New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-10
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Baseball Umpires Are Human
and Make Many Mistakes.
REASON FOR MUCH FRICTION
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

Baseball was anything but safe and sane
over in Brooklyn on Saturday. When the
.fans" So far forget themselves as 10
lombard an umpire with pop bottles and
heavy glasses at the risk OF committing
manslaughter. no excuses can be offered
FFary. one OF President Lynchs new UNI
rires, may have blundered, and blundered
badly. From what can learn. he lost con-
troll OF himself. perhaps through nervous
ness. but that was no reason for trying TO
disable him. Scenes OF the kind which
marred the game on Saturday do more
harm to organized baseball in one day than
can be repaired in months and are TO. be
deplored. Fortunately the players We're
not so much to blame as the frenzied on
lockers, but hardly a day passes in the
National League without the umpires being
called on to send some manager or player
TO the bench or off the field for insubor-
dination, in ract or IN the imagination Of
the man who rules the diamond. 1t is high
time that the owners OF the older organ
tzatlon should follow more closely IN the
footsteps OF the American League.
Baseball urrooires are only human. and
consequently are bound TO make mistakes
As a rule, technical blunders are over
looked more particularly as In most gases
they have no bearing on the outcome or
the game, but the fact that mistakes not
only of Judgment but Of the rules, are
common has been emphasized by Fred
Clarke. manager Of the Pittsburg Pirates
who because OF grievance is carrying
out his avowed purpose 10 protest every
game which his team loses when an UNI
rirs blunders. -Four protests OF this kind
Yoet efy q
and no doubt ~ every manager followed
suit President Lynch would be swamped
Not long ago Frank Chance. manager OF
the Chicago CUBS. was quoted as saying
'JJmpires should be Instructed TO learn the
rules. instead of being instructed TO put
PLAYERS out Of ,gaInes for the slightest sign
OF insubordinati on" Umpires should know
the rules and should be carefully instructed
In the various in Expectations but the fact
remains that ma uagers and players must
b. ruled with an iron hand, which often
times places the umpire in false and un-
fortunate position.
II strikes me that umpires, like poets are
horn, and not made. Some go along from
season TO season with out the slightest sign
Of friction and with the respect and conf
dence of the players and fans" except in
moments Wlen Idulu HditiSdHSlllp btSi'NNS
or oblIterates reason and judgment There
are others. however, who are in hot water
most of the time. and the reason often
times lies as much with themselves as
with the p.avers Arsiters of the diamond
and clothed necessarily with almost arbi-
,rarv power: but there is a vast difference
between nrmness and tyranny. When play
ers are made 10 suffer from the abuse of
authority in umpires who are not qualified
10 rule. the trouble begins. There has been
a deal of friction in the National League
this wear. in striking contrast to the Amer
team League. Baseball players are the
same the country over. II is not reasona-
HE ia believe that the men and managers
in one league are more amenable 10 dis
cipline than in another. consequently the
conclusion must be drawn that the umpires
I'm the National League are not so well
oualiied TO perform their arduous duties
as those in tho American League. 1t be-
hooves President Lynch TO consider thie
although he is not one-half so much 10
blame as the owners of the various clubs
who fail in lending their full support and
co-operation TO the chief executive.
The glorious Fourth brought no Joy to
the Giants and the Yankees, or for that
T,
and sane as It was in some respects, 1t had
no charms for the lovers of baseball with
its teeming. torrid temperature, and its
damaging. doeful defeats. as Barnum &
|. Pauev's press agent could be expected to
n saw How different were the feelings In
PHILADELPHIA. where the fans" could be
hardened their wild enthusiasm over the
fact that both the Phillies and Athletics
iurped TO the front in their respective
races for a pennant, and on the anniver-
sarv Of that momentous day when the Dec
laration Of independence was signed In that
self-same city. There was reason TO cele-
brate in the cradle OF liberty, hut the un-
fortunate part of Il all was that the base
hall part Of the celebration was at the eX-
pense OF the Giants and the Yankees.
without wishing to rob the Philadelphia
fans" OF the least bit of their short-hNed
10Y. it may be said that the real time 10
celebrate will come in October. Hope Is
about dead in this city for an American
League pennant as the Yankees are pay
ing too badly in spots to fiatter their foi-
lowers But hope IS very much awe ior
a National League pennant and the chance
TO rejoice in a victory over the Fhlauel-
phia Athletics in the worlds championship
series. once more the Giants are IN lroh''
Charley Doom. manager OF the fhllhes'
&c none too strong in pitchers and VIII pay
almost any price TO secure one or ploie
first class men TO help out AleXanuer ana
Moore although Burns did his part recent
~ nv heating Matty in two games 1t may
he said that Doom took desperate chances
with Alexander. the wonder OF the present
season. in using him in two games ana
uarts OF two others in seven days WIN
Johpny Quicksilver up for altitude ana
breskinr records I'm his thermometer. IL
looks almost as though the astute manager
of the PhiIlies had gone crazy with the
beat" and was making his run at the
wrong time. as they say in racing John j.
NcGraw did almost the same thing now
over in sending Matty 10 the mound twice
in eve DAYS under the most trying weather
conditions The little Napoleon Of the base
hall world was harshly criticised too as the
cans" will not believe that big SIX
ccuId lose two games in quick succession
unless seriously affected by the heat moore
and Alexander showed the effect OF their
strenuous campaign Of the last few days
~ Thursday. when both made sorry
chewing against the 81. Louis Cardinals.
Natty has pitched five games IN TWO
and in three