The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-08
LESS WRANGl|NG IN THE
AMERICAN LEAGUE JUMPS
HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE
While National Officials Are
Never Sure of Positions,
Bans Men Are.
PROPER PROTESTS o. X.
Attitude of Umpires in John
sons League Differs From
Lynch's Men.


Baseball patrons who have been
fairly frequent visitors to the parks
OF both major league teams. in the
two league cities, have commented on
the difference in the attitude OF the
players OF the two organizations to-
ward the umpires. Fans who travel
and see games in other cities. have
noted and remarked about the same
thing. They have expressed curiosity
as TO why American league games
were productive OF less kicking than
National league contests on the aver
age.
President Lynch OF the National
league once said II was because the
American league players and man
ayers were not as aggressive as those
In his circuit. That was true because
Mr.. Lynchs definition OF aggressive
ness" was different from the Ameri
can leagues.
Aggressive managers and players In
the latter circuit have been com
PEELED to turn their attention to COM
batting the moves and efforts OF their
opponents with all their strength,
skill and wits. instead OF arguing and
wrangling with umpires over decisions
which cannot by any process be
changed
This attitude has been made com
pulsory by drastic punishment OF or
tenders when necessary, and such
punishment has been made possible
by permanency in the executive office
OF the American league. The umpires
OF that circuit know that their future
employment depends wholly on their
ability TO satisfy President Johnson
that their decisions are square and as
accurate as they can make them.
Umplres In the National league
have no such feeling OF security be-
cause they do not know In one season
who will be their employer in the
following year. or whether or not
they will have employment. Neither
the umpires nor the president OF the
National league can feel the indepen
dence OF knowing that their jobs do
not depend on the votes or the club
owners.
That Is one reason.
American league players have been
taught that they are butting against
a ~aA of adamant wffeh they go after
an umpire on any proposition that
does not involve the misinterpretation
OF a rule. They have ceased to butt
except under extreme provocation or
excitement.
Baseball would not be baseball N
player could not register a sharp,
spontaneous protest against an ad-
verse decision on critical play. The
al % he. A4k ffVr
player II he did not protest, and II
passes almost unnoticed.
It is the prolonged, premeditated.
and concerted attempt to get an UNI
pres nerve and to prejudice the
crowd against him that hurts base
ball most. and none OF that is toler-
ated in the. American league.
There is another reason for the diff
ference between the two leagues. The
attitude of the umpires toward the
players is not the same in many in
dividual cases.
To take a concrete Illustration: II
you hapen to hear Umpire Evans
reply when a player protests: I'm
not out; he didn't touch me-" II will
almost always be: II thought he
did" Or II pitcher kicks on a called
ball because 1t was right across the
middle" the answer Will be: Il
didn't think So"
That settles the argument, unless
the player wants to come back with
something about think again" or
bum umpire" TO which the arbitra-
tor need not reply at all.
To tell a player peremptorily that
he is wrong and the umpire always
right Is what starts many a wrangle.
often a player honestly thinks he has
not been touched out, when In reality
he has. Hitting the ground ut top
speed often hurts, and the player does
not feel the lighter touch Of the ball
at all. To tell him he Is liar II he
says be was not touched breeds ~
feeling and trouble.
The answer, IL thought you were"
permits the player to retain his own
belief that he was not touched and
at the same time reminds him that
1t really does not make any diner-
ence whether he was touched or not
IL the umpire thought he was. For
In every close decision what the UNI
pire sees and thinks" at that In
slant determines the play, and there
10 no dppSaA
OF course, the umpire who refuses
to get as close as possible 70 every
play he has to decide, SO az 30 see
what does happen, and who cannot
think" quickly and accurately. In the
great majority Of cases could not get
away with that sort Of stun. But such
an umpire does not last long, anyway.
American and National league um-
pires, individually and collectively.
make a whole lot fewer mistakes In
their decisions than the spectator
thinks or the player will admh.
And IL II were possible to Keep Of
fetal scores on umpiring, giving credit
for every correct decision, and oharg-
ing an error for every mistake, the
worst umpire In the business would
have a better average" at the end
OF the season than the fielding aver
age OF the most brilliant regular In
the league.
New Sporting Annual.