The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-07
RATE BILL KLEIN As
WORLDS BEST UMP.
Pitchers and Fielders Say Ma
tional Arbitrator Is AL
ways on Square.


NEW YORK. Dee. s.-Before .hs
last whispers Of baseball are lost. IN
the din OF othee activities il becomes n
duty 20 narrAte on Bill Klein, the pep
perry umpire of the National league,
who - one of the arbiters in the world
tour of the Giants and White Sox.
klcm has not only proved that he Is
n good umpire. but has proved that he
is also brave man. He has not even
shuddered nt being east into the midst
OF forty or more fiery. athletes Oh \
trip that viii carry him beyond the
protecting hand of his native country
As matter OF fact, Bill viii about
be equal 10 the occasion.
Tnking Klein is mark OF distinction
for him. He is regarded by many a.
the best umpire in the business, fact
which seems 10 be pretty well estah
lished by his selection twice for world 3
series. In the present instance IL was
largely due 10 Manager McGraw that
KLEIN was selected. McGraw, who never
had any particular love for umpires as
a general thing, thinks highly Of KLEIN
because he recognizes that Klein hae
become n master of his business, just "a
MeGraw himself has become a master
of his own end OF the'gam McGraw
has often maintained that Klein was
the only man in the business who could
do Matty Justice on balls and strikes
and would always rather have him in
an important series than any other ar.
bitter. KLEIN is popular among the ball
players, but this trip around tho world
is going TO he 2 new experience for hin,
In the course OF a regular season,
the umpires associate very little with
the ball players. They stop AZ differ
ent hotels and their schedule is so ar
ranged that they seldom travel on tho
same trains as tho ball clubs. Bnt on
this trip Klein will bc in the party all
the time. Of course, no great impor
tance attaches TO the outcome OF these
games and there should not be any
trouble over decisions, but ball players
never seem to he able to "keep off
an umpire even in exhibition sames-
On the other hand, Klein is probably
tho most successful sileneer OF ball
players now extant. 1t is a part Of his
business he has perfected. But be is
aided a good deal by the fact that
players give him credit for having a
keen eve and knowing their own, and
moreover they know that above all
things he is always fair and .unpre
iudiced in his decisions.
Klein has become the best umpire IN
the business by making study of hm
line of work. He has studied pitchers
aud motions so as not 10 be delivered
on balls and strikes and he knows
where TO place himself for the various
plays that come up under certain stu
ations in. game. Klein Is usually
paired off with the new umpires, break
ing into the league so that he can
school them on the way it should be
done in majors.
Unlike most umpires. KLEIN has never
been a ball player, at least not pro-
fessional He started out as an umpire
but gave his line the same attention
give 10 their work and has. therefore.
not only raised his own standard. bur
also that OF tho umpiring business as
The declarations by Eddie Plank and
games KLEIN worked behind the plate
while they pitched not ball or a strike
was missed have resulted In KAN being
advanced 10 a position where hGis rated
as one OF the highest saiaried umpires
In the world
the recommendations have made deep
impression and one OF the National
lea CUES first acts after Klein Rad re-
celved $1,000 from the national commits
sion for his services IN the ave games,
Giants and White Sox on tho worlds tour
al the expense OF the league.
Klern's contract calls for $4,000 tor
next seasons work, with n chance or
am extra $1,000 or more from the ante
season and interleag gue games. II was
NOT many years ago that Klein was de-
clared incompetent by the Connecticut9
league an organization which had a
reputation for wrecking the
hopes OF aspiring unp!res. Klein went
west and gradually lived down the Con.
necticut experience, until he was called
"a hi- SlOW