Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-07-14
IUMPIRES AND CRIT
Courageous Acts of the Men In
the Iron Masks.
A FINE DISPLAY OF NERVE.


A fine DISPLAY OF NERVE.
When Billy Evans sraved the On.
slausht Of q Chicago Mob and Won
Out-A Notable Decision by o'Day.
An Umpire Who Saved Baseball.
"Umpires are brave men-at least the
great majority of them. One Of the
bravest things I ever saw was the act
of Billy Evans on the old White Sox
grounds in Chicago" writes Hugh Full
lerton In the American Magazine. "On
thatupark there was tier OF seats
known as the 'stockyards, In which
gathered one Of the most dangerous
crowds (for umpires) in the country.
They were regulars who occupied the
same seats almost every day and who
fought for them. The seats. Of course.
were not reserved. but hundreds claim
ed title to certain places. They paid
their quarters, and II any one was IN
the place and refused to move he was
tossed out and thrown over the heads
Of the crowd to the bottom. That
crowd started after Evans, who had
given a close decision at third base
against Chicago. Evans walked over
on to foul ground back of first base,
and a shower Of bottles fell around
- hy1ndPod
were throwing bottles at the umpire.
One bottle touched his cap, several
bounded and struck him. one hit him
on the arm. During this bombardment
Evans did not turn his head. He stood
watching the batter. For at least three
minutes the bottles whistled around
his head. The people in the grand
stand shouted for him to run, fearing
he would be killed. The players beg
ged him to move into the diamond
out of range. He stood still with back
to his foes until the batter made a
base hit, then trotted down near Sec
ond base to watch for play there. As
the opposing team took the field few
moments latey Evans walked to the
same position back of FIRST base, and
the crowd that had tried to kill him
stood up al cheered him. They rec
ognized a brave man. One fellow
threw a bottle, and the crowd pitched
him down the steep steps, passing him
along until he hit the fence.
''The nerviest decision and one of
the most important ever made was
that of Umpire O'Day in the worlds
championship game between Chicago
and Detroit on Oct 8, 1907, the first
game of the series which finally ended
in tie In twelve innings. In the elev-
enth inning Chicago actually scored the
winning run only to lose it through the
decision of O'Day, a Chicago man and
a National Lacquer. Slagle was on
third base and started home with the
ball back of third in left field. The
ball was thrown home and arrived
after Slagle had crossed the plate and
was nearly to the bench. Steinfeldt,
who had been batting, was excited,
and when the ball was thrown to the
plate, wild and wide. he Jumped and
let it hit his shoulder and prevented
Schmidt from catching 1t. ODay, In
spite Of the fact that Slagle had crossed
the plate and that there wasn't a
chance to put him out, called him out
because Of Steinfeldts interference.
There was a close decision at Cleve-
land one day when Tim Hurst, widely
known as the 'scrappy ump,' was Of
floating. Burkett was trying to score
from second on a hit The catcher
failed to touch his foot, but touched his
knee, and Cleveland claimed the foot
reached the rubber before the ball
reached the knee. Hurst called him
out, and In the wrangle that followed
expelled Pat Tebeau, O'Connor and
Burkett from the game. Then he put
them off the grounds. They left the
playing Enclosure, but all three had
their heads over gate shouting at
Hurst and urging the other players to
avenge them. Tebeau shouted to good
old Deacon Mcguire, who was catch
ing, Get after him. Jimv Hurst
heard, but was not in position to reply.
4LAd6 uAl0 ACdIo anu WoAlC0 0AIAi lag
thought Hurst miscalled strike. Then
he rushed at the umpire at top speed.
Hurst stood still. When Mcguire
came near enough Hurst kicked him
on the shins and poked his mask into
his face. Mcguire fell back, astonish-
ed If you don't like 1t, Jim.' said
Hurst softly, give it to Pat merely
punched you vicariously.'
'They are square men, these UNI
pires, forced to be bit gruf and to
fight, but their devotion to their work
and their honest effort to discharge
their duties mark them as men of
high integrity. And they are game
saw Bob Emslie once when a foul
ball struck him over the heart The
pain was excruciating. His face grew
white, and he set his teeth together
and resumed work. Three balls were
pitched after he was hit. He called
them all clearly. Then he collapsed,
falling as If dead, and was carried off
the field unconscious.
zone night saw politicians, wealthy
men, club owners, argue for hours
with an umpire. All they wanted him
to say was I didn't see it. Upon
those words hung the fate of cham
,pionship, the future of major league
and the honesty Of baseball The um-
pire replied, But, - 1t, did see 1tP
And he saved baseball"
Prosperity is great teacher; adver-
sity is greater. Possession pampers
the mind; privation trains and
strengthens It.
Rra1 AaIRlAle N Rna nEGH