Evening star., 1917-03-25
BY BILLY EVANS.

The life of the bush league ball play
or is hardly to be compared with the
comforts of big Lacquer. The minor
league has to put up with many In
conveniences not on the big league
menu. The life of a bush league ball
PLAYER is bed of roses compared TO
what the minor league umpire is up
against Every umpire has to go
through minor league experience that
he usually tries to forget when he
makes the grade to a higher classif-
cation. One day last summer a group
of major league umpires were recall
ing their bush league days and the
trials and tribulations they went
through. All, the tales were interest
ing, but one was a little better than
the rest. 1 will tell it in the words of
the umpire:
"A number of years ago l worked in
one of the smaller minor leagues in the
west, which most umpires referred TO
as The Wild West Show 1t was
some league l stood two years OF it,
but / don't believe million would in
duce me to go through two years sim
liar to those. The race had narroWea
down to two teams near the close OF
the season. These two clubs were the
bitterest rivals in the league. Only
twenty-eight miles separated the towns.
and any time the clubs met In series
of Importance the two burgs usually
declared a holiday and took In the
ball games.
League Leaders Clash.
with Just a week of the season to
go the two clubs met in a series. the
;1h
would decide the pennant. The home
team at the start of the series en-
joyed a half game lead. which it in
creased to a game and half by TAX
ing the opening battle. The visitors
lead back to the original half game
margin. If the visitors could take
the third game it would oust the
home club from first place. position
IT had held from the opening OF the
season. The biggest crowd that had
ever witnessed a ball game in that
section of the country was In attend
ance when I started play.
Neither team scored in the first
six innings The visitors broke the
ice in the seventh by making a run,
and in the eighth added two more.
When the home team went to bat in
the last half of the ninth the score
stood to against it. 1t looked as
and crowd the home team out of first
place. Winning the game would give
the visiting team a half game lead.
That Terrible Ninth.
"I don't believe / will ever forget
the details of that ninth inning. The
first man up, one of the best hitters
on the team. struck out The crowd
~ he heli
ing the task hopeless. I had gotten
along famously in so important a
game, and, with one out and the visit
ing pitcher working in fine style with
a three run lead, things looked rosy
for me. The next batter hit an easy
grounder to the second baseman, who
fumbled and then made a low throw
to first the batter beating the play.
The third batter hit sharply to the
second baseman- He had an easy
double play in front of him that
would have retired the side and ended
the game. Unfortunately for me. he
allowed the ball to get away from
him, and both runners were safe.
The next batter drove a liner to right
field that took bad bound and eluded
the fielder. The home crowd, seeing
a chance to win, took renewed hope
and yelled with delight as the runners
dashed madly around the bases.
when the ball was finally back in
the infield two runners had scored
and the batter was third. In
fortunately for me, in his anxiety to
stretch his hit into a home run that
would have tied the score, the batter
cut first base couple of feet. The
mistake was noticed by the first
baseman of the visiting club, who, on
getting the ball, rushed over and
touched first. 1 knew doing my duty
would create a riot, but I couldn't
shirk. AS he touched first I declared
the batter out, who now stood on
third base doffing his cap to the