Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
LYNCH TELLS Of OLD
PLAYERS AND GAMES
Won't Believe Teams Are Bet
ter Now Than When He
Was an Umpire.

NEW YORK. January 22.-President
Lynch of the National League recently
recalled some old games and players as
follows:
Another game-oGd!y enough that
same old West Side field-that had a wild
finish was between Anson's men and the
old Giants just twenty years ago-a year
when New York won the pennant. and
won it with some ball club, too, I can
assure you.
1.-THE game was a one-sided thing for
eight innings. Ewing, Ward and the rest
of them were in rare batting form and
drove the ball in all directions. When the
last half of the ninth arrived New York
was leading something like II to 5-any
how, Chicago needed nine runs to tic and
ten 10 win II looked all off and the pub
lie was mostly on it's way home.
Suddenly the Colts began to hit. Bang,
bump smash-whack followed whack. Be
fore New York could realize what was
happening six runs-count 'em, six-had
crossed the rubber. Two were out and
the bases full when .Ad Gumbert STROBE to
the platter.
There has never ben pitcher who
could hit harder than Addison Gumbert.
Maybe Jack StiVetts could hit them as
often and for as good an average. but l
never saw a pitcher who could make the
ball fly from the ash with such terrible
force as Gumbert. Ad, who is now, l be-
lieve, the sheriff of Pittsburg. and
grand fellow, came up to do or die.
1.-The ball came over and AID met it
with all his burly strength. Straight for
the wall it flew, and the parade began to
move around the bases. AS the ball dis
appeared over the wall Buck Ewing threw
down his mask. Good Cod was all he
said.
Il was watching the course of the ball
1t passed over the wall not four inches TO
the wrong side of the foul-line-a mighty
hit, but still foul. I called it; Gumbere
came back and batted an easy grounder.
and one of the tiercest batting rallies of
the season was ended. Four inches to the
right and that hit would have won for
Chicago, making a ten-run rally in the
final inning.
The personal discussions and individ-
ua adventures ! had with the Old-time
ball players were innumerable. In those
DAYS the umpires were not nearly as
we'll backed up as now, and they fire.
Guently had TO depend on nerve and a
good right swing to protect them. Brawl-
ing ayers-usually good fellows off the
field but wild to win by any means
were many. and they made the umpire's
life burden.
1.-THE old Cleveland club. with Mexican,
NcAleer, thinner, ,Childs, Burkett ETC.
in it's composition. could play ball. while
some of its members were pests when it
came to nagging the umpire, The Cleve-
lands had a queer trlck-testlng the UNI
pire's disposition to find out how far
they could go and get away with it.
Mind-reading or character guessing, you
might call it. and they worked it right
at the beginning Of the game.
With the call of time Burkett would
Lynch? he would say. Nice weather
we're having. Guess we'll have pretty
good game this afternoon
IF l happened to be feeling good-na-
swer, Sure. Glad to see you looking
SO WELL, or something along those lines.
As soon as Rurkett had finished his bat
he would chase back to the bench. He's
feeling good TO-DAY. boys. Feeling fine
and happy. Work on his good nature,
pals. And they would try to do SO.
They tried to slip something over on me
every inning, and tried to make my
affable moods help them along. If a de-
cision didn't happen to suit them, though,
they would start an awful howl Figur-
ing that | was feeling too good-natured
to fine them or put them out of the
game. they would fairly riot around me
for five minutes after every decision that
dispeased them.
Then again. it might be different. l
might be feeling sullen and bad tenn
pered. Burkett would advance to the
plate with the start of the game.
All, Soou dlleIlO NIL LN Icu, lie
would remark. Looks If we ought
to have great game. Isn't it a peach
of big crowd?
Being bad tempered and out of humor,
l would either pay no attention to the
greeting, or answer it with a grunt.
Then. his turn at bat finished. Burkett
would go back to the bench. Cheese it,
| fellers' he would exclaim. He's got
horrible crouch on Better let him alone
this afternoon And they would Not
wishing to take chances on heavy fines
and quick ejectments, they would behave
| in quiet and gentlemanIS manner.
This was regular trick with the 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. 1t wasn't unclever
either, that idea.
:: = ::
Tim Hurst was and always has been