Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-25
Poor DOwn-Tr
Umpire for Once
Gets His Deserts
Jack knight Says Arbiter Knows
Something About How Plays Are
Made.

80 last o. base ball player has been found
Who admits that the umpire Is In better
position to iudEc PLAYS than tho PLAYER
himself Jack knight Of the New N"'N
Highlandcrs is the wonder question
and there is little doubt ~ him being the
man Tor whom piogcncs has been search
ing all these wears
knight turned base ua'' writer TINS
winter. and In one Of his articles In the
New York press In regard TO the UNI
pires ne writes
An umpire though Is usually in 20
sition 90 Judge PLAYS better than any one
else The man back 81 the bat certainly
can see balls and strikes better than any
one who Il looking At the plate from an
angle. Tho field umpire, being at right
angles TO a runner, Is In the best position
20 judge whether the ball or the runners
reached the base first.
II iE common thing Tor the bench
warmers to howl and yell murder when
man on an opposing team has been called
safe az first on close play. The runner
looked 20 he out "A step to them. When
the first hascman comes In after the in
ming n over, they all chorus the question
How was that play?" Then the first
sackcr, not Tor publication, but for his
teammates only viii answer! 81 felt him
hit the bag before / caught the ball"
The plays at second base / imagine, are
the hardest to Judge Playing shortstop
most Of the time, and covering the base
when a runner attempts to steal. have
had a great number Of such plays to
handle. The runner and the ball arrive
almost at the same time and | confess
that almost three out OF five times l do
not know whether | have TAGGED the man
before he hit the base or not. ON the
other hand, the man stealng is Just as
uncertain, although he does not admit It,
and almost Invariably differs from the UNI
pire II called out
Every umpire has his own method Of
running the game. Some umplros notably
Billy Evans and Tim Hurst, get along
nicely by Kidding the players out Of their
crouch. They dislike to pun a man off
the field and do so only when he has made
himself objectionable to everybody.
! Tim Hurst furnished fund OF amusing
Incidents while umplring, and usually
wound up every argument by making the
players laugh with him. Tim forgot all
about humor though, In that record game
Of twcnty-four innings played between Bos-
ton and Philadelphia, 1 played with the
/ Philadelphia team In that never-to- be-for-
gotten tusslc. Tim umpired that game
alone, and, while the players could rest
some between innings, Tim had to stand
out there Tor more than five hours and 1t
made him grouchy.
Mike Powers was catching for Phlladel-
phia, and Mike, being tired himself, would
not attempt to stoop and block the low
throws that occasionally came and some
~ these low throws would be stopped by
Tins shins. Tim finally got wise to the
fact that he was acting "a "A backstop
and with fine sarcasm he leaned over
Mikes shoulder and remarked:
AN apron Is what YOU need between
your less, and II any more low ones lane
on my shns III deprive you OF me com
pany, IN umpire behind the pitchers nC
you know you've just told me that can
see that far"
Bnly Evans runs his game In a slightly
different way lie assumes a fatherly at,
titude that serves his purpose we'll lie
talks In kind, soothing tone OF voice, as
II II panied him TO call you out. He is very
sorry and would like to call you safe, but
he really cant When a man runs up L
btlly protesting he was "a full STEP" with
arms distended TO show the length Of
said step, Billy will fold his arms and II
that awfuly-sorry corrective voice. answer
Now, Fred, II was very close, y, c.ose
but YOU were out Fred Just "a ha, 81. step.
Though every umpire tries TO rIn hil
games as smoothly and with as little fric
, ton as possible, they do not resort I,
benchlng player unless absolutely neces
sary; but player Just has to object wher
. he is called out and no always objects
more or less In proportion to the closenes
OF the play The leopard cannot chang
It's spots