The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-07-24

Inc helO DaSeDall team mas nieu
protest with the baseball trustees,
asking that the game with the Diamond
Heads played last Sunday, and which
was won by the latter, be declared off,
and that it be ordered played over
again. Back of this simple announce.
ment there is considerable of story
and a good deal of feeling. 1t all CEN
tiers about Bert Bower, the umpire.
Bower has umpired all the league
games for several years past, and been
so fair and used such good judgment
that such thing as questioning his
decisions has been almost unthought
of. e0 A fAaal
Since the international series be-
tween the Keios, the Santa Claras and
the local league teams began, however,
there has been a growing feeling among
spectators, both off and on the field,
that Bower was not up to form. In
fact number of his decisions were
rank. There was NO suggestion of fav-
oritism, however, his off decisions being
quite as frequently against the local
teams as against the visitors. Among
local people who have watched Bower
work closely, there is absolute faith in
his strict impartiality, but his some;
what cratic decisions upon several
circuit. There seems to be no doubt
that Bower was right as to the fact
that the runner did not touch his base,
and his ruling was therefore correct;
but the Japanese team would not have
it, and for while it looked as though
their supporters might rough house the
umpire in good American style. After
some argument and persuasion, the
Keios were prevailed upon to resume
the game, and came out winners, in
spite of the loss of the home run.
On Sunday Bowers. Judgment ap-
peared to have been buffaloed, and he
occasions had put the Japanese team
and its supporters, into frame Of
mind where they were prepared to be
suspicious, and when, on Saturday last
Japanese batter made long hit and
home run, the team and the Japanese
in the crowd rose up and howled when
!. Bower ruled the runner out, for not
having touched first base in making the
made several rank decisions, without
, discrimination, however, as between
, the teams. Finally, in the game be.
, tween the Keios and the Diamond
, Heads, the Keios being at the bat, they
had runner on third, and two strikes
had been called against the batter. a
{ squeeze play was signaled for, and the
runner accordingly ran for home. The
batter struck at the ball and made G
foul tip. This entitled the runner tc
return to third base. Right here ii
! where the trouble came in. Bower
/ neither saw nor heard the foul, and
{ called it a strike. Under these cir
| cumstances the catcher, who held the
! ball, touched the runner as he came
} in, and Bower called him out
If the pitched ball was strike, tn,
: dcision was right, and the runner out
IL the pitched ball was foul, tn,
. decision was wrong.
3 From the evidence of large number
9 of spectators, including members of tn,
3 Diamond Head team, Bower q judgment
!, was at fault, the batter having in fac
i made a foul and not strike. Nat
Q urally the Keios went up in the air, an,
d their supporters voiced their sentiment
s like a Japanese dictionary having fort,
d fits. Bower declined to change his rul
0 ing, however, and baseball law is sucl
J. that the umpire is the sole and fna
Judge of questions involving iudgmen
as to facts, The Keios went on witt
I the game, but in listless and dispirite,
Q manner and lost it by a heavy score.
The general feeling on the ground, a
{ the time, and now is, that the damon,
$ Heads, knowing, or having reason T.
s know, that the decision of the umpir
in their favor was a mistake, shoul
then and there have waived the point
= 1t would have been .sportsmanlils
thing to do; courteous and generou
treatment of a team which is here a
the guests of the Honolulu League
and would In any event have probabl
made no difference in the final results
= as the Diamond Heads were playing i
!. great form; but they chose 20 stan
y on their technical rights.
g. After the game was over, however
70 the feeling was SO strong that an II
,e justice had been done to the Keioi
d. that the matter was considered by til
iol officers of the league, and the ontsom
.. was that Bower has resigned.
The Keios expressed wish that th