The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-09-09
TOUCHING
T.. SECOND

t.. JECUlyD
By Johnny Evers and Hugh Fullerton
Continued from last week)
umpire lost his head. The runner. in
the meantime, had gone into the dress
ing room, had his shirt of, and was
starting to wash. When notified of
the situation he put his shirt on, ran
under the stand, climbed through q
box, ran behind the catcher. after two
balls had been pitched to the next
batter, and when he touched the plate
the umpire allowed the col and tied
the game.
To uphold decisions of that sort 10
to put a premium either upon dishon-
esty or incompetence.
One of the greatest examples of in.
dividual heroism the game has known
was that Of Henry O'Day in the his
toric game between New York and
Chicago on September 2S, 1908, when
Merkle forgot to touch second base.
Ten days previous to this game O'Day
lad been umpiring at Pittsburg and
missed the same play. turning away to
get a drink and failing to see Gill, the
runner, who forgot to go to the base.
In New York when the hit was made
that sent home what seemed the win
ming run, the crowd surrounding the
field, swarmed upon it. O'Day, re-
membering the Pittsburg play, raced
nearly to second base, saw Merkle
turn and go to the clubhouse, saw
Evers with the ball on the base. THE
run doesn't count" he said-just as
the crowd swarmed over him. For
200 feet he walked through a raging
mob, telling them the run did not
count, while they shrieked, struck at
him, pulled him and threatened his
life.
Even after New York claimed tho
game and the entire country was
aroused over the situation, O'Day
could have ended the trouble with a
word and given New York the PEN
nant. He knew the National league
wanted New York to win. He knew
the Giants ought to have won, that
the hit was clean and one that de-
served to bring home the winning run.
big in baseball, urged him to say he
had not see the play, had not made
a decision, he stood firm. 1t was said
O'Day would be mobbed if ever he
vent onto the Polo grounds again, but
when he next appeared he was greeted
with cheers that showed the admira.
ton of the fans for his courage.
There are weak umpires and strong
ones. The weakest is the Homer
who gives all close decisions to the
home club. But the Homer" is not
as bad as his antithesis, the bull
head" who gives all close decisions
against the home club for fear he will
be called a Homer"
Some explosions are laughable. In
1908, Pat Dougherty, goaded to a state
of frenzy by Hurst's ball and strike
decisions, turned upon the umpire and
said: You blank, blank, blankety
BANKED blank crook"
do you think l am that sort of q
crook, Patrick" asked Hurst.
Eyes, blank blank you, l do" splut-
tered the angry player.
Then, Patrick" said Hurst in his
softest voice, IF I were you l would
not associate with such q person. Git
on OF the field"
There was an umpire at Evansville,
Ind. in 1908, who called a game on &C.
count of darkness at 1926 p. H., the
moment the Evansville team scored a
run and went ahead. Schmidt, when
managing the Meridian (Miss.) team
passed himself off as an umpire and
was caught stealing the opposing
catcher's signals, signaling his own
batters and base runners, and then
miscalling balls and strikes as fast
as they were pitched in a vain effort
to make his minor leaguers beat q
major league club.
One of the best comparisons be-
tween the umpiring in major and
minor leagues vas given unconscious
ly by "Ducky" Holmes, who, after
years of service in major leagues, re-
tired to manage the Lincoln (Neb.)
club. After the third game. he plead
ed with Pill" Rourke, with tears in
his eyes. to lend him q revolver. with
which to kill an umpire.
Abe Pollock, who umpired a few
frenzied games in the Central league.
quit abruptly and tells the following
story in STANDARDIZATION Car
son entering strenuous denial.
Il stood everything" Pollock
groaned. "They spiked my feet, hit
me in the eye, waylaid me after
games. kicked me on the sh;ns, pulled
my hair, abused and cursed lac. Still
l stuck until one day at Fort Wayne
when a big fellow walked down to the
front of the stand, dropped a big bull
dog over into the field and yelled. Sic
him. then l resigned"
The worst feature of an umpire's
life, perhaps, is the necessity of avoid
ing everyone and concealing ones
identity as far as possible. During the
season the umpires travel incognito. II