The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-07-07
SPIRIT
1t Crops Out and Grabs Sundays Game
From Athena's Pennant Winners
in Ninth Inning Rally.
Standing of Teams.
Oh, but it was great.

When Littlejohn's pennant winners
journeyed to Pendleton Sunday. for
the last game of the season with the
Buckaroos, it was with the under
standing that Umpire Buerstatte
would not hold the indicator and that
Roberts would umpire the game. Mr..
Roberts was in town. all right. but
showed up at the grounds late; in fact,
after the game started. So Mr.. Buer-
static. the home guard of Pendleton's g
base ball fortunes, offioiated. And
since bis of1iciation has about 500
friends less in Athena, aud several in
Pendleton where sprinklng of
dozen or more disinterested travelling
men who witnessed the game. swear
by the gods of Olympus that he
should be stripping dairy COWS instead
of lingering the notohes of an indicat
or wheel.
Every eAthena man who saw the
game says it was stolen from the Mil
lers in the ninth. when with Berger
on the blink, the pennant winners
were beginning to find him and rally
was framed up for Garrison finish.
The finish came all right. too, but it
came to the Millers in the neck when
Scorer Chessman was delegated and
clothed with the office and authority
of umpire and was permitted to render
decision which handed the game to
Pendleton on a platter, which even
the fingers Of Blaokman would dis
dain to touch.
With Berger firing, and the last
chance at hand. Athena's batting list
rallied. Lankard was safe at first on
Dickson's error. and stole second.
Berger exhausted more of his strength
in flaming Winn and Picard and lost
control. Stating Beck in the rits.
This put two on with two down. To
get speed. MIR. Berger has to wind up
like steam lifting crane. Owens.
one of the speediest base runners in
the league, was running for Beck and
the play for double steal was the
trick, but Berger. knowing some base
ball, forsook speed for caution and FL
tered one to the plate which Harmon
/ met on the nose. Lank kard and Owens
crossing the home disc while the ball
was being relaved in by Bliss in left.
to Witten at second, and ty him to
Dickson at third. where close de-
cision retired Harmon. Every body
was satisfied that the game was tied
up two-and. when to the surprise Of
Athena. and all disinterested speota.
tors. it was announced by somebody
that the game was Pendleton's. by
the score of two to one.
Buerststte claimed he did not see
Owens cross the plate and left the
decision to Scorer Chessman. who
ruled that the runner was not at the
plate when Harmon was declared out.
Players of both teams surged about
the umpire, dissension running RAM
pant for quarter of an hour. Ath-
ena's protests were unheeded and Pen
dleton took the game.
1t is said the decision at third base
was close one. many oontending that
Dickson dropped the ball when Har-
mon slid to the Tag. Owens easily
scored from first before the ball touch
ed Diokson's mitt and the least thing
in fairness that Buerstatte could have
done after acknowledging that he
did not see the play, was to have gone
according to the rules governing the
play and allowed the score to stand.
Before the play came up hundreds of
fans had been enjoying good ball
game. but when Chessman rendered
the decision for Buerstatte, keen dis