The Washington herald., 1913-09-23
UMPIRES HAVE
TO THINK QUICK

Ball players pride themselves-the good
ones-On their ability to think quickly.
says /. f. Sanborn in the Chicago Trib-
une. 1t is an essential to success in fast
company, and the slow thinkers never
get above the mediocre level in the
majors. But the players are not the only
ones out there on the field who have to
have their wits keyed up to high speed
and figure out all the possible plays in
advance.
The umpire's job requires lot more
than accurate eyesight and Judgment,
and the ability 10 stand the gibes OF
the rooters. The successful arbitrator
must think as fast as any Of the players,
sometimes faster than the foxy men of
| the diamond, or they will catch him
mapping. Occasionally they do. but not
as often as one would believe, to hear
the players talk.
The quickest exhibition of thinking l
ever saw under the circumstances WAS
given by Silk O'LOughlin. of the American
League stan. some half dozen years ago.
A situation arose without warning which
never before or since has been duplicated
on the major league diamonds.
| Washington was playing at the old
White SoX Park and Long Tom Hughes
| was being hit pretty hard by the South
| siders. At the end of the inning Cap
tain Schlafiy, who was in charge of the
team temporarily, left the field to hunt
up another pitcher who was warming uD
back OF the pavilion 10 be ready to re-
lieve Hughes.
Three Senators were disposed of in
succession in a remarkably short time
| and the White SoN went to bat against.
Hughes remained on the slab and Man
ager Jones stepped to the plate.
He hit the first ball pitched on a
| fast bound straight through the position
usually occupied by the second base
man-but there was no second baseman
there. Sshlahy was still looking for the
relief pitcher, and no one had noticed his
absence from the infeld.
| Before the rigth fielder picked up tbs
| bah or Jones reached first base on the
hit, Umpire O'LOughIin had slipped of
his mask and was vigorously motiOning
for Jones to come back to the plate. The
SoX manager was inclined to argue and
stuck 10 the advantage he had gained on
| first base. He did not get far with his
argument, for Immediately OLoughlin
yelled, You can't play ball with eight
men in the field
That is as true as gospel. and il Is
stated in plain language in the playing
/ rules, but how many persons would have
| thought of that obscure rule, seldom re-
ferred to. and have applied it instantly
TO the situation. as O'Loughlin did?
Recently Bill Klein had an original prob
lem to solve. 1t came OF in Philadelphia,
and the bases were full OF Phillies. with
two out. Becker was on third, knabe on
/ second. and Lobert on first. Paskert
played the string out TO three and two.
and. OF course. the runners started from
/ their bases on the next ball pitched.
Knabe took such long lead he rounded
/ third and was only a few yards behind
Becker, planning to score along with his
predecessor il the Cubs failed to get Pas
kert out
| Lavender failed to get the ball over and
Paskert walked. thereby forcing all the
runners TO advance. Enabe crouched as
| if trying to escape notice. and sneaked
| back toward third base. but Needham
spotted him and fired the hall to Phelsn.
| who tagged the runner out before he
| could retouch third.
| Nearly all witnesses agreed that Beck
er had not crossed the plate when Knabe
was touched out. retiring the side. Every
| body knows the rule that no run can
score after the third out is made, but
there is also rule declaring that a run
ner is entitled to advance one base when
/ he is forced so to advance by the award
| ing Of base on balls to a successful
| batsman. 1t does not say anything about
how long said runner may take to COM
plete his journey.
| There might have been lengthy argu-
ment and perhaps a protest of the game.
but Klein did some quick thinking right
there. and declared Becker touched the
plate before Knabe was declared out.
That removed the play from the argu-
mentative stage.
/ There can be no protest except a
INSTRUMENTATION of the rules is charg-
ed. Klein did not try to unravel that
rule tangle; he merely made 1t a ques-
ton OF his judgment as to whether or
not Becker had registered in time, and
there is no protesting the judgment OF
an umpire.