Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-13
MANY OPPORTUNITIES
FOR FUNNY PLAYS
Umpiring Harder in Amateur
Than League Ranks.
Some Incidents.
By Billy Evans.

clSlOuS IMAM case Dall.
OF course, the best bits OF hunor are
pulled of in the amateur and semi-pro
ranks. but the majors and minors are
not lacking in this respect.
Any umpire will tell you that he has
been up against It harder in the amateur
| ranks than in any league he ever worked
in that played under organized base
ball. Conditions make it harder as an
amateur. as the odds are always against
the arbitrator In many cases the UNI
| pire invites trouble by too strict an in
| depreciation of n rule, while, on the other
hand, some ivory head will get him all
but killed by pulling OF play that puz-
zles the spectators. This recalls to mind
a play that was pulled off down east last
summer in a prominent amateur league.
| I happened to be working in the cast at
! the time. in the city nearest where the
game was played. While the decision
| after all was quite simple. still 1t caused
| some of the hOtheads to hand the umpire
| things he didn't ask for and stir up lot
| of trouble In general. It seems that the
| managers of the teams decided to leave
the matter to the umpire, who was work
/ ing in Philadelphia, and the decision fell
/ to me.
| The play happened in the last half Of
| the ninth inning, with the score standing
- L.
second and third and one down, and hit
meant at least tie and possible victory.
| The base runner on second, DESTROYS Of
| scoring on any kind of a drive, had taken
| big lead off second. The catcher noted
| this fact and decided to take chance on
catching him mapping. He shot the ball
to second and caught him off the bag, but
meantime the runner on third had started
| for home. OF course, the play shifted to
the man who had made break for the
plate.
While five or six OF the players who
| were In the field were trying to retire
| the runner between third and home the
man who had been caught mapping on
brilliant plans While the players were
| chasing the runner on third up and down
| the line he would make a dash for the
plate. He figured that the players In the
| field would be so intent on retiring the
other runner that they would pay no at
| tention to him and he could easily score.
He carried out his plan without moles-
| tation and crossed the plate a few sec
| onds before the other runner was touched
out. The home rooters were jublant, as
they believed the score had been tied.
However. when they saw the visiting
| players and the umpire start to leave the
| field they decided something must be
wrong. and q good many OF them. not
| started to make life miserable for the
| umpire. several of the home players who
| were not familiar with the play melting
| tho rooters to more violence.
OF course there was nothing to the
play. the umpire being absolutely correct
| in his decision. Just as soon as the wise
base runner who was on second passed
the runner between third and home he
was out, making two men retired. Then
when the runner who was on third was
touched out the side was retired and the
game over.
A peculiar play, something similar, was
pulled of in the American League last
year, although it was in no way due to
any boneheadedness. simply a difference
| of opinion The play happened at Wash
ington. with Boston and Washington as
| the contending clubs.
DanEig, big fellow from the coast, was
on first base and another Bostonan on
second, with Harry Niles at the bat Niles
hit terrific drive to right field, and 1t
was almost apparent from the start that
Otis Clymer, who was playing right field
for Washington, would not be able to get
the ball. The man on second evidently
early reached such a conclusion, is did
Niles. as they began to put on high speed.
Danzig. however, wasn't quite sure and
decided to play It safe. and just sort of
sauntered toward second. Niles runs with
his head In the air. and he never saw
Danzig as he passed him on the side
track Niles put up at third, delighted
with his swat. as he figured two runs had
crossed the plate. Imagine his surprise
when the kind umpire informed him that
he was out When Niles asked for rea-
son the unp pointed to second base. where
Danzig. who was not quite certain just
what had happened, was standing. What
Niles said on his way to the bench will
not be printed.
happened to be working with Jack
Sheridan last year when q committee of
three called upon him to decide ques-
ton that had all but caused the disband-
ing Of their league Here was the Ques-
ton put to Sheridan:
In the deciding game for the league
championship. with the score tie in the
ninth. and two men out In the last half
of the inning. one Of the players knocko
the ball over the left-feld fence The
umpire. as is usually the custom, fol-
lowed tho batsman around the bases.
more as a mere formality than anything
else
Now. it seems that the batsman in his
great glee Of making the hit and win
ming the championship forgot all about
the game and cut third base about q
yard. The third baseman called the UNI
ptre's attention to the fact, the umpire
gave the third baseman another ball, and
when he touched the base the arbitrator
declared the man out who had hit the
ball over the fence.
question was: Evidently the young
| man who uInpired that game wants to
die In the very near future. An umpire
must use Judgment as we'll as follow the
rules, and he should have been thinking
what he intended to order for dinner
when the crazy base runner failed to
touch third. There are some things you
must always see In base ball and others
that it's wise not to see.''
Naturally, after the Merkle incident,
one would think that the unfortunate
happening to that clever player would
be lesson to all players to run out
hits and always touch the bases, Yet
not three days after the Merkle incident
a player In the American League pulled
off a similar stunt
On the grounds in question the
clubhouse is located in the outfield.
The score was tie, with a man on
third and two out. The batter sent
a drive to right field that was good
tions. The hatsman simply logged
down to first base. while the man on
third raced home with the winning
run. The crowd began to pour on the
field and the visiting players started
to leave the grounds. Imagine what
the umpires thought when the bats
man. when within ten feet Of first
base. instead of touching the bag,
started off in the direction of the
worked the game are the authority for
the statement that just as soon as the
batsman started for the clubhouse they
incidentally sought their dressing
room in hurry.
Perhaps the only thing that ayerted
trouble was the fact that the contest
ing teams were hopelessly out of the