The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-08-22
BY UMPIRE KLEIN.

VINO cares rap Tor what tne Dledcn-
critics fling his way simply won't do
The average fan likes to below. He
doesn't really mean one-Quarter what
he says Like those. histrionic pur-
suits. he makes play to the gallery.
He can't get out on the diamond to do
il. He's not built that way, and, be-
sides. he's too wise. OF course, l am
now speaking Of the hoodlum variety.
for the spectator who is a student of
the game knows the value of silence.
Its the man who comes to a game
once a year (and generally on a pass,
at thaO, that makes all the fuss.
IL an umpire depended in the least
on the opinion voiced by the demon
strative patrons. he'd last just long
enough to be measured for a coffin.
Yet without the assistance of a crowd
an umpire would often be put on the
rack. The public. unknown to itself.
is one of the umpire's greatest assets
| in time of trouble. Many times it is
the crowd and not the umpire that rem
ders a decision, one perhaps on which
it kicks most strenuously.
The game nowadays is clean. l
mean that the early rowdyism has
been eliminated. The patrons of
| every club wish to see that club win
} on its merits There was time when
anything that spelled victory for the
home team went. But fortunately those
days are past. 1t takes somebody
wide awake to look after a game.
When two often fail to catch every
! thing it is in these times that the willy
umpire must depend upon the crowd.
He must render a decision. Perhaps
he is perfectly ignorant of what has
| TRANSFERRED. The stands will invariably
give him a tip. 1t may be a spon-
taneous outburst of anger or again
hush Whatever the attitude of the
crowd it invariably fits the situation
and gives the umpire his cue.
1 well remember a game in which
l once worked at Philadelphia Chi
cago was playing there. Corcoran
beat out a bunt, and after rendering
my decision l started for a position
behind the pitcher. 1 heard a roar in
the stands and. looking round, saw
Corcoran dashing madly for second.
which he took on a slide. The ball
was some feet from Chance, who was
gesticulating wildly, utterly speech
less. l knew in a minute what had
happened. SO 1 simply waved Corcoran
back, at the time advising him to get
new one. You should have heard
the stands wall then. And the Phila-
delphia club made the biggest "holler''
you ever heard. They asked me how
knew what happened. as had my
back turned. OF course. I knew
Frank Chance was not fool enough to
throw the ball away, but that roar of
the people when Corcoran knocked
the ball out of Chances grasp would
have been tip enough for a greenhorn.
They tried to pull one OF on Tim
Hurst once. He was working alone in
game between Washington and New
York. On a steal by Ganley, Elberfeld
dropped the throw. Tim started for
the plate at a dog trot Imagine his
surprise when he saw Ganley tearing
around third base as fast as he could
leg it. Tim looked back toward Fiber
field and saw a New York outfielder
chasing the ball. Hurst stopped in his
tracks and beloved to Ganley to halt
For two bits I'd knock the head of
We" Tim suffered. Why, you un
calmly shrimp. what do We take me
fors Get back to second and never
try such a trick on me again." and he
finished his order with a bunch of tall
that will never be handed down to pos
terity. They don't make bindings
strong enough to keep such strons
talk under cover. Hurst knew in al
instant that Ganley had pelted the
ball to the outfield as soon as he ha6
turned his back. 1t might have gone
with youngster, for the Senator:
tried to put on a front with it ALL
An old gag they used to spring wa.
that of pelting some object high owe
base runners head and then nailin.
him with the ball in play. OF course
that sort of thing was not covered il
the rules. But the trick was neve
tolerated. Umpires Invariably sent tn,
man back. Some half dozen narrowl,
escaped lynching, however, on tn,
stand.
Again. the coacher used 10 tell I'll,
pitcher the ball was ripped or some
thing like that, asking him to throw i
to him that he might examine it. Thel
the coacher would side-step the thro,
and let the base runner advance. Ac
cording TO rules, this ruse is permits
sible to this day. But what umpir
would stand for it. even if big-leagu
pitcher were foolish enough to b
hoodwinked. The public as said be
fore. wants its team to win on merit
And with all its buster and loud tai
there is no better friend in the worl
to the umpire than the public.
An ofiicial who depends ON commo
sense and good judgment for all h
sees may invariably bank on the spec
tators to steer him right on what e:
capes him. He will have the conf
dence of the fans. The opinion of tn
! players does not matter.