The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-31
WRONG PLAYERS OFTEN SUFFER
Good Stories Relating Comical I
stances of the Diamond.

Some good stories were snapped
in the corridors of the Waldorf re-
Gently while the National league
meeting was in session, says an ex-
change. In discussing National lea
| que umpires, someone said Billy
Klein was easily the best umpire on
Lynch's staff billy is all right" re-
/ Joined another man, "but he would
get along just as well If he did not
always carry a chip on his shoulder"
THAT reminds me of what think is
the funniest incident ] ever saw on a
ball field" said Jim Gaffney, owner
of the Braves. 1T happened in Chi
cago last season, while the Braves
were playing the Cubs, and Umpire
KLEIN took prominent part in the
affair. No one paid much attention
to coacing on our team, and toward
the end of the season anybody would
do the coaching. On this day Buster
Brown noticed there was nobody in
the third base coacher's box, so he
ambled out there. Buster, however,
had no idea of going out there to
coach He merely took the jaunt so
that somebody would be in the box.
His thoughts were million miles
away while he was busy cleaning his
fingernails with a toothpick.
"Kling was at bat, and some of his
friends were seated in box behind
third base. They looked like drum
mers and rooted hard for Johnny all
through the game. One of them had
foghorl voice and was rather
noisy customer. KLEIN called strike
on King which the fog-horned man
did not like, and he beloved. What's,
that? Klein made frantic signs for
Brown to get off the field, but Buster
was so interested in his finger nails
he never noticed Klein. Get off the
field, Mr.. Brown yelled Klein, get
ting mad. Brown looked at him
stupefled, and with his mouth wide
open, stammered. Who, me? What
for? What did / do?
Never mind what for said KLEIN
get Off Brown never. stopped work
ing away at his nails and took seat
on the bench, where he continued his
manicuring. Klein Immediately spied
him, and rushed over and beloved,
Mr.. Brown. told you to get off the
field Buster looked at Klein to get
him right, and then started to parade
off the field, still working diligently
away with his toothpick. To this
day Buster does not know how he
came to get that half-holiday."
Billy Murray, the Pittsburg sleuth,
was one of the men who enjoyed
Gaffney's story. Il suffered the same
way one time" said Billy, land
will never forget it as long as | live
/ always prided myself on being
well-behaved man on the field, and
only once in all my career was / or
dered off the diamond. Umpire Rig
Ter did it to me when he was new
man in the league. 1t happened on a
Saturday in Philadelphia, when / was
managing the Quakers We were
playing a doubleheader and had one
of the biggest crowds that ever was
jammed in a Philadelphia ball park
early in the first game Kid Glea-
son, who was always in trouble with
the umpires. was bounced. Shortly
afterward one of the substitute play
ers sitting on the bench was ordered
to follow Gleason. He had been
beeflng considerably, though l never
approved of such tactics. What was
my surprise when Rigler said to me.
and you beat it with him. told
Rigler had never been put off ball
field in my life, that / had done
nothing, but he insisted that / re-
move myself from the landscape. ]
never felt so cheap in all my life to
have to leave the park before all
those people. was made to look
ridiculous, and l wore a crouch for
weeks And the big joke of the mat
ter was that | was perfectly in
nocent l did not say word nor
make any action that justified Rigler
in ordering me OFF the field. My in.
cident shows how arbitrary some
umpires can be-"