Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
81 BILLY EVANS.

No men actively connected with the
game of base ball bump into moro pe'
Guitar plays or unusual happenings tnan
the umpfres Naturally when q ouhcn
Of of,cials get together there are some
mighty interesting tanning bees. NE"
York IA the only city in the two Dig
league circuits where such gathering
NJ the umpires often takes place. some
times as many as q dozen base ball or
fcials will be stopping in the same notei
in New York at the same time. Imagine
how the ears Of certain players and man
ayers must burn when such q session
Is going on. Very often the Nationai
League is playing at Brooklyn, when tine
American League is scheduled in New
York. At the same time the Eastern
League ia often booked at Newark ana
Jersey City. In case Of shift in assign
nnents. which goes into effect on SAT-
,,rfIay. unpires shifted out OF New YORK
always spend the Sunday in the big CITY,
while those scheduled to work in New
York always make it a. point to leave
Saturday evening SO as to kill the Sum
dav in New York. Usually base ball as
a tonic IS started by some umpire seek
;re Information on a certain play that
mas come under his observation. Usuaily
such a play starts heated argument
and very often It is impossible to set al
to, agree on the proper Interpretation.
Many Freak Plays.
Every umpire has something. new
happen almost weekly. IL not oaily.
that is open to argument, and such
questions are always threshed out at
the meetings in New York, which hap
pen four or Ave times each GUNNER. It
Is really remarkable some OF the OUT
landish things that can happen on the
ball field. To the average spectator
they read more like fiction than truth.
but any fellow who has ever umpired
knows full we'd that most anytn'ns
who takes nothing for granted. Inc
freak plays in base ball are unnatural
plays, those generally created because
Of some fool action on the part OF the
Can you imagine this situation? The
home team Is at bat, the bases are
filled, one man is out. three runs are
needed to win the game. The oattei
playing that position believes two are
out. He makes q pretty catch OF the
ball and belieysa the game Is over
when In reality two ony are Oh
Catching the ball he dashes for the
can explain the situation. all three
runners have scored. and the game APP
parently won is lost. That seems al
most incredible. yet such thing once
happened in the big league.
Think over this one for a minute. In
some way the boy operating the score
board has become confused as to the
innings played. When the last half OF
the eighth is being played. the center
fielder glancing at the scoreboard notes
that IT reads the last half of the ninth
The score at the time Is a tie. With
man on third and two out the batter rsI
center fielder starts after it, but seeing
ne cannot get it, starts for the club
| house. Thinking it is the last OF the
ninth he naturally thinks the run go.
ing over the plate ends the game. Be
fore the other outhelders can get the
ball the batter has also made home
run. In the ninth inning the visitors
made a run in rheir first half, but the
two handed them by the outfielder, be
cause Of the scoreboard's mistake on
the number OF innings. decided tn