El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-07

o men actively connected with
~ the game Of baseball bump in
4 to more peculiar plays or I'M
usual happenings than the umpIres.
Naturally when a bunch Of officials
get together, there are some mighty
interesting tanning bees. Imagine
how the ears of certain players and
managers must burn when such
session is going on
Many Freak Plays Come Up.
Every umpire has something new
happen almost weekly, If not daily,
that is open to argument and sucn
questions are always threshed out at
the meetings in New York, which
happen four or five times each sum
mer. 1t is really remarkable some Of
the Outlaudish things that can nap
pen on the ball field
Can you imagine this situation
The home team is at bat the bases
filled. one man is out, three runs are
ter hits a long fly to right held
The man playing that position be-
lieves two are out. He makes pretty
catch of the ball and believes the
game is over, when in reality only
two are out. Catching the ball he
dashes for the club house. Before
any of his teammates can explain the
situation, all three runners have
scored, and the game apparently won
IS lost, That seems almost incredible,
vet such a 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
last half Of the ninth. The score at
che time is a tie With a man on
third and two out the batter hlts
long drive TO left center. The cen
~ - hnnH
he cannot get Il, 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
the ball the batter has also made
home run In the ninth inning the
visitors made a run in their first
half but the two handed them by
the outfielder, because of the score
boards mistake on the number Of IN
nings decided the game to 2 Sucn
a play happened in the international
league last year
Toss Kelly Has Funny MiL-Up.
Among the umpires present at one
OF the gatherings last summer was
Toss Kelly, one Of the best OH
Gals in the business, He related an
incident that happened in the East
ern league a number Of years ago at
Rochester. that escaped the attention
o. not only the umpires and players,
but the entire crowd as well
was In evidence" said Kelly in relating the
incident, s'and how everyone In the park
made the same mistake is beyond me the
visiting club scored a run IN the IlrsL mar
Of the first inning. When the ninth lnnlns
was finished with the score standing 70
o IN the visitors favor. every one believed it
was the eighth inning, and that another
inning remained to be played The visitors
failed to score in the first half Of this
unnecessary inning, but the heme team
7TeJe Il r1n In IFS half The fans believ-
ing the game had been tied up were very
enthusiastic over the turn OF affairs. was
cussing the situation as had 10 get an
early train out that evening to make my
next Jump AS the visiting team started
out to continue play, was called back to
| Made His Decision and Departed,
" what are you going to DO, Kelly, asked
one Of the scribes, the visitors really won
the game to 0 in nine innings. The last
inning in which the home team tied the
score should never have been played
d" There isn't any doubt in my mind
what I am going to do replied, and turn
ing to the stand I announced in my best
innings have been played instead Of nine.
The visitors won the game, to o. Then /
beat it for my dressing room, while the
press box for further information or the
subject. In the confusion the fans forgot
all about me"
BiH Finneran for years major league
umpire, but last year in the international
league, related an incident even more IN
usual, in that the team that really won,
lost the game and it was so recorded IN the
league standing.
About the time broke in umpiring the
two major leagues couldn't agree on a GER
tain point Of play said Finneran. For
instance with men on second and third and
one out, the batter hits fly ball to the
outfield The runner on third, believing it
viii be caught holds his base. but the rum
ner on second thinks otherwise, and dashes
for third. The outfielder makes the catch
and Immediately the runner on third who
has held his base, breaks for home. Seeing
that he cannot throw the runner out at the
plate, the 0utfielder throws the ball to sec
ond and doubles up the runner before he
can get back to the bag, completing a
double play and retiring the side. II I re-
member correctly one major league held the
run counted. the Interpretation which is
now in vogue.
Team Won, But Didn't Know It
'In the minor league in which I started
my career such q play came up in the first
inning Of very important game the home