Evening star., 1907-09-01

can. That's scheme worthy Of the best
traditions of American sportsinansnip,
isn't it?
But does it work out' ..
Well you ask any umpire whether 1t
does or not, and then stand by and watch
the iron creep into his protruding Jaw.
They are familiar with all that stuH
They've got the fellows all listed ana
Charted who attempt that 1ntirnidauns
gag for the purpose of getting the better
of the arbitrating break later on in the
game.
But do they fall for it?
Not any-not any whatever! 1t only
makes them harden up, that's all 1t puts
the old Bessemer in their spines. 1t STICKS
the ramrod in their necks. 1hey prace
themselves against the first indication OF
that kind Of thing, and when they see
that it is coming off they not only do not
wabbIe around with a view to favoring
the kicking side, but they actually eX-
perience a perfectly human and natural
tendency. in the circumstances, TO lean
to the other side.
THEY'RE not going to be driven-that s
the idea that puts the iron in the pro
truding Jaws of the arbitrators when this
intimidation thing is tried on them
They're doing their best giving the break
as they find it. favoring nobody, show
ing ali the impartiality and fairness. of
which they are capable. And they re pc
ing howled at. hey? They're haVlng the
big clenched mitts shaken in, their faces.
are they? And it's all for the purpose OF
taking the stiffening out of them so that
they'll have to give the kickers the
main end of it from then on, eh!
Well. watch EN-, that's all!
That's the way the umpires-the pest
umpires in the business-view this IN
timidation business. and when you come
to look it over that's just about the way
they ought to look at It, isn't 1t?
What a fat chance. for example, the UNI
pire batter who bats for future results
has got to get Silk O'Loushlin into that
Y.,r a y c+o Of AirI yIh
Silk, to avoid being talked real hard at
ye-eh, Silk minds it a lot-will fix up the
decisions to come little later on in the
game so that they'll suit the intimidating
howlers,
The umpires don't fix up anything.
They're not Citizen Fixits 1t Is often
imagined by certain groups Of fans at a
ball game that the umpire, after being
bawled at by the main kickers of some
kicking club, will give it to- that kicking
club for the remainder of the game But
this is pure imagination and nothing else.
1t only seems that way. For nothing Is
or could be more certain than that the mod
ern umpire does not wilt In the face of
fire. It's a matter Of the keenest profess
sional pride with him not to do that. The
day of the crawfishing and stradding um-
pire has gone out They don't finch and
they don't renege. And they smile their
hardest, ironest smiles when the bare sug-
gestion is broacned that they make prac-
tice of giving the kickers the better of 1t
longed and menacing.
And the main thing to be considered in
connection with all this is that the fans
don't want the kick stuff any more That
phase of the fans existence has passed.
too. They want the game, and no bowling
trimmings. The howlers have been get
ting themselves dIsliked for quite a little
spell now. The Muggsy type of ball lot
chap is in strong disfavor. The bully of
the diamond gets the hoot and the jeer
these days. He's appraised at just what
he is-a ruffian that doesn't belong, and
they like to see him canned from the
grounds. And all of this syllabub about
militant ball players being all the candy
is hooted at by the intelligent ball play
ers. The militant ball player is the ruff
fan, the porcine player who wants things
that don't belong to him or his team. and
that puts up steady yammering for it,
The scrappy mug of the diamond with
that port-to-starboard tough gait who
talks out of the sou-soueast corner of
his facial orifice at the umpire isn't all
the bonbons any more with the fans.
They can't see him. They look upon him
as nuisance. He was a good old hawss.
maybe-but they want clean horses these
days that lope along about their business
and don't ask for anything that isn't
coming to them.