The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-07-14
.UMPIRES AND CRIT
Courageous Acts of the Men In
the Iron Masks.
A FINE DISPLAY OF NERVE.
When Billy Evans 6raved tho On
slauoht of Chicago Mob and Won
out-A Notable Decision by o'Day.
An Umpire Who Saved Baseball.

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 / ever saw was the act
Of Billy Evans on the old White SOx
grounds I'm Chicago" writes Hugh Full
lerton In the American Magazine. ION |
that park there was n tier of seats /
known as the 'stocSyards,' I'm which |
gathered one of the most dangerous |
crowds for umpiresl 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 lie was
tossed out and thrown over the heads |
of the crowd TO tho bottom. That
crowd started after Evans. who had
given close decision at third base
against Chicago. Evans walked over
on to foul ground back of first base.
and shower of bottles fell around
him. 1t looked as II a hundred men
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 whlstled around
his bead. 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 later Evans walked TO the
same position back of first base, and
the crowd that had tried to XIII him
stood up and cheered him. They rec
ognized n brave man. One fellow
threw 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 a tie In twelve innings. In the elev-
enth inning Chicago actually scored the
winning run only to lose 1t through the
| decision OF O'Day. q 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 it ODay, In
spite of the fact that Slagle had crossed
the plate and that there wasn't
chance TO put him out. called him out
because of Steinfeldts interference.
"There was q close decision at Cleve-
land one day when Tim Hurst, widely
known as the 'scrappy ump,' was Of
ficiating. Burkett was trying to score
from second on q 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 a gate shouting at
Hurst and urging the other players to
} ayenge them. Tebeau shouted to good
old Deacon Mcguire. who was catch
ing, Get after him. JimF Hurst
heard, but was not in position to reply.
Mcguire heard and waited until he
thought Hurst miscalled a 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 It. Jim.' said
Hurst softly. give II 10 Pat 1 merely
punched you vicariously.'
''They are square men, these um
pires, forced to be bit gruff 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 fou
ball struck him over the heart Th'
pain was excruciating. His face grew
white, and he set his teeth togethel
and resumed work. Three balls wer'
n pitched after he was hit He callet
r them all clearly. Then he collapsed
falling as IL dead, and was carried of
8 the field unconscious.
"One night saw politicians. wealth.
men. club owners. argue for hour
with an umpire. All they wanted hin
70 say was ! didn't see It. Upol
8 those words hung the fate OF a chan
pionship, the future Of a major ieagu
and the honesty OF baseball The un