Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-29
DISPUTED PLAYS FIGURE
PROMINENTLY in BASE BALL
Most Teams Think They Are Always Getting he Worst
of the Breaks at the Hands of the Umpire, Who
Gives EveryClose Play to the Opposition.

stead he should have give nthe umpire a
vote OF thanks
Substitutes Won the Game.
Several years ago one of the eastern
teams in the American League began
an invasion of the west Before start
ing on the road the club had lost
four or Ave straight. If I am not mis-
taken. the first ten games played in the
west resulted in defeats. The season
was near the close, and the affair was
becoming pretty much of joy ride, as
the club had the cellar championship
cinched. After having dropped a dozen
or more straight the umpire found II
necessary to put out two PLAYERS, the
first and second basemen. The only
men on the bench capable of playing
the positions were two extra catchers.
They were pressed into service. The
catcher playing second base made three
wonderful plays, due to the fact that
in each instance he was playing fifteen
or twenty feet out of position. With
a regular second baseman in the game
each OF the three hits would have been
worth couple of bases The catcher
playing first base twice came to the bat
with men on bases, each time responding
with a double. driving in altogether
FIVE runs. Due to the work of the two
SuoStllule pld els. lAc NlSlliH6 tCoiA man
aged to win its first and only game of the
trip. The next day, instead of thanking
the umpire for his judgment. the manager
sarcastically accused him OF trying to
show his authority. I neglected to state
that the manager was also chased from
the field. Tim Hurst, who was one OF
the umpires working in the game, helped
out his partner by coming back at the
manager in this style:
IF the managers refuse to use good
judgment in placing their men, we must"
Cashion Game to the Rescue.
Not long ago, when the Washing
ton club was running up its phenom-
email. record of sixteen straight, the UNI
pire cut a figure in one of the games.
After having won something like
eleven in a row the Nationals invaded
Detroit. Bob Groom was the pitcher
selected to keep up the winning streak.
In the first inning the Tigers got away
to a good lead. putting over two runs
before Bob Groom could strike his gait
umpire insisted Groom, who had COW
cred the plate on a run-up, had failed
to touch the runner. Groom kicked so
hard that the umpire was forced to
chase him to the clubhouse. The eX-
pulsion came so suddenly that no
pitcher was warmed up. The umpire
granted the pitcher substituted time
enough to get warmed up. The pitcher
was Carl Cashion. During the rest of
the game Cashion held the Tigers run
less. In the ninth. Dubuc. who had
BANKED Washington for eight innings,
weakened and the Nationals put over
three runs. just enough to win. No
pitcher could have performed more
brilliantly than did Cashion. Accord
ing to the umpire working the game
that day Groom was far from right. and
certainly would not have been as eff
fective as his successor.
These are just a few instances Of the
very important part the ruling on some
disputed point in the game plays. Um-
pires play no favorites: they care not
who wins. but simply give the plays as
they see them. Often 1T does appear as
If the breaks were constantly going
against club. but Connie Mack's be-
lief that on the whole the breaks even
up is a very sensible solution. Home
fans see only the plays THAT go against
their team at home. They are not in a
position to appreciate the many close
verdicts that are handed their fayorites
on the road.
Copyright. 1914. by W. G. Evans,