Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-14
JUDGMENTS

petore ana both are young ana corning II
10 always difficult for a team to get back
IN the swing after such q long losing streak
az the Hourkes have had, but they have
oeeh Hbhune all the way and that Of it.
sen sood indication. II is entirely too
carry IN the season to quit Nobody should
think OF swing up. especially Just as we
are importing new stock. IL ia true our
pltehing staff has been disappointing. very.
Not one has done as we'll as he was ex-
pected to. Yet the pitchers alone are NOT
70 blame for the train Of defeats. They
nave done some excellent work Most OF
the games lost were by close marKins
showing that Omaha, while beaten, was not
easily beaten, When Kelley. purbin
Rhodes and the others get down 10 norrnal
condition we believe the team will very
readily jump back into the thick of the
hight. This must be remembered. Omaha
mas Its hardest row to hoe prior 10 Julv 4
Most OF Its tough games abroad come in
that period. After that the team spends
most OF its time at home. Its present trim
A"ay-htteen games In ALL is about the
worst II will have this season. To be u,ro
II has not done very we'll on this trim az
YET but with Niehoff amid Williams To heIp
out should came back better than n went
away. Niehon was counted the best tbird
naseman In the league when he was with
Des Moines and he should be even faster
now His presence VIII leave schipke free
with MS duties as captain and give Rourke
an excellent tnfield utility man in thu
scrspper' who can work at short. second
or third This change alone gives a very
bright promise to the outlook
We are not sure but the time has come
Tor backing up a little on the leewaV ana
protection accorded the umpire. In the a.
Tort to prevent umpire batting and to in
sure discipline, which the game requires.
oase pan law and those who uphold Il.
nave uhintentionally Il seems, given some
4 ignorant and unworthy fellows the falss
Impression that the umpire IA a law mt
himself TO do as he pleases, and amenable
to none That needs curbins. some nm
plres In minor and major leagues mead
euroins A thing happened In New York
iast week, which. IL correctly reported by
haf dozen sport writer's who saw H.
ought TO emphasize the need for some
rational restraint upon umplres In a game
between the Cubs and Giants, the Giants
| needed one run to tis.atwo to win. IL was
9not the ninth inning, but there were two
out and man on third and second Tbe
runner on third started for home. The
pitcher whipped the ball to Killing. who
touched the runner out. Umpire Brennan
bealled him out, whereupon the eide beInR
retired Killing rolled the ball back into the
diamond and started for the bench. Sud
oenly brsnnAn reversed his decision, cali
ing the man safe In the meantime thu
otner runner having come on at a gallon
from second, crossed the plate, scoring two
runs That proved a victory for the
Giants. OF course, after Brennan reversed
MS decision the Cubs were helpless. as
they heard only his "out' and even had
tney heard the safe" could not have got
back into play In time to catch the second
runner. II is such work as this and that
done by kneeland which will. ~ not
stopped, hurt base ball Players need dis
eipline and they get Il very severely. The
umpire needs discipline and should get II.
Three decisions in one omaha-sioux City
!. game by Kneeland we're enough to cost
him his Job.
There should not be much argument over
the play az Lincoln in the eleven-inninE
game which furnishes Don Despair with
his cause for protesting. The play Is this:
Lincoln has runner on third and he
takes a big lead for home and starts a
second before the Omaha pitcher delivers
the ball. The Omaha catcher steps in front
OF the plate receives the ball and tags the
runner, who is called out by the umpire
The only question IL whether or not the
pitcher was in the box when he made the
delivery. II he was and the catcher inter-
fered with the batter, who was about to
Abunt, the runner was safe; IL the pitcher
vas not in the box when he threw the
BALL the runner was out, for the batter
pas no right to bat at a ball delivered from
any spot In the diamond except the
pitchers box. The same play has come up
In the major leagues and been decided on
this basis. which would seem TO be the
only rational way Of deciding It, OF course
the club In ornaha's position in the case
at hand might reasonably argue that the
team In the field has right TO avail itself
OF every facility to put a runner out, Just
As the team at bat has every right 20
score when 1t has a chance. But this line
OF argument leada only 10 endless oonfu-
sion. The ruling we have quoted Is neces-
harry to protect the pinch play. Otherwise
catehers might be stepping in front of bat
ters on any occasion whore the pinch Is
attempted. Now, II Omaha can show that
purbin was not in the box when he threw
tho ball. or II Lincoln cannot show that he
vas the decision should, and probably will,
stand. At any rate that decision alone
would not decide the game. But in the
meantime this 10 the second protest to go
in against this fellow kneelAnd within a
week. other teams besides Omaha will
find him out II he stays in the league long
enough.
II Murphy has 20 let so Of Ruelbaeh and
Pteister, 1t wo0ld be more decent TO re-
lease them outright and let them DO the
best they can for themselves, That IL
what most people thought he should have
done with steinfeldt. but It is not the
Murphy way OF doing. What are men who
have helped give him four remnants, two
worlds flags and coolies Of money, when
they start down?
II Is too bad that wichita the Wanted
Metropolis Of western kansas" cannot
find time 10 support as good a ball team
as Manager Isbell has given H. II speaks
badly for a city 10 pass up such chance.
lsbell We hope. viii leave the town unless
It comes across with patronage. but why
he should so to Pueblo instead Of Colorado
Raa4H 4