Evening star., 1912-04-12

| The umpire has been the fall guy
since the origin of base ball. writes Billy
| Evans in the Sporting News. He viii
probably occupy that position as long as
| the game rs played. 1t must be admitted
however. that his status is improving
| every year There are two things tina,
could happen that would help the, um-
pire-they would tend to make the fan
extend a little more sympathy to the
judge of play, and cause the umpire to
look on the abid fan in a more kindly
light
1t would be a good thing if every UNI
pire could attend some very important
game as spectator. Not alone as a
spectator, but as a strong partisan of one
of the teams playing. 1t would make the
setting all the more proper if the umpire
in charge happened TO be giving all the
close decisions against his club. Then the
umpire in the stand could appreciated the
position or the rabid fan, when he hap
pened to be working a game and slipping
all the close decisions contrary to the
wishes and visions of said fan. 1t would
be very easy matter for him to ap-
preciate the position of the rooter. and
understand his reasons for calling the
judge of play every unkind name in the
dictionary and a few others that are not
recognized by Webster.
1t would be wonderful thing for the
umpire if every rabid fan could be select
ed to umpire some very important game
a contest that played a prominent part in
deciding the pennant winner-a contest on
which perhaps hinged the result of the
worlds series. or. in fact. just a plain. or
binary game Then would said fan learn
"A lot about the work of the umpire that
he never dreamed entered into the game.
Then would he learn just how it felt to be
roasted to a dark brown for some play
which he knew he had correctly judged
Then would he appreciate what it meant
to have some favorite player kick himself
out of the game. incidentally covering up
his own mistake at the expense of the
umpire. Then would he realize what the
umpire was up against from the clang of
the bell until the last man is retired.
Plays look different at distance. Often
from seat in the grandstand a man
looks safe u mile. when if the fan could
have been right over the play he would
have easily understood why the umpire
waved the runner out. There are many
little things that can enter into a play
that change its entire complexion. Nine
times out of ten it is impossible to see
these finer points at distance of from 10
to :;;W yards. Often the fan from his seat
in the srandstand cannot understand
how the umpire ever rendered such rul-
ing. Often the umpire from his position
on the diamond cannot understand how
the fan can dole out such undeserved
criticism. 1t makes big difference where
YOU sit at ball game. Sure. the umpire
makes mistakes, lots of them, but it is a
good bet that he never makes half as
many mistakes are usually charged up
against him, especially if his rulings hap
pen to play a part in the defeat of the
home team.
Not until year or so ago did 1 thor
oughly understand and appreciate the po-
Sitfon of the spectator. ! had finished an
eisht-Same series in Detroit on Tues
day and my next ass. s.gnment was Cleve
land. / was scheduled TO open there on
Thursday. thus getting day of rest
Usually a day of rest means a trip to
most any place but the ball park. BAl
D:nneen and Bull Perrine We're working
in Cleveland, and it was late in the
year, and ] had not bumped into either
umpire. l decided ] would go out to the
park and make call on my copartners
in crime.
The Athletics happened to be the oppos-
ing team. Jack CoOnbs was slated to
work for Connie Mack's team. Jack was
in the midst of establishing his record of
working forty-s.X innings without being
scored on, and for this reason more than
any other, | decided to stay. | wanted to
see if the Maps would De able toget a run
over on the Iron Man and spoil his
record Fanwell. then promising Cleve-
land recruit, opposed CoOmbS. / was well
repaid for staying The game was a
thriller. finally ending in an eleven-inning
y to u. tie.
Perrine was working the plate. and both
pitchers We're moving so smoothly that
not Il single kick was registered on his
rulings. Bill Dinneen was working the
bases, and if ever an umpire had tough
game Bill had that afternoon.
Practically every play on the bases was
close. and nine out of ten went against
the home team. Several times the Maps
threatened to score, but a close decision
would invariably spoil the possibility. The
crowd was naturally pulling for the
young pitcher to win over the great
COombs. and incidentally wanted the
Maps TO have the honor of smashing
CoOmbs' record for scoreless innings.
Throughout the game Bill was handed
lot of things he didn't ask for and
didn't deserve. The crowd was good and
sore over a number of decisions, but I
noted that not word was said by any
of the Cleveland players. / must confess,
from my position in the stand, that it
seemed as if Dineen had erred on several
playS.
A number of fans who recognized me
asked what | thought of the plays. l
merely smiled. told them that Bill Dinneen.
one of the best umpires in the business,
was deciding the plays. that the players
didn't seem to object to any of his rul-
ings and that last but not least We
were in poor position to try to umpire
a ball game. Yet to myself l thought
those plays looked mighty queer from
this back row in the grandstand.
Four very close plays had come UP dur
ing the game, to which the fans had
taken strenuous objection. All of them
had been decided against the home team
1t certainly seemed from the stand as if
Dinneen might have missed them. 1
could understand why the fans yelled.
for they saw the plays as I did. / knew,
however. that Dinneen was right: that
something must have happened on each
play which could not see at so great
a distance. Ny curiosity had been arous-
ed. and l decided to satisfy il. So after
the game / journeyed down to the UNI
pires' dressing room to have a little
shat with Bill over the four plays that
were not clear in my mind.