The Washington times., 1913-06-28
BAN JOHNSON STIRS
UP WRITERS WRATH
Detroit and Cleveland Scrbes, Not Working for the American
League Chief, Do Not Hesitate to Speak Plain Truth.
Time Has Come for Improvement in Officials.
By SENATOR

Ban Johnson's unwarranted attach
upon Joe Birmingham, manager Of the
Cleveland Naplanders. declaring him
unfit to manage a big league club. .
Is likely to stir up a hornets nest. Tn.
entire trouble In Cleveland last Sun
day resulted from the poor work Of
Jack Esan, one Of the arbiters working
In the game between the Tigers and the
Maps. Tbs echoes Of the trouble are
sttli' rolling: around the league.
Says ErHie Hatchelor. sporting editor
Of the Detroit Free Press: Ban John
son, president OF the American League.
and .czat of baseball in general. has
rather <overreached himself In issuing q
ptatemsnt branding Joe Birmingham as
incompetent to handle 1 big league
ball club" because of Joe JackSon's re-
cent row with Umpire Egan.Y
"a man who has done a. wen ~ has
Birnningham since taking charge Of the
Cleveland club 10 entitled to more con-
sideration from the league executive
than . public scolding for an occurrence
and Johnson's conclusion that Joe u
not fitted for his job ig hasty and i'll
advised.
There can Be no doubt that Jackson
made mistake In starting battle with
the nmpire when there was an overflow
but little encouragement from q popular
player to become ugly. Al the same
fime Birmingham did not incite his star
to 80 after EgAn and he did everything
possible to Quell the disturbance which
resulted from ysckson's banishment The
Dixie slugger 10 not exactly an intellect
ual giant and no manager could be ex-
pected to teach him In q minute what
. man Of more brains would know in-
stinctively.
ball games and Appearing enough in-
terested In their outcome to stand up
for ones rights. Birmingham d guilty
Of that crime But anyone who VIII
compare the work Of this years Ueve-
land club and Of the deed-and-aiivs as- e.
Forest city lately VIII be inclined to for
give the scrappy leader.
"Quarreling with umpifes n bad
bushes At best. and getting put out
Of games doesn't pay. yet Jackson was
wronged on the play that caused the
argument and demonstrated In tho
way that came most natural. to him
He already had drawn . deserved sus-
pension, which ought to be sufficient
discipline for the Cieviand club with
Johpson to discredit Birmingham The
Maps leader ID trying very hard to
make a winner Of his team and ts sue
ceeding admirably.
"Perhaps he needs to be checked up
little now and then when his en-
thusiasm runs away with him. but II
could be done without this parade ON
Johnson.s part. The leagues 6oss is
lacking In the niceties Of courtesy ~
Sny rate when He publishes as state
meiit 'cffticfsfng q manager without
first administering O. private reprtmand
to the man to, be disciplined
The other angle. suggested Frequently
In these columns. Is shown In an ardcle
by Ed Bang. sporting editor OF the
Cleveland News. who says:
Lets take it for granted that Joe
Jackson did say something to Umpire
Egan Sunday that would probably have
been better left unsaid. Jackson gets
suspended Indefinitely. Now to further
the argument let's take Jackson's word
for It that Egan used similar language
in addressing him. What does Egan
get? Suspensioni Never In, q thousand
years. Instead, Ban pats him on the
back and says Well done, my good
and faithful servant
so far. so good. but what about the
thousands Of patrons who overhear
these little verbal mixups? Aren't they
entitled to some consideration. IL not
from the umpires. then from the best
paid man in baseball. Byron Bancroft
Johnson? We think so.
I'VE are not trying to overlook Joe