The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-04
POINTERS ID RANDOM
BY HUGH W. ROBERTS.
nee time immemorial the pet excuse

Since time immemorial the pet excuse has been:-
 "Bhe umpire robbed us."
 So common has become the excuse that people are won't to smile broadly when defeated aggregation pleads the rank work of the official in blue
 In spite of these facts, inasmueh as the game of baseball is so constituted that one decision is capable of turning the tide, it behooves the umpire to de- liver his decisions with unquestionable &C., curacy.
 To do his best and fail is no excuse
 An umpire who fails unintentionally is to be pitied, but no more tolerated than one who fails with malice aforethought.
 And now concerning Umpire O'Brien we cannot say whether he has failed after , endeavoring to perform to the best of his ability or whether he has failed for other reasons.
 His work yesterday was decidedly im- perfect, and while probably it did not give Nashville the victory, it did much to demoralize the players, incense the spectators and render the game of no interest whatsoever.
  who performs as O'Briep did yesterday Is of little value to the game in Dixie.
 We have always pleaded and fought for decency on the field.
 No player has ever struck or otherwise assaulted an umpire whose dismissal has not been urged.
 We regret each outburst of the fan, each 'snicker' when an umpire is hit with ball. each harsh remark hurled in the direction of the umpire
 In sense, the umpire is alone in the world despised by player and fan with equal force.
 We have never censured an umpire for decisions, however rank they may appear, on balls and strikes.
 But there are two departments of his work concerning which there is little ex- cuse for error. These are:-
 ]. Keeping order on the field.
 2. Deciding accurately on base-running. An umpire who allows the players to browbeat and insult him has no excuse whatever to offer to the outraged pub lie.
 An umpire who makes error after error in deciding the success or failure of base runners, when the feat is in the open, has little excuse to offer
 Umpire O'Brien's first work in Bir- mingham was satisfactory.
 Since that time no one has been pleased He and Fitzsimmons in Atlanta made decisions the results of which have not been overcome
 We trust that he will brace up, keep his eyes open, and not do baseball any more harm in the south than he has al- ready done.
 It unfortunately happens that team in the hole often fails to get an even break.
 When a man is down everyone delights in showing him deeper. The wounded, the lame. the halt and the blind have through all ages been the victims of rascals, crooks and sharpers.
 It is thus in baseball.
 It is too often figured that team, hopelessly to the rear, cannot be bene- fited to any eXtent-or harmed.
 On the contrary, a team higher in the race having a chance to win the laurels of the season, can be harmed or bene- fited to a greater extent.
 Therefore in close places it might hap pen that umpire, choosing the route over which he can do the least harm, night give the "tailender' the rough end of the deal
 And thus we have the spectacle of a team forever in the hole. If the man who Is down wins a number of straight vic- tories he wins them by driving opposing slabmen off the hill.
 He has no other alternative.
 The Barons make a mistake of entering the game with their courage .ebbing low.
 We know they receive little encourage ment and more unkind cuts than compll- ments.
 However, they should reno mber that baseball is essentially a game. i. e., pastime, and not a matter of life and death.
 The record of this season will make no difference next April. Does Brming- ham get any credit for having won the pennant in 1906 season before last?
 Not bit
 Next season, in case the Barons get a better start, and keep up in the race. will the fans remember their errors of this season?
 Not at all.
 Then the Barons will be the most pop ular men in Birmingham, for such is the history of baseball.
 So now there is no rhyme or reason why the Barons should go into a battle al- ready whipped.
 Keep your ginger up
 Talk freely. Encourage the pitchers Encourage each other. Holler about the field Go at the other fellows as if you considered them as nothing. Butt 'em In the stomach, if necessary. Hit the ball and run everything out Keep up your chatter to the end, and if you are beaten. In spite of all the other fel- low will know that there has been fight No man has ever won who was already whipped.
 Rip lost again. Ginger Clark won very pretty game from Memphis the other day, and is now living with the Mayor.
 And thus it goes.
 Gulfport Jack Ryan lost the first game ir which he appeared after reaching Cleveland.
 Will the Barons ever get out of the cellar? Sure. Why not?
 All they have to do is to win five of every eight games remaining to be played. If they accomplish this task they will finish the season with percentage of .514. This percentage should place them about third.