Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13
UMP|RES' SUB ROSA
QU|PS AND JOKES
Billy Evans Tells Some Good
Stories About His Fel-
low Umpires.
By Umpire Billy Evans.

The base ball fan who supports the
great national sport misses one big fea-
ture of the game
He sees the actual plays. marvels at
this or that fine bit of hitting or field
ing. goes into ecstasy over some wonder
ful pitching feat. and gets lot of pleas
IRE out of kidding the visiting players
and roasting the umpire over Wnat ne
believes are poor decisions.
History fails to show where any play
cl- ever won an argument from Inn
Hurst. Still the players. AS rule. de-
i.ht 10 get into dn argument with the
uortIy one Often they pass Tim some
thing just to see what his come back
will be- and Tim never falls TO respond
with a good jolt.
One day last year after Joe BirminS-
ham of the Maps had gone about a dozen
games without getting anything that re-
sembled a base hit he came on the
grounds in anything but happy frame
of mind. When Sir Timothy came on
the field to start the game Birmingham
WAS the only Nap player on the bench
The day previous Tim had ended up the
game by calling Birmy out on strikes,
and Joe decided to inform Tim that he
slightly disagreed with the decision.
Say, Tim. are you going stone bl1nd?
vas the greeting accorded MIR. Hurst as
he poked his head under the Cleveland
bench.
l.
good shape Mr.. birmingham; at least
Mi johnson thinks we'll enough of the
lamps to continue to write my check
responded Tim. Il want to inform you,
however il you don't soon get base
hi. the home folks up at Elmira will be-
gin to think you have had both of your
arms aInputated
Tim had reached Birmy's sorest spot,
and he responded only with smile.
During a game at Washington one day
last year between Detroit and the Ma
tionals things were breaking rather
close plays had come up and as fortune
would have it number Of them were
going to the Tigers.
On the day in question Hughey Jen-
nings had just been reinstated after a
ten-day suspension, and he was doing
hilarious stunts on the coaching lines, in
hopes of encouraging his team on to
victory.
some time. was doing bench duty and
coaching. The number of close de-
eisions that had gone to Detroit rather
angered Mr. Clymer, and as he came to
Tommy had called a Washington player
out at third. he made the following re-
mark:
Il guess a fellow has to be a rowdy
and get suspended couple of times be-
fore he has chance to get an even
break from you unlpires."
I'VE only suspend regular players and
managers in this league. You haven't a
chance to get short vacation, so YOU
can make a trip home," was Tommys
curt reply.
During the rest of the afternoon Otis
thought a lot of things, but wisely kept
thera to himself.
Late In a game at Chicago last year
Manager Jones came to the bat with a
couple of men the bases and two
rear. and the White Sox leader was in
anything but congenial mood.
Jack Sheridan was doing the umpiring.
and as the first ball whizzed past the bat
was of the opposite opinion, and I'm order
to convey his belief to Mr.. Sheridan. he
remarked in rather loud tones:
We'll, 1 see you are at your old special
ty OF guessing again. 1t seems TO me you
ought to be able to make a fortune in
some lottery-nOt.'
The next ball happened to be a beauty.
and Jones took a swing at it. 1t was
he missed 1t by a wide margin. This was
just the opportunity Sheridan was hop
ing for.
1T seems to me as If I had something
you when 1t comes to guessing; you
missed that one at least a foot. while
! wasn't a quarter of an inch off at the
very worst"
The next one was right over, looked
sOOu u JONES', anu again ne swung In
vain. This was more than Jack had
hoped for. and as Jones started to take
his place in center field Sherry couldn't
resist from getting In the parting shot.
Il wish all the batters were as easy to
guess on as You, old pal: IL such was the
case 1 believe I would donate my services
to the league"
Perhaps nothing shows up an umpire
worse than for the catcher to hold up
the ball on him, after he has declared
the pitch ball. while the receiver is
equally confident 1t should have been a
strike. Repetition of the stunt often
draws a tin can and sometimes several
days rest
Charley Street. who broke into the
American League last year and estab-
lshed record that makes him stand out
as one of the best backstops in the bust
ness, looks on his first run in with Silk
OLoughlin with lot of humor. Moth
ing hurts the arbitrator more than to
intimate that he possibly could be wrong
and when Street held up ball. to in
form Silk that his judgment was ques-
toned. he almost keeled over.
Throw 1t back: throw 1t back. busher."
yelled Silk in his ioudest voice.
Street complied at once and didn't Ques-
ton the arbitrator any more during the
game. but admits that O'Loughlin kept
up a continual chatter over the incident
throughout the rest of the contest.
Don't forget this Is your first year IN
the league. Street. and I've been up here
six or seven seasons. I'll do the umpiring
and you tend to the catching, and you
will find you have plenty Of work to keep
YOU busy. Sometime you will hold one
of those balls up on me when I'm not
feeling good and you will probably draw
q weeks vacation. Unless you want to
have all the umpres in the league a
bunch of soreheads you had better for
get that trick of holding up the ball"
THESE were just a few OF the things Silk
got out of his system during the re-
mainder of the game. and Street didn't
make any effort to contradict him.
Few -umpires gave any better satisfac-
faction last year than Billy KLEIN Of the
National League staff.
Now, KLEIN halls from Rochester, N. Y.
which. by the way. is also the home OF
Silk OLoughlin. Dame Rumor has il
that there Is much discussion in that fair
city over the relative merits OF the two
arbitrator. This feeling existed before
either OF them gained much fame in the
profession.
The first chance KLEIN got to show his
rea: worth was in the series played sew
oral years ago between the Cleveland
team of the American and the Pittsburg
Pulliam intended putting Klein on his
stan and appointed him the National
League representative I'm the series, think
ing IL an excellent test for him.
Now. IL seems that Addie Joss, one OF
the Nap pitchers. knew there was much
rivalry between Silk and KLEIN. In one