Evening star., 1909-02-28
CY YOUNG THE
UMP|RE'S FAvOR|TE
Only Player to Receive a
Present From the
Arbitrators.
By Billy Evans.


iudse of plays point Of view.
If it were possible for the American
League umpires to issue any special dls-
pensation they would give Cy Young the
right to go on pitching forever.
hid Won ever hear of a bunch of umplres
coming across with cold cash and making
a nresent to A ball player? No? Wen,
that's lust what the American League
staff did last year. and Cy Young was
the recipient OF TIE gift DOM faint or
ask for water to revive yourself, FOR II s
the truth.
last wear the Boston fans rendered Cy
Young a benefit day at the instance OF
John !. Taylor Twenty thousand people
Maid tribute to the veteran on that day
and gifts galore We're heaped on him.
bappened to be working the game that
afternoon, and in the midst OF the 1estN-
tiles, in a very humble way. offered
swell travelling bag to old CE as n h'tie
gift from the umpires for the square treat
ment he had always accorded them. WIN
the nlayers crowded around on all sides
" in his frank and open way. replled:
We'll of all the gifts. | never dlo eN,
pect one from the umpires. but just teiI
the boys for me that l prize IL more
highly than anything gwen 10 me-
Tim Hurst. who has been umpiring
as long as Cy has been pitching. was
the originator of the scheme. we were
working in ST. Louis at the time ana
had received orders from President john
son to report in Boston and work tne
benefit game. When ] told TIM ABOUT !,
he was silent for moment and theh sdld
TO me: ,.
as long as Cy has been pitching. and !
pride myself on having a pretty gooo
memory. but I'll be blamed II can ever
remember Cy kicking over decision. no
matter how rotten 1t may have been Per
haps I've missed thousand strikes on
him in the last ten years, bu' never
protest has he uttered.
Fellows like Cy are rather rev IN M llls
strenuous game and / tel! you the UNI
pires ought to give the old fellow some
little token just to show him that we
appreciate the way he has always acteo
on The ball field All OF us ought to
come across with FIVE spot and get
Cy some little present. and you can take
il with you to Boston and make your little
speech" OF course. ] assented' bu! oelore
going through with the deal we wired the
other umpires on the staff: asking them
what they thought of it. and If they cared
10 be in the gift.
The replies were surely tribute to
Pm in on the DEAL Go as far as YOU
like with money was Jack Sheridan's
reply.
Count me in on anything that old Cy
is connected with was Tommy Con-
noIly's answer.
Buy anything You like and send me
my share of the bill: glad you thought
of the stunt was O'Loughin's reply.
Sure: count me in for anything you
want" wired Jack Egan.
When you can fnd six umpiree In the
same league who are willing to go the
limit for a pitcher. the man who suffers
most from their decisions. just make mp
Your mind that he Is a fellow out Of the
ordinary.
just bet that the umpire In charge is
working his very hardest to arbitrate the
game as nearly correct as possible. He
hates to make a mistake against Cy that
may cost him the game.
While great pitcher he is an easy
man to work behind from every point
OF view; pitcher with poor control
strongest point is his ability to get the
ball over the plate. Tommy Connolly
once remarked that 1t would be possible
to umpire a game behind Cy sitting In a
rocking chair. so perfect is his control.
Perhaps you wonder why Cy Young
fails to rant when the umpire misses
a perfect strike or pulls off some de-
ciSion that gets him in q hole Often
the circumstances are SO aggravating
that ii would seem that he would be
justified in kicking up some kind Of a
fuss. but he doesn't. Why? Simply be-
cause he has lot Of good common sense
A prominent base ball fan once asked
Cy these questions: why is 1t you don t
kick at the decisions OF the umpire? Why
is 1t you never get put out Of a game or
suspended?" Cy's reply was Character
istic of the man.
What's the use OF kckingr The lnnpires.
like me. are doing their level best. and
doing 1T honestly: OF course, they make
mistakes. lots of them: we all do On
the whole. however. think the breaks OH
the year about even. Often I pitch a
ball that think is fust over the corner
of the plate and is strike. but the
one up to the batter that I figure is an
inch or two outside. but the Judge of play
calls 1t strike. No real umpire has ever
Judgment SO it's simply wasting time to
kick.
"If YOU don't kick there is never a
chance OF getting put out OF a game or
suspended and perhaps fined. Again
say, what's the use. The owners employ
me to play ball. Any time I fooishly
kick myself out of game and am sus-
pended l fall to live up to my agree
ment. ] disappoint not only the club
owners. but any patrons who may care to
see me pitch and are deprived of the
opportunity by my suspension. That's
the reason"
shall never forget my first experience
with Cy shortly after coming into the
American League. was working a.
game at Boston with Detroit. The score
was close. Boston leading by one run up
10 the eighth inning Then Detroit filed
the bases and had two out when Cobb
came to the bat. Young worked his
hardest on Cobb and with two and two
on the batter slipped over beautiful
curve that fooled both Cobb and myself.
Us questionable If any pitcher ever de-
hvered moro perfect strike, but I called
il q ball.
1t was about as tough place possible
TO miss a strike on a pitcher. Had
called II correctly the side would have
been retired. AS it was. il made the
situation all the more difficult for Cy
with three to two on the batter. It was a
place where even an angel could have
been forgiven for uttering a strong pro-
test. but all Cy did was whistle On the
next ball Cobb flied out to left field and
damage was done.
AS Cy passed his way TO the
Boston bench. he didn't rant about what
rotten decision had made. or complain
about the hole l had gotten him into
Here is just what he said:
Say. Billy. what was the matter with
that one before the laSt? a broad smile
playing over his face.
Well, Cy. what did YOU think was the
matter with it? | asked with q guilty
smile
Instead of telling me IL was right owe,
the heart of the plate, il was, he an
swered.
Possibly IL might have been . l;ttle