The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-28
''koRr1NIs | ! t Old ''orr' MEvrrY
Is Being Sung Early in the
Season. e
A Good Eye, a Knowledge Of Rmles
Determination, Fearlessness and
Honssty are the Requisites.

now. President Bobby Quinn of the
new Ohio state anu President c..
II. Morton OF the o. and p. are
now securing the tall timbers and
ithe big cities for men who can call
the plays and call them right. The
yearly crop of good officials for
baseball seems to be on the decline.
| or his old staff Morton loses all
save Latham and Bobble Hart. There
will be no great scramble to get
Latham, as he was unpopular on the
circuit. Hart did well. for his first
lyear out and probably will return
from the east where he is now play
ing roller polo. President Quinn has
nobody, but wants somebody who
can deliver the goods.
While the active youngsters are
tout on the back lots and the muni-
| lcipal diamonds perfecting them
selves in playing baseball, only a
few devote any time to umpiring.
In the games played by kids the
weakest one who can't hold down a
base or an outfield position usually
is assigned to umpire. Consequently
while a crop of young players is
being developed every year, only a
few really promising young fellows
|are improving themselves to judge
plays.
In the minor leagues and many Of
the majors the duties of umpire de-
volve upon ex-ball players who have
Islowed up or whose eyesight Is too
dim to play any more Once in a
while an ancient player makes good
in the minors as an arbitrator and
advances to Class A league. Fre-
quently the old fellows are too far
gone to be of much worth and after
a few seasons in Class c or B drift
out OF baseball.
Working ball game nowadays
is not bad job at all. The leagues
generally stand behind their officials
and aside from having a few pop
bottles to dodge during the season
and having to hike for friendly
hotel every once in awhile to escape
an infuriated mob, the umpire gets
his money about as easily as any
one.
10 be sure the nervous strain
is considerable, but man can
stand a lot when he has to work
only six days week and two hours
a day for compensation much
greater than he would earn for eight
or ten hours work daily. .s
The o. and =. league has mad for
the last three years, more particu-
larly the first two years of its ex-
istence. no end of trouble securing
umpires. who proved satisfactory
William List was the only one to
last during the entire life of the
organization. LAST is going else
where this season, having been
drafted by higher league. Bill
Bannon, who gave satisfaction last
season, will be found in the Tri-
lstate.
Those umpires who gave evidence
of desire to hustle and to work
their jobs right never encountered
any serious difficulties. Some who
had troublesome dispositions, some
who had not enough nerve and
some whose eyes were dim, did NJ.
stack up against no end of bother
and after a short time became Sc
unpopular they resigned or were
fired. But the men who went ahead
and gave the best they had gener.
ally got along pretty well The same
thing has proved true in other min
or leagues. ef
4 III young fellow wants TO gel
into baseball and owns a clear head
has knowledge of the mles ol
baeeball and little nerve the um
piring job offers good opening
III he gets away in the lower class
minors some higher league vii
draft him and he will then be IL
q position to earn good livelihood
for much longer period than {
man who seeks to play baseball.
| The GAINESVILLE Times-Recordel
came out last week with an unwar
ranted attack upon President thar
les Morton of the q. and p. The
IT. r. made loud noise about
Motions being entertained In
gainesville ONCE when that city
sought admissiengtp4 the q. .gand p,
and declared he threw down Ho
| ean's team
Less than two weeks ago Mortor
offered his |. services In trying tG
straighten o&t the GAINESVILLE Cantor
muddle and more than one Central
league publication praised him fol
his good work. Morton has Often
been criticized as any. league presi
dine is, but he has had an unus
ualiy hard league to manage and
the fact that he piloted 1t through
three seasons is some praise of IL
SELF.
He refused to cast his vote
against the western dfvisi0n clubs