Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
SAM WISE VICTIM
OF CRUEL TRICK
Veteran Player Figures in
Clever Play While Um-
piring at Akron.

After his career as National League
second bascman was ended Sam Wise.
one OF the best that ever happened.
turned his attention to the old mans re-
treat in base ball. viz. umpiring. Sam
hooked UP with the O. and T. during the
year that organization had twenty three
arbitrators. Sam was about the six
teenth Of the crowd that failed to finish.
Walter East. who managed Akron then.
but who was with Bill Bernhard's pen
nant winners in the Southern League last
season, pulled off one OF the tricks Oh
" Use which turn an umpire's hair gray.
East got away with it all right. and. IS
usual. the umpire was blamed for the
whole proceeding.
Mansfield was playing in Akron one
day. and Akron hadn't hit the ball hard
enough to damage any OF the fences.
"HezZy Breymaier. Mansheld's catcher,
was throwing we'll to the bases. so stealing
was out of the question. Toward the
latter part of the game Walter East was
due to bat when two were out Dick
Nallin followed East.
me. When I'm going down I'll yell Sam.
Sam" in a loud voice. Then you shove
Breymaer Just as he catches the ball.
and Well get away with It,"
Yelled to the Umpire.
Well. East went to the plate and stop
ped a pitched ball with his ribs. Nallin
then came up. The Mansfield pitcher
wasted the first ball. and East thought
he would put the second one over. That
would bring the catcher close behind
the batter and give Nallin a better
chance to carry out his part OF the trick
without the Mansfield players getting
hip.
DIT Tho r,tcbor didn't nut the next one
over. He wasted 1t. East had big
lead and was well on his way to second.
Just as the pitcher started to deliver
the ball East shouted: Sam! SAM! Ana
Sam Wise. being behind the pitcher.
looked around to see who was addressing
him, and why.
Just as Breymaier caught the ball Nal
lin reached far over the plate and showed
him SO hard he almost sat down. Sam
Wise discovered about that time that
East had no business with him. and
turned around In time to see Breynlaler
standing on his feet and holding the bail
OF course, East made second pase IN
safety.
Immediately there was big howl.
Rrevmaier rushed out TO Wise and yelled
He showed me. Sam. he showed
what If he did: responded me ulli,
p,re. Il didn't see him do it, and no end
of argument could persuade Wise 10
change his decision. Wise. however;
stopped the game long enough 10 paw
out East. and wound up by telling Nun INN
he'd call out every time he came to bat
IL he ever tried anything like that again.
Wise used to declare positively lott!
times a week that he never would umpire
another game '"They abuse the umpire
too much. / don't have to take II from
then," was the way ne eApfessou IN"
self
But. didn't you used to call tho UNI
pre when you were a player: was 1'o
question usually put to him.
III. yes. but wasn't the umpire
then" was the customary way Tor MS
ending the argument
His "Umps" Gets In Way.
According to Jim Holland, q Massillon
man who is an umpire. the Pennsylvania
West Virginia League had moro peculiar
plays last year than any organization In
the country.
THE worst roasting I ever saw any
man get was handed to mo In Union
town." he says. And the funny part or
it was the play that caused the decision
that got me in bad hurt me moro than
anybody else.
~ was working a game In Cniontown
when Clarksburg played there. Anybody
who has never visited those towns cannot
realize the rivalry which exists Union
town had man on first and speedy
runner on third when the trouble started
They tried for a double steal. t. Clarks-
burg catcher always curved the Dali Wneh
he threw for second base just as the
man started from first the catcher drew
back for the throw. l saw he was going
to try for the man at second so turned
my back to the plate to see the play. Inc
ball hit me in the middle of the back
Talk about being surprised That
catcher had a good whip and the ball
stung. OF course, / had to send the run
ner back to first and the man who was
on third went back there, too. he would
have scored easily had the ball not struck
me- and that's why l got all the roasting
Next time 1 work with that catcher L m
going to lie down fiat on the ground when
| a man tries to steal.