Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-02
UMPIRES ARE TO
Be THE MASTERS
President Al Tearney Outlines
His Policy to Three Eye
League Directors.
STAFF TO BE COMPETENT
Will Hold Home Teams Responsible
for Riots-Bering Tells Bit of
Detective Work.
CBy a staff Correspondent


with powers that will make them the
absolute masters of all situations aris
ing in connection with our champion.
ship games, and the officials of the
home club will be held responsible by
me for all riots and accidents incident
thereto" declared President Al Tear
ney just before the close of the Three
Eye league meeting at the Palmer
\ house yesterday afternoon.
1.-The past is all ancient history and
should be forgotten. l don't look for
a Sunday school league this season,
and realize that differences. and seri-
| Gus ones, at times, are inevitable, but
l do propose to avoid experimenting
with the amateur indicator holder.
The action of the league in advancing
/ the salaries of umpires has made it
/ possible for me to secure the services
| of men who were heretofore unobtain-
! able in the Three-Eye. When | an
nounce my appointments there win be
some surprises over the personnel and
I am satisfied there wilI> be general
satisfaction with my selections.
Strict Enforcement of Rules.
"As the executive head of your or
ganization it is my purpose to run its
business in strict conformity to the
rules. The men l will give you as UNI
pires are thoroughly trained and post
ed. all having had experience in bigger
leagues than the Three Eye, and all
have made good They know the rules
and they know the game. They are
coming to us, not because they love
US best, but because they want our
money. They are going to give you
the best they got They are strangers
to all of the cities in our circuit, and
therefore cannot be charged with ia
voring any particular team. They Will
err in JUDGMENT but none of us is IN
fallible. | am assuming, and want you
to Join me in this, that these men are
honest. and that their decisions Will
be square and not prompted by preJu-
dice. There will be chickering's be-
tween contending teams. That is TO
be expected, but there will be limit.
I shall look to the home team to pro-
tect the umpire in the event of an at
tack by the opposing club or the spec
tators.
warming to Players.
THE umpire is the servant Of the
league. not of the individual club or
clubs. I want each team to do its best /
to win. but 1t must do so fairly and
without bulldozing tactics. l positive
" will not tolerate umpire batting, /
and right here l want to give warning /
to all managers and players that they |
had best be clean and respectable in |
their diamond behavior if they expect /
to escape punishment at the hands OF /
the head of this league l will be /
ready at all times to hear both sides or /
a controversy, but. first of all, | wish /
to impress you that propose to stand /
bv my umpires / am convinced that .
they are going to be impartial Their /
word will be accepted by me in prefer
ence to that of a manager or player.
If we get away on the right foot. and
with the understanding that we all are
to be honest and decent with each
other, we will go through the season
in comparative peace. l am satisfied
Of that"
Inside Information by BGrinE.
Wilson Boring of Decatur who is
drafting the 1910 schedule. let loose
4 bit of unwritten history of the cham
race of three years ago dur
ng the proceedings. Baseball, with
each succeeding season, is gaining in
public confidence and respect as one
If the few legitimate SPORTS he said.
Baseball is cleaner today than ever
n its history. Three years ago, while
Rock Island and Decatur were neck
lnd-neck for the championship, some
nI,o - raI
heard in our city, as / presume they
we're elsewhere over the league. It
anne to my ears, though / doubted
here was anything in it, that Rock ,
sland was buying over players on
ther teams to throw games to that :
hub in order to make it impossible for
he CommOdores to win the league t
onors l will confess I was a trifle
pset by the criticisms that were
lade in my home city, and l decided
n a Sherlock Holmes scheme of my '
WI. {
Rock Island on Level. 2
ION my own responsibility, and +
'ithout the knowledge of any other
erson. 1 employed a competent man :
, travel with the Rock Island team =
nd keep his eyes and ears open 10 =
earn If there was any foundation for
ne serious charge that had been made
gainst the club representing that city. =
or many days he was on the skirts :
the Rock Island team, but not one :
the players knew his mission. I'd :,
e frank with you, gentlemen, his re-
ort forms one of the finest tributes
the honesty and squareness of base
all that have ever heard of. | am o
ere to tell you that Rock Island won a
lat years pennant purely on the 5
lerit of the playing of its team The {
ooI 1s1o,5 -. eo,,t. -. - r