New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28
by JUHNN1 ~ ENN,
Captain of the Boston Braves.

y
which the play revolves. Incidentally,
they arc the least appreciated and
most abused part Of the national sport
A good umpire is as invaluable TO inc
game as a good player. with good
umpires working behind the bat ana
on the bases. the public benefits, Tor
the game is likely to be a more sclen-
,ifc demonstration than If the reverse
were the case. And ! want to say be-
fore proceeding further that there are
many more good umpires in the game
than many fans may believe.
have heard fans remark at differ
ent times, "Umpiring is "A pretty sou
way Of making a living" one after
room of il would convince those fans
Of the error of their judgment 1t IS
hard work-one Of the hardest jobs
connected with baseball. A huge bun
die of responsibility is strapped TO
umpires' shoulders the minute they
don their blue uniforms and go on the
! field. From the time the batteries are
announced until the last player is out
thew are in supreme command, and
more than once during that time they
NAV be called upon TO decide close
plays and even unusual plays. They
.
They must grasp situations 5 quickly
as the players who are directly con-
nected with the play in question. Once
a play is completed, umpires cannot
afford 70 hesitate for even feeting
second before rendering their decision.
At other times they must be all
eyes, for frequently plays are made
with startling rapidity in different
parts of the field. | have studied the
work of umpires for years. Long be-
fore | broke into big league baseball,
! made studying their actions and the
intricacies of their work a part of my
baseball education. As a result, | can
truthfully say that umpirlng Is far
from being a sinecure.
have often been asked what ! re-
gard as the requisites for a good UNI
pire. He must possess all the ability
that a ball player is called upon to
possess, except that he does not have
TO field and bat. By this | mean that
an umpire must have speed, for he
must be able TO move around quickly.
He must have a good eye. He must
have nerve to render his decisions
without being governed by the hostile
attitude of the crowd or the players,
and he must be able TO think accurate
" and quickly. Accurately, because he
knows that if he renders wrong de-
cisicn, the game will be protested, and
if il is necessary for the league 20
override him too often ii means he'll
soon be looking for something else to
do. Above all else, an umpire must be
able to forget to-day tomorrow"
That expression | have borrowed from
Umpire Jim Johnston. lie once said:
"The trouble with some umpires IS
they can't forget to-day tomorrow"
Nursing a Grudge."
By that is meant that some OF them
are inclined to be vindictive and to
nurse a grudge." They hold luminosity,
and if they have a run-in with a
player to-day they are liable to try to
/ get back at the player at the first OPP
portunity. ] suppose that this is a
/ part Of human nature to great extent.
| But to succeed they must overcome 1t
or bury it go deep that it will not be
a part of their work. Players, too,
should do this, and while | have been
guilty at times, | try not to be.
Il is found that in the majority Of
instances good umptres succeed in
doing this. 1t is the poor Cnes who do
not. And it follows that the good UNI
pires have 10 Danish fewer players from
the game than the poor ones do. Play
ers know when an umpire is good, ana
il he does miss one occasionally they
are inclined to let it go, because they
realize that no one is infallible. with
a poor umpire it Is different. IL does
not take the players long to learn that
/ he is not all that the position de-
mands, and they are always looking for
him to miss them. When he does they
go after him. And, too, poor umpire
will seldom listen to argument even
though he knows his decision IS open
TO question. For this reason he is con-
tinually chasing players to the CLUB
house and suspending them. In THIS
way the public suffers. 1t pays 70 see
the teams with their tulI quota VI
strength in the field.
There are those who have asserted
that | came into the league as CRAB
and will pass out one. This is not true.
When | first Joined the Chicago Cubs
the PLAYERS used 20 kid" me because
always accepted a decision by an UNI
pire as final and never openly CUES
toned il. will explain little further
on how my silence was broken and the
"jawing" began.
came in nv first year with the Troy
New York State League team. 1t was
/ then that / met Herman Doescher. the
oldtime big Lacquer. Incidentally, he
was the father Of Jack Doescher, for
merly of the Cubs and Brooklyn He
explained at length just what profess
sional umpires are up against and now
best to deal with them. followed his
/ instructions letter perfect, even after
! | Joined the Cubs. Because | so care
/ fully stayed of" the umpires my fell
low PLAYERS joshed me. They jibed me
/ by asking whether ] was afraid OF the
I blue uniforms, or whether | thought
because the umpires wore masks they
might bite me IL | said anything to
them.
IL was not until the Cubs started
North from their spring training camp
\ In 1903 that had my first run-in with
An umpire-that il, the first that ! can
remember. We picked up Bill Setley in
San Francisco and carried him as far
RS Salt Lake City. lie umpired the
game there, and his decisions we're
among the worst have ever had to
see. 1t was case Of kick, kick, kick
throughout the game, and he put so
many of our players out that we lost.
I was among those who got "the gate.
Jawing Ever Since.
7 believe that the Kidding Of my
fellow players started me jswing, and,
according 70 some, | have been jawing
ever since. However, | never pick
on" an umpire unless | am convinced
that he has made a mistake. In spite
of the number OF games that | have
been put out Of. never yet have ques-
toned the integrity of an umpire. nor
have | ever permitted their honesty 70
be questioned in my presence. When
umpires make mistakes ! know that