Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-02
OLD-T|ME UMP|RES
HAD PER|LOUS Jobs
Almost Took Their Lives in
Their Hands Twenty-Five
or Thirty Years Ago.
By Frank Hough.

PHILADELPHIA. January 1.-Judging
by the tenor Of his letters to the umpires
of his staff, President Lynch of the
National League believes that much Of
the friction in that organization has been
preciptated by the lack Of cheerful acqui-
essence in the decisions Of the arbitrators,
and the disposition shown by some of
the magnates TO override them, and in
some instances to assume the executive
function by barring Objectionable umpires
from their grounds. Evidently Mr.. Lynch,
who was positively one of the very best
umpires who ever handled an indicator,
proposes to stand by his men and see that
they are in fact what they are supposed
to be in theory, absolute bosses of the
playing field during the progress of the
game. And that is as it should be:
for what is more unsportsmanlike than
the spectacle of a base ball magnate re-
fuslng to sustain an umpire in the inter-
probation and the enforcement of the
formulate? Nothing could be more op-
posed to the very spirit which makes base
ball what 1t is-the most popular outdoor
sport ever devised.
But though their lot is not the hap
piest one the umpires of today have it
easy compared with the Daniels who al
most took their lives in their hands
twenty or thirty years ago. Except on
some extraordinary occasions have UNI
pires in recent years been subjected to
anything more serious than the roaStingS
of the spectators and now and then a
little bit too vigorous kicking on the part
o. the players. Whether this decline in
the number of scenes and demonstrations
is due to the improvement in the caliber
of the men who are now selected to render
judgment, or to the stricter disciplining
of the players and the greater enlighten-
nent OF the general -ball-going pub
lie is question which might be argued
from two angles. but in the opinion of the
Old Sport this desirable change for the
better has been brought about by COM
bination OF both reasons.
There are hundreds and hundreds of
cranks still on the sunny side of the fifty
year line who will recall how diverting
things were made for the umpires at the
Old grounds at 26th and jefferson streets
in 1882, the year that Simmons. Mason
and Sharsigs Athletics won the pennant.
Without exception. the regular attendance
in those days was the greatest bunch OF
umpire baiters that ever happened. and
they were ably abetted by the majority
Of the newspapers-that is. newspapers
that paid any attention to base ball at all
1t didn't seem to make much difference
whether the Athletics lost or won either
the painstaking Jump could feel pretty
sure of getting his some time during the
afternoon. John Campbell was the off1cial
scorer of the club at that time. and if We
were to take Johns word for it the Ath-
letics never lost a game-the umpire al
ways robbed them. Nor did John have
any patience with the reporter who might
espouse the cause Of the luckless arbitra-
tor--he was traitor to the city and
should consider himself lucky that he was
not ridden out of town. But nevertheless
the Old Sport could not help thinking that
the Athletics lost many of their games be-
cause the other fellows played the better
ball. and said So This led Harry Stovey
then captain of the Athletics, and possibly
the greatest OF all base runners. to chris
ten him the Deacon, and when Stovey.
who is now a police officer in New Bed
ford, was last here about four years ago
he still called the Old Sport the Deacon.
There were two particularly good UNI
pires in those days-umpires the excel
lence of whose work commanded the ad-
miration of even the rabid Athletic root
ers and the partisan newspaper writer's.
and who If around today would rank with
the very best of the present arbitrator.
And vet their methods were as far apart
as the poles. Honest John" Kelly. who
had been a catcher, was the first umpire
to assert the authority with which every
umpire today is supposed to be clothed.
He was boss of the field, and when he
first exercised the authority he fairly took
away the breath of the icemen. who used
TO root so loyalty for the Athletics In gen
eral and for Harry Stovey in particular.
They couldn't understand it. and when
Kelly finally jumped over the paled fence
right back of first base to get spectator
who had been unusually offensive they
were endorsed. This reflected great credit
upon kellys gameness, although at this
time it would be considered the rankest
kind of judgment But 1t had its effect.