New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-06

doing the game great injustice by hiding
his shining light under bushel when high
class umpires are so decidedly scarce ana
so much in demand
II is easy 10 sit in the grandstand or
bleachers. surrounded by lot of friends
who see things Just as you do. and umpire
the game, when you are not busy MUNICH
ing peanuts 1t is entirely different on the
ball field. however. where you are stran-
ger in a strange land. with hostile CROWD
ever ready to criticise and eighteen acuVe
ball players and as many substitutes TO-
Eether with two foxy managers, trying their
level best 10 outwit you. IF you DOUBT my
assertion in the least just take whirl AT
the umpiring game. and I am positive you
will be firmly convinced Of It's correctness.
In Justice to the fan must say that
am we'll aware of his reason for often OF
fering strenuous objection TO decisions that
are not even questioned by the players. As
an umpire I could never understand thls
feature, and so decided TO investigate, as
have advised those who are skeptlcal OF
the duties Of the umpire 70 do.
happened TO have an off day In CleVo-
land last year and 1 decided to journey out
10 the ball park and call on my brother
umpires Bull" Perrine and Bill Dinneen
had been assigned 10 the game. After
making them a friendly visit told them l
intended taking a seat in the grandstand 10
look them over. They laughingly assented
and Informed me that they would give their
best performance Of the season.
Bill Dinneen, the former star pitcher.
4 tN Il oe
decision was close. Philadelphia was the
opposing team that afternoon, and despite
the closeness Of many of the plays there
was scarcely a kick from any of the play
ers. Cleveland was losing, however ana
the fans" made considerable fuss over sew
eral rulings on the bases by Dinneen. FROM
where 1 was sitting in the rear part of the
big erandstand 1t really did look as II ne
had slipped I'D OH four plays. ObserVlnF
that not kick was made. I was convinced
that something had happened in each IN
stance which the fans" in the stand-my-
self among them-had not noticed L made
note of the plays with the intention OF ask
| ing Dinaeen about them just to SATISFY
my own curiosity. and after the game L
went 10 his dressing room.
"Vhy did you call Collins safe at HrSt'
Bill. on that throw from Turner" l asked
why there wasn't anything to that
play" said he. The throw, you Will re-
member, was q trihe wild. II pulled Sto-
vail some distance off the bag, and when
he lunged back his foot was about tmee
inches shy of touching first"
II was as plain as day when Dinneen had
exnIained II. but as Stovalls foot was on
the inside of the bag 1t was impossible TO
tell from the grandstand whether he had
touched it or not He got there ahead of
the runner and it looked entirely wrong
from the stand for Collins to be declared
safe. Dinneen was severely and unjustly
roasted simply because the crowd ala not
know the real reason for the decision
why did you call Baker safe at second
was nv second inquiry. From the stand
il looked as if the ball beat him to the oag
by q yard"
THE ball beat him all right said Bill
but the force of the collision in t9ucn ,iilg
Baker caused that young shorILSSI4P a 1brdv
70 drop the ball; . b fdan s Ge ea r out"
Dinneen had been severely CRITICISED ue,
cause a cloud Of dust caused by sllulns l lIaJ
made it impossible TO see that hlla ,Ir9e re-
dronned the ball. He had, OF course III
covered II a moment later, but not quiCfL1
enough to retire the runner 80. ..
why did you call Birmingham qut - a.
sacond when Coombs threw TO eaten MN
naming? Looked as if Joe got PACK 70
Inc bag before the bail reached barry
hands" =. 49, Leg" 70
rIied Bill. Barry had him Dlockeo on.
End 'Birmy' slid against Barry s shoe, no
tho bag He hasn't touched the pase ye-
From the grandstand it looked as II tni i
NAV was one on which the umpire ha1 pos set.
tivelv erred From a distance or 4OO leet
II was impossible to see that Blrmlhen nam
Sid into Barry's shoe and not the bag
Dinneen was called all kinds or unoonpH-
menfarv things for this decision also,
lust one more, Bill. Why was Jdcks ,y
ont AT third? II looked as II ne easily
heat Catcher Lapp's throw in an attehpI
70 keen him from stealing" A..
No question about his beating the
throw" answered Bill. HE was safe a
nile If he hadn't overslid the bag three or
four inches and allowed himself 10 De
toncbed out before he was able to regain
It." ,,-1 r,,r,,eo, mas
On the four plays in which Dinneen was was
2 bsolutely correct he was forced 70 SUNNY
10 ali kinds Of censure, because the lans
aid not know what had really happeneo,
and were basing their opinions merely or
what they could see from d posluoh Oh
or 400 feet from the play.
Z