Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-22
ONE UMPIRE is NOT ENOUGH
Joe Tinker and Fielder Jones Both
Make the Assertion.
DOUBLE SYSTEM FAR THE BETTER
One Man Cannot DO Justice to the
Players, as He Cannot see All
the Plays Made on the
Diamond.

CHICAGO. Jan. Aloe Tinker, shortstop
Of the Chicago National league club and
Fielder A. Jones. ex-manager OF the Chi
eago American league team. say the Pa
cific coast league is making a grave mis-
take in rejecting the double umpire system.
Both diamond stars assert that the game OF
base ball has progressed TO such an ex-
tent that one umpire cannot be expected
to do both teams justice while handling a
game alone.
mo umpire. do not care how expert or
honest, can handle a modern game Of base
ban and safety every one" says Tinker.
"A single umpire cannot see two plays
and neither can he watch both first and
third bases when there are more than
one or two baserunners on the path. It
does not matter how fair or impartial an
official may be- when working alone he IL
Handicapped every time runner gets to
first base. He must either umpire the
game from behind the plate or back OF the
pitchers box, and in either case he can
not move quickly enough to judge close
plays on the bases accurately. This is es-
pecially true of the official behind the
plate and II he Is behind the pitcher ne
will frequently err on balls hit along the
first or third-base lines.
Il have seen a ball hit along the third
base line I'm the ninth inning OF a game
called fair ball when Il was at least
two or three inches foul and had II been
properly judged the pitcher would have
won a nO-hit no-run game. Being called
safe hit. It went for three bases and
scored a runner tieing the score, and the
batter afterward scored the winning run.
Not only are such instances an injustice
| to the pitcher and his team mates who are
working hard to win. but are also dis
pleasing to the patrons of the game. That
decision referred to cannot be blamed on
the umpire entirely. for it was a sharply
hit bali and travelel fast, but the official
being located behind the pitcher, simply
could not Judge the play accurately. Had
there been two umpires the man behind
the plate could have judged the foul bal
accurately and the other man devoted his
attention to the baserunner or runners
and seen to II that they touched the bases
in order
Many a game Is won through a darine
baserunner cutting a base and the failur,
of the umpire to see the play. Two good
umpires don't miss those plays and Il pays
any league to hire the best men they car
get and to have two OF them working to
gether all the time. Keep the same pail
Of umpires together all season Is another
piece OF advice would give presidents OF
leagues. for they succeed in perfecting q
set of signals and do better work to
gether."
flaming bee" between the two Chi
cago players recently brought out thC
interesting information that Joe Tinker
had never been hit by pitched ball since
he Joined the Chicago club in 1902. Will,
on the other hand Fielder Jones' during hi
stay with Comiskey. was most frequentl,
waited to first through stopping wilt
shoots Of the pitchers. Jones says tina
Tinker's case is a most remarkable on
and he does not remember any other playe
who has had a like experience.