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

really calls for all the concentration of
which a man is capable.
On the other hand, the insults hurled at
them from grand stand and bleachers have
driven more than one umpire from the
game. Bug Halliday quit on this ac-
count and he wasn't particularly thin
skinned. either. During the post season Sc
ries at st. Louis last year between the home
team and the Cincinnati Reds so much
scurrllous abuse was flung at Billy Hart
that he was cut to the quick and felt the
Sung for weeks after But as a general
thing the umpire who is more or less aware
or the highly uncomplimentary epithets
being applied to him is so hardened by their
constant re1teration that they really pro-
duce little or no effect upon him. If UNI
plres as rule were as sensitive to adverse
criticism as the fans fondy imagine they
are they would scarcely be able to stick to
their jobs year in and year out, as MANY Of
them have done.
Umpire's Great Concern.
Far more concern is given to the Umpire
by the tendency of the average player to
WORK tricks on him to the unfair advantage
oI the trlcksters team Old ball player
'hat ne IS, nevertheless, he has to exercise
extreme caution at all times to prevent such
an occurrence to the unhallowed joy of the
1ans, II the trickster happens to be of the
nome team, and to the hearty and unouah-
ned damnation of the poor umpire If the
player Is of the visiting aggregation
Here is a sample trick. one which 20
played several times in the course of a coo
son:
man is on first base Second base also
hoids runner. ball is knocked on line
TO right field. Necessarily the umnire has
~ ~ roi,ow me ball with his eyes and looks
10 right field to see whether it is caught II
IS close play-the ball is trapped The mar
VINO was on first is halfway down He
goes pack to first. The ball is thrown there
pox ana first base instead of beyond fron,
Which vantage point he would have had
Inc Whoie diamond before him Now bis
naeR IS 10 the greater part of it, and the
man on second cuts out third base and pats
home before the umpire repains IT. au s SIS
OF the entire field ' eoh'ioi
The, Inc pest OF umpires will sometimes Law
.t tmseii open IN some such way in the
Standard set for him, he is human eA
Two physical qualities which aid an nm
UT sreatiy IN defeating trcksters and in
r r,li.hg speedy and unerring decisions are
Iishty sharp eyes and extreme nimble
ness OF feet. 1t is incumbent on an 1nnire
to be able to hop about with all the aeijit,,
Oh an active player. and in order to be so
r r;anrd' me average umpire undergoes a
rigorous course of training before the sea-
son opens and keeps himself In snIendid
trim during the entire period 4 cod
many umpires have their eyes tested at the
beginning of a season, to make sure that
they are still sharp, and, in the on,njon
OF many authorities on the national game
there should be an ironclad rule to the Of,
rect that every umpire must sumbit To an
ocular examination annually at this time
These authorities hold-and rightly n would
seem-that bad eyesight makes poor nm
plre, and an incompetent umpire can throw
a game into chaos quicker than a mouse
can break up woman's club meeting.
Stature an Important Qualification.
Although not so important as these two
physical requisites yet 1t is a fact that the
umpire who is blessed with good stature
has decided advantage over his brother
who is short. This is the reason: A short
umpire cannot see with as much ease as a
taller over catchers shoulders, and as
a result the tendency is for him, all unin-
tentionally, to give the pitcher the worst
of his decisions. Still, some of the most
famous umpires have been men of no great
height. However, the fact remains that
here is opportunity for slips of Judgment
and SO, whenever league president finds
these days that he has to select a new
umpire from the waiting list of old PLAYERS
on his desk, other things being equal. he
names a man of good stature. Old PLAYERS
are chosen as umpires for two reasons-a
sound, business one. they know the game
thoroughly. and sentimental one In this
position they have haven.
1t is a haven that would not appeal to
the most of us, but to the man who has
worn himself out in the national game for
our amusement and knows no other calling,
1t is haven of Ravens indeed.