutely necessary for the good
of the national game that the umpire be
as nearly perfect in his dealings with his
fellows as it is. possible for mortal to be
perfect. To use much-worn expression,
like Caesars wife, he must be above sus-
picion. Let there be but breath of doubt,
born of one of his acts either on or off
the field, and the day OF his uselessness has
dawned. No longer can he command the
respect and obedience of the players; no
longer will the tanning public even impa-
tiently tolerate him on the field.
Therefore the umpire must be absolutely
honest. He must be fearless. For him
friendships must cease the moment he
sings out, PLAY ball" He must give no
more attention to the comments of the ex-
the chirp of lonely grasshopper over in
right field. He must be a fine executive
in that 1t is incumbent on him to keep the
game moving smoothly and rapidly. He
must never display the damning quality of
hesitation; never change his mind like the
rest of us, and Sc his decisions; never show
lack of backbone and dignity by letting
the players talk back to him; never create
adverse comment by appearing on the field
in other than neat costume; never associ-
ate with the players except in his official
capacity while on the diamond. All this
and more. 1t is much to be expected of one
poor mortal, prone, naturally, as the
rest OF us, to err. Yet it can truthfully be
said that the majority of the umpires to-
day strive earnestly to exercise all the
divers virtues they are commanded to ex-
ercise both by the presidents of the various
ball leagues and the tanning public.
Hardest Task.
Perhaps one Of the hardest tasks falling
to the lot of the umpire is that of living
apart from the world In which he works
Under no circumstances is he supposed to
stop at the same hotel with team. His
headquarters must be elsewhere, and un-
known, SO far he can make this pos
sible. to the players of both home and visit
Ing aggregatfons. His is not the pleasure
of taking a social glass with a pitcher
friend, or playing a quiet little game OF
checkers Of an evening with the manager
OF one OF the teams. lie cannot walk I'D
to a right fielder and lay an innocent wager
of 1O-cent cigar on the outcome of the
morrow's game. He is an exile from the
base ball world When he is off the dia-
mond he must behold 1t from afar, no mat
ter how longingly his eyes may follow a
team as it disappears, laughing and light
hearted, beyond the portals of the hosiery,
which, by the rules of the game, are sealed
to him.
Nor must the umpire, If he is to hold the
confidence of the public indulge In base
ball talk with persons who have only lay
interest In the game. To make an insignln-
cant wager with outsider would be in
finitely worse than to lay one with player.
To express preference for one team over
another would be equally fatal. To criti-
else a professionals playing or acts of the
officers of a league club would like
wise throw him open and justly, to the sus-
picion of being unfair. There is nothing
for the umpire to do except to 'sit tight
on the thing closest to his heart; he can be
of the lay world into which he is banished
only in its frivolities.
Even here he has got to be mighty care
full in order not to bring disrepute on the
game through himself He must be sober
in all things and pretty much the gentle
his calling spy him lingering over bar,
and the next day, more than likely, 1t will
be widely rumored that Umpire So-and-So
was drinking like fish yesterday in John
Jones saloon" even though he had taken
but one drink and was merely staying
around to pass the time, which was hang
ing heavily on his hands.
In brief, the umpire Is expected to have
no heart-heaven knows, on the diamond