Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-11-12

Ther@ was time when the worlt
was SUP posed to hate an umpire. In
those days the arbiter Of base bal
fortunes would sink from the bal
yards aid HE himself to some incon-
sequential, obscure hotel, and there
remain sequestered until his next ap
pearance on the diamond. In travel
ing he would studiously avoid the
trains used by bali players.
There are many fans who think
that condition still exists. But il
doesn't. That moth-eaten cry of kill
the umpire" is passed.
The umpire of today is almost a:
much part Of the game, almost as
spectacular figure as the player him.
self. He has done it by development
Of individuality, in style, in color.
The waiting lists in the league Of
fees are cluttered with the names o.
hundreds of men anxious for the job
On the sposter advertising an exhi'
bition game in Daytona, Fla, last
spring between Brooklyn and the
Athletics, appeared this in bold, BLACK
type:
tional league umpire, will act as ar
bitter"
KLEIN was considered an attraction
or drawing power equal to that OF the
diamond stars. And he proved it..
Within the last six months Lord
Byron, comparatively newcomer
in big league umpiring circles, has fur
nished the scribes with as much hu,
morous copy as any player in the
game.
Silk O'Loughlin, by his dramatic
actions, was always good for laugh
when he began calling strikes.
Umpire Brennan, now out of big
league service, would draw a chuckle
from an immense crowd at any time
BY his pugilistic manner of calling a
runner out or safe at bag.
These individual mannerisms of the
umpires hold the secret of their grow
ing popularity--provided, Of course,
that they have genuine ability. That
is imperative.
The founder of the school of style
in umpiring is Silk O'Loughlin, who
will never be forgotten on account
of his long drawn-out call Of "S-t-r-i-
k-et-uh-h-hp The intonation of the
last word is the trick. He holds it for
fully a second, and then cuts it off by
quick uprising of the hand, held
perpendicularly, with the first finger.
For years Silk held a niche of his
own. Other umpires came and went
without notice. The average ian would
not know their names. But Silks one
mannerism made him figure known
throughout the country. He had indi-
vidualism, color.
The next to adopt a style all his
own was Bill KLEIN, and there are
those who say it came to him through
his inordinate love for golf. Having
reached stage of efficiency in
straight umpiring, Klein gradually de-
veloped motion, in calling strike
that irritated the players as much as
it amused the fans.
He does a perfect follow through
the envy OF all golfers, AS the ball
comes over the plate KLEIN lifts his
right hand, with the white celluloid
Indicator in his fingers, and then
after dramatic pause, swings his ex-
tended arm across his body until, in a
straight line, it points directly at the
third base seats. Moreover, he never
moves his left foot, but pulls his body
around on it as pivot--true golfer
style. Also, when he reaches the end
OF the strike" his back is to the batter
and his face to the stand. He does moi
have to see the look in the players
face.
This is extremely irritating to a
batter, because he feels that KLEIN
has made too much show of his bad
judgment.
YES" said Larry Doyle one day
! as KLEIN remained in this dramatic