The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-14
M'GRAW STILL
SCRAPS JUMPS
SAYS MENKE
Sport Writer Fails to Find
Ground for Mathewson
Story of Easy Time for Ar
biters.
BY FRANK G. MENkE.

&NC w IoNN, Aus. IL
ewson, the author pitcher, IN 1ecent
article stating this was an easy year
for umpires, remarked that even MS
boss, John McGraw, was off the ar
bitrators this year, and that John was
acting real polite and refined IN MS
attitude toward the umpires.
Quite a number Of persons VIII oe
surprised to hear this. Among tnose
will be one John McGraw, sometimes
called "Muggsy" McGraw and at other
times "Hit-from-b behind" McGraw.
Some Of the National League umplres
will be surprised, too. To the best or
their recollection, they have had TO
chase John from the pastime just
about as often this year as ever before.
And that means they've done some
considerable chasing
Perhaps what Chris meant to i'm
part to the multitude was that john
doesn't say as much to the umplres
as he used to say in the dear old days
that are dead. There may be some
truth in that. The umpires in late
years have come to know John. just
as soon as they declare a Giant out or
the Other fellow safe, they look to-
ward John. If they notice that he is
about to open his mouth they can anti
cipate what is coming-to them. So
they just wave John from the pasture
and thus save their feelings from in
jury by the harsh, cruel words that
John can concoct at a moments no
tice.
Mentions Others.
II the article that Chris wrote mere
ly mentioned Johns name as party
who no longer heckles the umpires.
one might have gained the idea that
Chris wrote that article just to get
stand in with the boss. But Chris didn't
stop with lauding John as reformed
umpire-baiter. He mentioned the
names of Charge Griffith, the peppery
leader of the Senators and Frank
Chance. the Yankee manager. He de-
clared that like McGraw" they no
longer cause trouble for the impires.
Griff is "off" the umpires-when the
police are around. At other times
we'll, read the dispatches from the diff
ferent towns where the Senators stage
their ball games-and where Griff
stages his little act, Tanning the UNI
pire."
1t wasn't so very long ago that Griff
showed how thoroughly he has his
temper under control by FORGETTING a
game In Philadelphia because he OBJ
JtCtcu " SOIIc vi lllt uiiISS NY XII
umpire named Chill And it wasn't so
long ago that Griff and almost his en-
tire team got mixed up in a few doings
in Detroit. 1t wasn't SO very long ago
that Connie Mack, the peaceable Qua
ker City resident declared that be-
cause of Griffith's actions on a ball
field and his conduct toward umpres
that Griffith ought to be driven out of
baseball"
Chance Reforms?
AS to Frank Chance, Chris may be
partially right. Whether Chance has
reformed is question. But it's true
that he hasn't been shooed off the field
as often as he used to be- Among
some of the reasons for this are that
he hasn't been on the field as regularly
as in the old days and that he's now
leading a way down second division
club. The Yanks, when they get their
beatings, usually get such decisive
ones that there is no question about
it-and little chance to blame it on
the umpire. An umpire can be blamed
for many things but you can't blame
him because the other fellow soaked
out a triple with the bases loaded.
You can't blame him when your fielder
muffs fly ball. nor can you blame
him when your club fails to hit or fails
to field and your pitchers fail to pitch
But Of course, you can blame the UNI
pire once in while. When chance pre-
sents itself Chance presents himself
and diligently pursues the business of
blaming the umpire. Added years
haven't taken the sting from his
speech, and that's one of the reasons
why Chance, in ratio to protests, has
been chased just as often this year as
he was in the old Cub days.