Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-13
BY UMPIRE BILLY EVANS.

There seems to be a bit of doubt in the
minds of some fans as to just what de-
cisions are withheld by the umpire Until
an appeal Is made by the players for
such decision. A Gotham fan, through
the Sporting News, writes me the fol-
lowing query:
Does the umpire refrain from calling
a balk on the pitcher unless an appeal Is
made? Does the umpire instantly call an
interference when the catcher tips the
batter's bat, or does he wait for an ap-
peal?"
The two questions asked by the New
Yorker are two rulings that demand an
immediate decision by the umpire, no
appeal being necessary. When, in the
Lopinion Of the umpire, the pitcher has
committed an offense which comes under
the balk rule, it becomes at once the
duty of the umpire to call the balk. Play
is Immediately suspended. and no matter
what happens it is null and void. l
know of one case where the pitcher
made a balk with the bases filled. The
umpire proclaimed the balk in loud
tone, before the pitcher ever started his
delivery to the batter. The pitcher, think
ing he might possibly cover up his move.
and get away without having the SEN
tence imposed. fastened his delivery to
the batter, who hit the ball for two bases,
cleaning up the sacks.
Naturally, the side at bat was pleased
when the umpire first called the balk, as
1t meant a run, but when the batter hit
for two bases the same side much pre-
ferred the two-bagger to the balk, as 1t
meant three runs, instead of one. The
side In the field, the pitcher in particL-
lar, was peeved when the balk was call
ed, for Mr.. Pitcher hated to see run
slip over the plate on him In such an
easy manner Naturally, he was tickled
lot fn he ho1 no1 ho
batters two-bagger disallowed-
The balk rule is one that calls for i'm
mediate action, If the umpire is wise.
When an umpire delays a decision it al
not quite sure of himself. In no instance
is this more true than under the balk
rule If the umpire is foolish enough to
walt until an appeal is made, it makes
it look as If he is being Influenced.
There are any number of managers
who are phantom discoveries of balks
II the umpire called a balk every time
they appealed about this or that pitchers
motion, the game would soon resolve
itself into procession. I know one man
ager who can find some fault with the
pitching delivery of every twirler in the
league. except the members of his own
staff All the others are pitching wrong;
his men alone are living up to the rules
Yet every day this same manager Is
trying to perfect his pitchers in some
0
yet pass muster of the umpires.
In all cases of interference the UNI
pire must render his decision imme-
diately. 1t makes no matter whether the
interference was intentional or not, the
offense is there, and it must be punished
Often it is a rather delicate question to
decide. Interference plays, perhaps,
cause the umpires as much, if not more,
trouble than any other class of de-
cisionS
know of ono ma ior lea QUO ,,n,n,ro NIB -
got himself into big jam several years
ago simply because he tried to discrimi-
nate between Intentional and uninten-
tional interference. New York and Phila-
three runs to the good. New York filled
the bases with two down, Willie Keller
being on second. No cleaner player ever
trod the field than Keller. He never
made trouble for the ulnpires by doing
any underhand thing. The batter hit the
ball toward short. and, Of course. all base
runners started for home. The shortstop
was set to receive the ball as Keller
neared him, about a foot in the rear. Just
as Keller came up. the infielder evidently
he took one step backward. That step
brought him into contact with Keller.
both went to the ground, the ball rolled
to the fence and everybody scored. The
umpire refused to allow an out because
Of interference, and Philadelphia left
the field and forfeited the game and a big
dispute followed. If the rule allowed the
umpire to decide between Intentional and
unintentional interference, he would be in
constant trouble.
There are some plays on which the UNI
pire delays his decision until an appeal is
made and a play made with the ball. A
few of them are when a runner leaves the
base too soon on a fly ball, when the ba
ter fails to touch an intervening base
when forced for some reason to return
for instance. runner on first thinks fly
ball is not going to be caught, goes to
second and then short distance toward
third. OF course. it Is necessary that he
touch second on his way back to first, but
often the runner fails to do 1t and gets
away with 1t because no one in the field
noticed the slip. If the batter. after over
running first, makes an attempt to go to
second he forfeits his exemption from
liability to be put out. Often a player
does such thing and then saunters back
to first unnoticed. These are a few of
the plays an umpire often sees, but he
never renders a ruling unless it is re-
quested. 1t is his duty in such cases to
render the decision on rule violations, not
point them out.
"Umpires and players are not the only
people to so to sleep during a ball game"
is the way H. Betcher of Fort Wayne
Ind, starts a letter to me. From the trend