Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-15
UMPIRE BATTING
HURTS BASEBALL
In No Other Sport Are Off
cials Subjected to SO
Much Abuse.

Professional baseball needs a thoro
house cleaning. "Muckerism" is gain
ing too much headway in this sport.
The punching of Lord Byron by John
McGraw and OF Brick Owens by Babe
Ruth in Boston are only the extreme
cases
There has been more haggllng and
nagging at the umpires this season
bthan for many years. And IT hasn't
been entirely by the players Numer-
ous baseball writers have been as
guilty as the umpire baiters on the
playing field. They have filled their
columns with abuse OF the officials
of play The effects are seen In the
riots and disorderly scenes in the
ball parks In st. Louis and Boston
during the past fortnight.
Baseball writer's who have the well
fare OF the game at heart have re-
| centy pointed out that In no sport
are the officials subject to such abuse
as In baseball. Sifted down to its
| last analysis. Umpire batting and
abuse of umpires from any source Is
the result of poor sportsmanshlp.
Imagine n golf or tennis official
being panned for weeks because IA
writer thot he was In error on mat
ter of judgment! In real sport tho
decision of an official stands with
DOT protest. 1t Is taken for granted
that he is deciding to the best of his
ability.
When Dave Fultz ruled out n touch
down 10y Casey in the Yale Harvard
| football game last fall. IA decision
which brought defeat to the crimson.
there was much comment on the play.
but little abuse. After the game sew
eral young Harvard graduates, feel
ing the sting of defeat began to criti-
else Dave They were called by an
older Crimson alumnus. who said: ut
Is all In the game, boye: Fultz called
that play as he saw II and he was in
a better position to see what was go
ing on than we were"
In racing, the word of the judges Is
final and 1t is seldom that you hear
the officials branded as crooks"
second story men" and similar terms
applied to baseball umpires. Even In
the fight game, which generally Is
admitted to he on lower plane than
baseball, the referee has an easy job
alongside that OF the baseball UNI
pire.
That the American public still de-
ruands it's baseball Is indicated by
the splendid crowds which have
turned out at most major league
I
ertheless It Is absolutely true that
many of the better class fans are on
the verge OF disgust. Last week
man who counts for something In the
community said to "Shortstop
plavcd baseball as n boy. | love TO
watch n close game between two Well
matched teams, but after defending
baseball thru its wars and strikes
am now pretty near convinced tnht IL
is a 'mucker' sport, promoted ana run
by 'muckers.' ~ | am about READY 10
quit"
That. also expresses the sentiment
of many of the better class OF pa
irons.
Had the baseball writer's permitted
McGraw's challenge of their Veracity
70 20 unheeded, "Shortstop" KNOWS IL
would have been the last straw for
many. When. for few days, IL
looked like McGraw would get away
with II. the public started to prano
baseball writer's as the dupes ana sat
elites OF the promoters and man
oyers At the time New York news
papcr men panned Tener and the Ma
tional league to Il frazzle for denying
the peace meeting with the Federai
league, Philadelphia writer accused
the New York men or pltihs tho
hand that fed them" The remark
was the personlfication OF suoser''-
ency to the magnate.
The McGraw case should give pase-
hoi, needed airing. McGraw's en-
tire trouble started In nagging at the
ump,re In Cincinnati. He had lost
three out of four games to the lowiy
Reds and ne tried to take 1t out on
the officials OF play. Ruth may nav
wrecked Bostons pennant chances
over an argument on strikes ana
1T II ia In the power of the baseball
owners TO stop the kicking and abuse
of tho umpires. The owners are .he
ga,,e and their word Is final. If each
Club slaps fine of 500 on each man ian
mt out of the game and $500 Tor
the second offense. vulgarity anu
abuse OF umpires on the ball field VIII
disappear like mist before tuii-
orbod sun.