The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-17
LYNCH TALKS ABOUT
A FEW oLD TIMERS
Does Not Think Teams Are Bet
ter Now Than They Were
When He Was umpiring.

New York Letter: President Lynch,
of the National league, recently re-
called some old games and players as
follows:
Another game-oddly enough on that
same old West Side field-that had a
wild finish was between Anson's men
and the old Giants, just 20 wears ago
runs tote and 10 to win. Itflooked all
too, ] can assure you.
THE game was q One-sided thing for
eight innings. Ewing, Ward n he
rest of them were in rare batting form
and drove the ball in all directions.
New York was leading something like
IA to 6-anyhow, Chicago needed nine
rune to tie and 10 to win. 1t looked all
of and the public was mostly on its
way home.
Then They Hit.
Suddenly the Colts began to hit.
Bang, bump, smash-whack followed
whack. Before New York could realize
wha was happening six runs-count
were out and the bases full when Ad
Gumbert strobe to the platter.
There has never been a pitcher who
could hit harder than Addison Gum
bert. Maybe Jack Stivetts could hit
them as often and for as good an av-
~ AStSA ooU q R1LS1lSI VIII
could make the ball fly from the ash
with such terrible force as Gumbert.
Ad, who is now. I believe, the sheriff
OF Pittsburg, and a grand fellow, came
up to do or die.
The ball came over and Ad met 1t
with all his burly strength. Straight
for the wall it few, and the parade be-
gan to move around the bases. AS the
ball disappeared Eel the wall Buck
Ewing threw down his mask. Good
Cod was all he said.
II was watching the course of the
Inches to the wrong side OF the foul
line-a mighty hit, but still a foul. 1
called It: Gumbert came back and bat
ted an easy grOunder, and one of the
i1ercest batting rallies of the season
was ended. Four inches to the right
cago. making a 10-run rally in the final
inning.
Discussions Frequent.
THE personal discussions and indi-
vidual adventures / had with the old
time ball players were innumerable. In
those days the umpires We're not nearly
as well backed up as now, and they
frequently had to depend on nerve and
q good right swing to protect them.
BraWiing players-usually good fellows
of the field. but wild to win by any
means-Were many, and they made the
OIlpllS Alle h DufOeN.
9Th old Cleveland club, with Nc
Kean, McAleer, thinner, Childs. Bur
kett, etc. In its composition, could play
ball, while some OF its members We're
pests when 1t came to nagging the UNI
pire. The Clevelands had a queer trick
testing the umpire's disposition to find
out how far they could go and get
away with 1t. Mind reading or charac-
ter guessing. you might call it, and
they worked 1t right at the beginning
OF the game.
with h call Of time Rurkett would
sdy n to to the plate. .How-do. Mr.:
we're having. Guess wen have q pref
~ good game this afternoon
Tim Good Natursd.
III Happened to be feeling good rs
tured n sOciable, 1 would naturally
answer, SUR. Glad to see you looking
80 WELL or something along those lines.
As soon as Burkett had finished his
bat he would chase back to the bench,
He's feeling good today, boys. Feeling
fine and happy. Work OF his good
nature, pals And they would try to
dc Sc. They tried to slip something
over on me every inning, and tried
to make my affable moods help them
along. II a decision didn't happen to
suit them, though, they would start an
awful howl. Figuring that I was feel
Ing too good natured to fire them or
put them out Of the game, they would
fairly riot around me for five minutes
after every decision that displeased
them.
Then again It might be different. I
might be feeling sullen and bad tenn
pered. Burkett would advance to the
plate with the start OF the game.
"'Ah, good afternoon. Mr.. Lynch he
would remark Looks as if we ought
to have a great game. Ism it a peach
of a big crowd?'
Being had tempered n out of hu-.
NOR. i would either pay no attention
to the greeting, or answer it with a
grunt. Then. his turn at hat finished,
Burkett would go back to the bench.
Cheese it, fellers!' he would exclaim.
He's got a horrible crouch on. Better
old Cleveland team, worked OF course.
with all the umpires. and I never
caught on to the scheme till one day old
Charlie thinner put me wise. It wasn't
u%nclever, either, that idea.
Tim Hurst was and always has been
nm