Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-08-27
PLAYERS AND UAPIRES TRM|-
BLES:, FIGHTING At THE
BALL GAMES

Eddie Fernandez's action at the
Aala Park ball grounds on Sunday,
when he sought protection against all
sorts of EImiliating remarks by
soundly thrashing Henry Vierra, met
with the approval of the thousands of
spectators who saw the affair, and
heir demonstration alone is the
strongest argument in favor of Fer
nandez's action. When crowd of this
kind will cheer the action and carry
the fighter on their shoulders 1t looks
as though he was entirely in the right
and should be upheld.
Place yourself in the ball players
or umpire's position, If you will, and
! picture some antagonistic rooter yell
ing: "Oh! You bum! Your lob
ster You God -- Indian! Kill
aim," and many other things too
narsh to put into public print. What
would you do If the officials did not
lake up the matter and protect you?
Neither in the case of Hampton or
Fernandez did the officials of the
League do anything to protect the one
being attacked Any man who thinks
anything Of himself would have taken
the same action as Fernandez. He
was not taking the law in his own
hands but was protecting his own per-
sonal rights, and he should be COM
rlended for it, AS one prominent citi-
zen said, Il had good notion to lick
that fellow myself"
Before Fernandez took any action
he warned Vierra to desist in his re-
marks. But instead the latter became
more direct in his roofing and it was
then that Fernandez gave him the
beating that he justly deserved.
Now for the good of the game of
baseball. We admit that fighting OH
the grounds does it no good. But on
the other hand, personal attacks on
players or umpires doing their best is
worse on the game than fighting. Peo-
pie pay their money to see baseball
played as best the players can give.
Many good player is driven to dist
pair by some foolish rooter who has
taken personal dislike to the player
He, can not give the public the best
he has when his mind is distracted by
some roudy in the stand and he is
eventually driven from the game. The
management of various leagues should
prohibit such attacks on players and
then there would be no provocation
for fights on the grounds. If our
memory serves us right this samel
Vierra was thrown out of the League
grounds a couple of seasons ago for
lust such roofing as he used at Aala
Park Sunday. This action was taken
by President Isenberg of the League.
There are few instances wherel
good, respectable players have been
driven from the local League from the
direct cause of personal roofing. Wei
believe that these two cases of Hamp-
ton and Fernandez will do much to
down this evil at ball games and that
the League will take some action to
o'oiiP out oUJCCIlOHdUlC icLIdlh ND.
Legitimate roofing should be en-
couraged, and it is surely part OF the
game. There are certain fans who sit
in the bleechers at every Saturday |
game whose roofing is appreciated by
both players and other spectators.
This sort of roofing adds much to the
game and Is part of it.
We cite the incident of Mathewson |
again. Mathewson is the pitcher Of
the New York Giants. A college man
and a man who gets good, big salary |
10 play ball, he is perhaps the greatest
pitcher who ever lived. Two years ago |
on the Polo Grounds in New York. he
walked up to a fan who had been di-
recting personal remarks at him and |
without any warning punched the
rooter in the mouth and knocked all
If his teeth out. Mathewson was ar
rested and brought into court The
judge fined him very small sum but
upheld him in the action that he took.
Any ball player, umpire or private
citizen who has not the courage to de-
fend himself against personal, slurring
is not the man who the public