Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
CLUB OWNERS TO BLAME
FOR BASE BALLS SHAME
Indifference Of Men Who Reap Harvest
From National Game to the Best In
terests of the Goose That Lays the
Golden Egg Responsible for
Many Of Its Tribulations.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special DISPATCH 10 The star
ST LOUIS. July 3o.-As greatly becomes
an enlightened democracy, with consti-
tuition and public schools, the spectators
O, base hall games have made the UNI
piricaI function one of such appalling
dosradation that if is with the uttermost
ait5,,,1tv men of any personality and
.cIass, can be induced to decide plays IN
professional base ball games. Though the
emoIuments OF the umpire exceed lhose
of congressman, applicants for the posi-
A., oro fau. and most of them are so en-
tireIv devoid of the essential quaiiIlcatiohs
80 an ,,nnire-force. decision, dignity and
personaIity-that the finest sitting Oh uih-
n,ricaI material results in the procuration
- s,ob inferior seed that the present-day
crop of umpires, especially III 'he 70
.iona1 1eapue is nothing more nor less
than a rank failure So great Is TINS ,"i
,ra that the independent democratic oen-
s ,be hIeachers have come TO re-
80 base ball games on National League
diamonds as mere farces ana wear iooin,S
proceedings. and protest lids ST.
all the country over against tne
pirical stan
IJmpires Lacking in Personality.
or tho honesty of the umpires there can
not he any question. OF their aolhty ~
decide plays correctly not any questioh 10
made either But of their general aoiiily
m conduct base ball entertainment WIN
nronrietv and dispatch, to govern player y
=. command the respect of spectators anu
~ performers, to conduct the game .op
idlv and with Judgment, the Na .;n
ctyaCyl
League umpires. with the sihS ;oden,ate
a. O'Day, appear to be utterly lnausuu
e. tho tasks which daily confront mem.
That this feeling of Nauonal ESa oSie
,,,,n,ricaI inadeuuacy is not unreasohaoie
In proved by the comparative SAT- :,
Ut which the work of the Ameriedh
Teague staff is regarded. Evans. y Lousn-
lin Dineen and Sheridan, the latueI -
Gently resigned, have displayed api's I'd
render cogent and correct oeclsrols, c.
% conduct a game of base pail Win q
u.nb 6ienifv and decorum not at all
d;sceruible in the games OF the Na.iohd
League. Even ODay, most eilclens
umpire is at times, Dill Iousn an -.
coarse in his manner, and undlgnlneu III
nc methods But, professionally speak
ing. he is probably the best OF all UNI
pires. 80 ,arsonal worth.
hreedjnr education and 'class. Is prop
III The hest all-around umpire. though
in making decisions O'Day knows no su-
nerior Though a very young man. Evans
has about him the personal quahty WHEN
commands regard and en1orees Esp ~
c,Dav at times is obliged to resort u
the tactics of the old-line police omceI'
the use of the club and the LOUD Nolce
to enforce his sway. Evans does tnese
things better. OLoughlln, a Urine oVei
dramatic is also a man OF personal "oltn
- ..ciass" who commands the respect
Of the PLAYERS. Dineen, in his nrst sea
SON. promises to become announcer Evans
Sheridan the veteran, recently resisHeu'
commands the respect and regard even
Of excited and violent players STIMULATED
and craZed by the exigencies OF the game
In possession of this authoritative ana
impressive quality of inducing and COM
manding respect the umpires of the Ma
tfonaI League seem to be entlreiy iack
ing Not only this. they seem 10 iack an
perception Of the interests OF the specta-
tors and of the great desiraoints Oh Il
peditfng the games to point that Is
satisfactory to the spectators without oe-
ing Injurious to the play itself
Where Spectators Are at Fault.
For this deficiency of the umpireS the
spectators at ball games are, to great
extent TO blame. So terrible and so rear
full has been the abuse showered upon
those unfortunate men that few human
beings of feeling and self-respect will sub
nit to il when there are alternative
metnOQS
men of personal weight and worth have
quit umpiring in disgust. President Lynch
Of the National League was one of these.
Lynch was a very good umpire and pos
sessed the commanding quality. but in the
end, Disguised. Inundated and degraded
BY the incessant abuse of players, specta-
tors and club owners, he resigned iucra-
tive position and went into q business
where recompense was smaller, out
wherein some modicum of self-respect
could be maintained.
Responsibility of Club Owners.
Perhaps. beyond the spectators, the club
owners are mostly to blame.
II is the vulgar Anglo-Saxon habit of
Americans 10 boast of their wealth, their
education, their financial ability. their
system of education and government. but
50 far they have not displayed any in
clination to boast of their good manners.
AS matter of fact. the American is