The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-30
STORIES TOLD
OF THE DIAMOND
Silk O'LoughIin Talks About
Duties to the Um-
pires.
STORIES ARE TOLD
OF THE DIAMOND
ARBITRATOR SHOULD KEEP
PLAYERS HUSTLiNG WHEN HE
CAN AND BE NEXT TO ALL KIND
OF SCHEMES.
No. VII.

BY SILK O'LOUCHLIN. American Leasue
Umpire.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Umpiring Is a business. and it has
been mine for fourteen years, during
which time naturally have had some
queer experiences. II l have attained
any success as an arbitrator 1t Is be-
cause l have put my mind down to
my work and given it just as much Of
my time and thought as have been
given in other lines and professions.
believe that the umpire is every bit
as much of feature at ball game
as are the ball tossers. More depends
upon him. and he should realize this
fact when he steps upon the field. 1t
has always been my idea to let the
public and the players know that the
umpire is the real thing. He should
create this impression when he walks
on the field and impress it on every
body's mind as the game progresses.
/ have made study to give the
public all that is coming to them from
the umpire. The people in the seats
are entitled to know what decisions l
render. and l try to make this plain
both by signals Of the hands and
arms and also by the peculiar manner
Of announcing strikes and balls.
l draw out strikes as long as posi-
BILE. so that they can be easily dis
tinguished from the balls. / never say
1.-TWO" because that is sometimes mis-
understood. while "tuh" is never mis-
taken for anything else.
One of the most important things
that I do is to get as near to every
play as possible. The umpire should
move about. and the players should
do the same. The umpire should put
lots of action into his work, and the
players will follow suit. There is
nothing more tiresome than a draggy
game of ball. and the umpire can make
it draggy if he Is so disposed. al
ways make the players hustle, and l
have never yet found player who
did not want to get through a game
as quickly as possible.
EMPIRES sometimes make trouble for
themselves by allowing the game to
get out Of his hands The umpire
should always hold the players in
check. and they would never have
any trouble with the ball tossers. I
started to umpire when l was but
twenty years old. and l have been at
it ever since. Umpiring is not always
pleasant, but like my work.
In order to be a successful arbitrator
one must possess u cool head and be
good judge Of the players. for the ma
jority Of them are up to all kinds of
tricks. For instance, here is a scheme
that Frank Isbell of the Chicago
White Sox tried to work on me some
years ago. Isbeil wanted to get out of
the game. 1t was bitter cold. and he
did not feel like playing. But he did
not feel like going to the manager of
the team and saying that he didn't
want to play. So he hit upon the
scheme Of being put out OF the game.
In one OF the early innings he tried
to steal second, and l declared him
out. II wasn't out, and anybody who
says was out doesn't know what be is
talking about" said Frank. He was
hoping that l would put him out Of
the game, but was on to his trick.
The next time he got on first he start
ed for second again. Once more had
to call him out. I'm not out" howled
Isbell. Nobody but crooked umpire
would call me out" The third time
up he singled and once more started
to steal second. This time he was out
by two feet. X wasn't out.' he yelled
and handed out line of talk that was
calculated to get him put out Of the
game. AS the day was cold and raw
he would rather be sitting on the bench
in the clubhouse than on the bench of
the playing field. Frank saw that l
was on to his game and for the rest
Of the game remained very quiet.