The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-08-26

Say. honest. how much
are you getting for throwing
the gamer
Don't you know enough
to retire when you have gone
49, totally blindY"
You certainly must have
something on your boss to hold your job"
"The only thing about you that looks like an
smpire Is your mask and protector"
you better start to run for the back fence
- soon as the game IL over. for we are going
to get you"
These, and few million more Compliment
ary' expressions Of like nature are hurled
at the umpire during the course Of q closely
contested game.
It is really strange and wonderful into what
frenzy the average baseball fan can work him
self during the progress of an exciting game
It is almost incredible to think what he will do
or say when he imagines the umpire has made
q wrong decision that has apparently put his
club out OF the running.
Prominent attorneys, distinguished doctors.
wellknown actors, staid business men. In fact
men Of all classes, will invariably jump to their
feet at what they consider punk decision"
and shake their fists violently, utter all kinds
Of incoherent remarks, and insist that nothing
will satisfy their thirst for revenge but the
ufs blood Of the poor defenseess umpire.
The next day, when some one meets one Of
the frenzied rooters, and In Joking way ex-
plains to him how he acted and tells him some
of the things he said about the umpire, Mr..
Loyal Rooter takes a vow then and there that
he will never again open his mouth at ball
game, no matter how thrilling tho situation.
Perhaps the very next afternoon, II the prop
or occasion arises, he will unknowngly COM
NIT the very act Of the previous day.
Civic pride Is to be admired In all things. A
baseball fan who doesn't want to see the home
team triumph Is surely peculiar sort OF man.
Perhaps II might be we'll for him to have his
sanity investigated. Desire to win at any cost
however often makes intelligent persons abso-
lutely unfair in their views and opinions
The extent to which the fan will allow his
civic pride to dominate his opinion was well
illustrated to me one day last year. While
on my way to the hotel after particularly
brilliant game, which the homo team had
bst by a score Of to O. after a desperate strus-
gle was much amused at the conversation OF
a number of dyed-in-the-wool fans who happen
Cd to be in the same car.
II was the unanimous opinion OF every
one that tho home team needed good-sized
boards instead Of regulation bats II they
we're ever to win a game. They cited
half dozen instances where hit, or even q
~ to the outfeld, would have won the con-
test All Of them were sore over the loss OF
the game, principally because of the weak
hitting of their favorites. They proclaimed
the visitors stronger In every respect. That
one run was the big event Of the day. The
fans seemed to forget that for II innings
the hitting Of the visitors was just as feeble
as that of the home team That the nit
that sent the only run Of the game across the
plate was due to a lucky bound which sent 1t
over the second baseman's head To me 1t was
one Of the best games Of the year
The following day the home team won by
q very one-sided score of IL to l. AS tate
would have 1t, bumped into several rams
of the previous day on the car down town
The contest was decidedly poor one,
thought, the ono and only redeeming feature
being the hard hitting Of the home CLUB
The fans were satisfied, however, for 1t was
unanimously agreed that the home boys had
recovered their batting eyes. and that from
now on they would make the best Of them
step the limit to win.
l shall never forget little incident that hap
pened to silk" OLaughlin during game at
Washington, one day, which illustrates what
come fans will do when the home team Is get
ting trimmed.
l happened to be working back Of the plate
that afternoon, while silk was performing on
the bases. All the close plays seemed to come
up on the bases. silk" had at least a dozen
plays that could have been given one way or
the other. because Of the extreme closeness.
Practically all Of the plays went against the
home team, and while six" had little or no
trouble from the players, a fan, who was sit
ting in the third base section Of the grandstand
chose to disagree with the arbitrator on prac-
tically all of his rulings. He kept up a
volley Of remarks throughout the game, and
before its close had enlisted quite few vol
unteers.
Because Of the actions of this one lone
fan. silk" was subjected to rather siren
uous afternoon, although his work was we'll
nigh perfect. SILK" discovered that his en-
envy was sitting in the front row Of the
srandstand. also that he wore glasses He
made up his mind long before the close Of
the game that he would express himself to
the gentleman in question.
The home team managed to win, out BY .
brilliant ninth inning rally In his jublia-
ton over the winning Of The game the fan
had 'orxotten sutirsN thar person bsarins