Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-11-03
FEW BALL PLAYERS.
STARS, KNOW rules
Errors Caused by Unfamil-
iarity With Code Often
Prove Costly
BEST OF UMPIRES
ARE NOT INFALLIBLE

liar with the wording of a rule, par
ticularly a new one, had an illustra-
ton early this year in a game at
Cleveland An American League
umpire pulled a bone by making q
decision which was contrary to the
rules and got away with II until he
discovered his own mistake. II was
too late to correct II, Of course, but
happily the error cut no figure in the
game, which would have had to stand
anyway as no protest was made at
the time of the decision.
silk" OLoughlin was the arbiter
who made the decision, and II in
volved the new rule prohibiting
coachers from touching base runners.
In one of the White Sox games at
Cleveland Olson was on first with
one down, when Wood lObbed Texas
Lacquer safely into right field; Olson
went around to third base on 1t.
Wood rounded first and started for
second, but Weaver took the ball at
second base in time to drive him
back. Wood slid into first, but
Weaver's peg was wild enough to
escape Chase.
Olson scored from third, and Mana
ger Birmingham, who was coaching
at first base. ran in and grabbed
Wood, showing him to his feet and
off toward second base on the error.
OLoughlin Immediately called Wood
out for the act of the Nap manager,
but Olson's run counted, as 1t was
the second out.
The Maps kicked some on the de-
IL. Ia no nj
understood, but when OLoughlin as
serted he was merely enforcing a
new rule forbidding coachers to
touch base runners, the kick subsi-
ded. Manager Birmingham merely
expressed explosively and vigorously
his opinion that the new rule was a
BANKED poor one That was all.
The game went on and Cleveland
won. to 1.
Not until It was all over and
OLoughlin was on his way to his
hotel did he discover his mistake.
Then some subconscious action Of
] his many-celled brain brought back
TO him the exact wording of the new
rule This expressly states that a
runner on third base or who is
rounding third base shall be declared
out II the coacher at third base
touches him. Now third base" ap.
pears three times. and obviously tn,
repetition Is intended to make Il
plain that said rule applies to thai
base and not TO first, where Birming.
hams assistance to Wood came on
OLoughlin after the game con-
fessed his mistake, at the same time
chuckling all over at his good for
tune in that the decision could moi
in any way affect the result OF the
game. Although the general belief 4
to the contrary, no good umpir'
courts decisions on which a gam
hangs.
In the foregoing case. as Birming
ham did not protest OLoughlini
decision Immediately. he forfeite
his right to protest later and hav
the game thrown out in case Cleve
land lost it. This may not seer
lust, but Il is a necessary regulation
i II Birmingham had known tn
new rule regarding coachers perfect
n ly he would have protested OLougt
Inns decision Immediately, calm
q attention TO the fact that It did M
n apply to first base. That would HAY
Y wised up O'Loughlin, who woul
\ then have revised his decision on II
spot, and the game would have gor
10 on 10 a finish without any chance
u playing it over again.
,e This ruling against post-mortei
a protests grew out of a game son
N years ago. when Bobby Wallace WI
Il managing the ST. Louis Browns. ia,
10 Sheridan was umpiring on bases al
called out a Brown base runner 4
being lift by a batted ball which ;
infelder already had touched, a
. though not enough to defect It fro
- its course materially. Nevertheless
~ the decision was wrong, because d
infelder had touched the ball al
, had missed his chance 10 get
~ Manager Wallace made no prote
y. =, and the game went on for sever
~ innings.
p Then Sheridan got wise TO h
own blunder and mentioned IL to o.
n of the Detroit Tigers, who was coac
o. ing at first base. The Tiger cou
not help kidding Manager Walla
= about his oversight, and the Broy
boss Immediately lodged a protest.
4 II was taken up to President job
son. and. although Sheridan adm
lfQ his ANArAAtAif AAiN HAONNoA was u
allowed. The American League eo
cutive based his ruling on the "a
1 that II Wallace had protested INN
diately Il would have called She
] dams attention to the mistake a
the tangle could have been straigl
ened out right there without recouI
. TO the remedy Of throwing out
game and playing II over.
Last year Umpire KLEIN of the \
tional League was responsible
the loss Of a game by the New Yo
Giants in a peculiar way. The scr
was tied and IN the last half Of
tenth inning the Giants filled
bases with nobody out. McCormi
= was put in 10 bat for Pitcher
maree and hit the first ball pitch
for a single, scoring the winning T
apparently.
The players started for the eli
II. house and the crowd swarmed on
Al the playing field. Manager Doe
r called Klem's attention 10 the Il
he was still announcing the subs
Il triton OF Mccormick and had
back TO the play when McCormi
. made his hit Klein admitted
facts and refused TO allow McCl
IL mick's hit OF run. He was right l
~ der the rule governing the announl
al ment Of substitutes. That declal
II the hall ont Of nlav while guch ?