The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-10
League President
at Fault in Case
of Local Umpire
By .IAY LEWIS.

man. has met with severe criticism
because of his inability to handle what
is practically a championship series
between the two leading cluos Of the
Virginia league. Umpire Keyn dds
should not be censured too harshly.
The chief fault does not lie with him.
1t lies with President j. 6. Boat
wright president of the league, who
assigned him to officiate n the series
President Boatwright had = very
fair umpire In McTeague. According
TO published statements. McTeague
resigned because the president of the
league refused to reimburse him
SIS, Legitimate expense money.
President Boatwright had another
very fair umpire IN Mcbride. Be
ca pse OF the difference over the price
of u Pullman berth, ~ u. rte league
lost the services II this umpire.
For trifing sum the president nf
the Virginia league caused the organi-
zation to lose the services of two
caIab BILE officials He saved the league
81 2s and lost two umpires whose
value. draft price, nj sht be placed
al 5000. What the league has lost in
the estimation of the fans is not to
be reckoned readily in dollars and
cents, although II might we'll be given
cash value.
President Boatwright has at least
one good umpire In the person Of
George Cowan. but fearing that he
might be accused Of favortism by
appointing . former Richmond PLAYER
70 umpire the important series with
Petersburg, he sent Cowan to Norfolk
where little is at stake President
Boat~rtght should know Cowan well
enough to be quite certain that he
plays no favorites that he has no
reason to favor the Richmond team
under the charge OF Manager Grif
fin. and that he performed in Peters
burg 10 the satisfaction of the fans
there
Cowan might well have been sent TO
richmond 70 umpire the all-importa at
series betwe cen the Richmond and Pc
tersburg teams. or If not CoWan. at
least an umpire other than Reynolds,
who not only is inexperienced but who
seems to lack nerve. The only PLAYER
Reynolds has seen At to discipline is
Grimm, the man OF all the players on
both teams who has been most friend
~ disposed toward him The Peters
burg players, particularly Laughhn,
have hullyragged and badgered Rey-
nolds and he has let them go un-
punished. Yesterday Morrison talked
back Ia him In the most insolent man
ner, vet Reynolds never made a move
to hush him up.
The players are not to be blamed
II they can lntimidate an umpire That
the object Of the Petersburg PLAYERS
was TO tntimidate Reynolds was plain
from the start. Iaughlin and Busch
had him bufYaloed. Thursday night
Busch sent a wire TO President Boat
lryF4 ~ n
utterly unfit 70 umpire the series He
even asked Griffin to unite with him
In sending the wire Griffin refused
He wanted Reynolds to have an OPP
portunity to make good.
Yesterday IL was plain that Rey-
nolds did not relish disciplining the
Petersburg boys, He may have hea I'd
from the telegram Of Busch. And
when the Petersburg players realized
this they became very pleasantly dis
posed toward him. Joe Laughlin
good naturedly allowed the umpire
TO use his wind pad or chest protec-
tor. when Laughlin's team went to
bat II appears that Reynolds has
been unable TO get himself an outfit,
to date. Mace, rather churlishly, re-
fused to loan his protector. feeling
peeved at the way his pitcher was be
Reynolds did his best. but he was
up against hard proposition, In the
heat OF the conflict Griffin and Busch
and Laughiin are not the mlldest
hammered men in the world. OF the
field they are the best of good Eel
lows. genial kind hearted. jovial. but
on the field II is different With those
three in a tight series an umpire II
bound to have trouble. But instead Of
sending a firm. hghting ofticisi TO
the games here, one who knows Grlf-
fin. Busch and company and who can
handle them on the field. President
Roatwright sent a new, untried or
fetal. one who has yet to gain con-
fdence in himself and in his ability
TO judge plays.
An umpire's Job is no sinecure ana
in series like the present one be
tween Richmond and Petersburg 1t Is
doubly hard To send an nntried man
like Reynolds 10 run the games was
| the poorest kind OF judgment. Just
such judgement az one naturally
would expect of an official VINO would
deprive himself Of two capable UNI
pires for a paltry s3.2S.