Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-01-04
NO FUSS AT NEW YORK GAME.
Umpire KLEIN Says He Was Response
BILE for Shortening Chicago's Prac-


1t took Umpire Klein two months 10
get out OF his system the facts relating
to the alleged scrap between Mama
ger Chance of the Cubs and Joe Nc
Ginnity of the Giants in the deciding
game of the last National league cham
piOnship season.
On that day the report was sent out
broadcast that Chance and McGinnity
had mixed it up" at the home plate
because the peerless leader" refused
to vacate to allow the Giants to do
some preliminary practice.
And because of that report a rule
has been adopted putting the umpires
in command of preliminary practice
as well as OF the game after it is start
ed. The passing of this rule acted as
an eye-Opener on Klein and to Phile-
delphia Telegraph reporter he made
the following revelation regarding the
sensational incident above referred
to:
'eThat afternoon tombstone and 1
fought the CROWD on the outside to get
into the Polo grounds fully an hour
and q half before we could get up TO
the pass gate, and we went there much
earlier than usual. There must have
been $4,000 people on the outside clam
oring to get in, but with all the gates
closed. The gates had been closed be-
cause there WAS 10 IOOIIl 4OI oil 1IIOi =
on the inside.
immediately after We got on the in
side l went to the New York players
bench and suggested to McGraw that
he send his men out to warm up so we
could start the game as soon as posi-
Bile to escape trouble. The crowd on
the outside had already broken down
the fences at four places and the police
were having their troubles to keep the
,.,1,f T r-a1 hot Ian
lost control of that mob it would rush
in upon the field and prevent the gams
being finished.
"McGraw said he could not send his
players out to warm up them, as Chi
cago had only practiced for ten min
utes and Chances men were entitled
to five more minutes work on the dia-
mond. 1 ordered him to send his men
out ad hold them down to short prac-
tice. too, so we could start the game
before the trouble 1 feared would en-
sue AS McGraw seemed unwilling to
butt in on Chicago's practice, ordered
the New York players out myself.
'TW7hen McGinnity, the first New
York player, walked up to the plate
with a bat and halt to start practice
Chance came in from first base and
objected. But that was all. McGinni-
ty told Chance what 1 had ordered him
the Chicago managed was satisfied.
There was no scuffle between the two
men at the plate nor fist fight mar
rowly averted between them, as was
published by the New York news
papers, who played up something Of
a sensation at the time they didn't
know anything about, and for which
there was no excuse whatever.
"In short, there was no trouble Of
any kind between Chance and McGin-
nifty or between anybody else. 1 was
responsible for shortening the practice
time, because / deemed it prudent to
issue the orders that were issued by
me New York did not try to cheat
Chicago out of any Of its practice time
asswas reported. l alone am response
BILE for shortening each sides practice
and / did it to get the game under
way and have it played, which it might
have been impossible to do if that
mob on the outside had ever broken
through the police lines.
mo there was no cheating attempt
ed by McGraw nor did trouble Of any
other kind occur Hence I say there
was no necessity for passing such q
rule which was inspired by the falsely
published reports in the yellow press
of New York that the Giants tried tc
cheat Chicago out of part of the lat
ter's practice time and that McGinni-y
and Chance nearly had a fist fight al
the plate. That's all lie"