Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-23

The letter gave me a laugh. beca,
business was farthest from my int
Getting the opportunity is the first pl
being lucky is the third. l have alwa
me say that when I work the bases t
Just save them for the next day, when
say the pitchers always have good con
awful wild. when they are back of the
l am perfectly satisfied to be lucky, it i
I was working on a newspaper when
the umpire wireless came my way. 1t was
back in 1903. I had journeyed out to the
ball game to report the contest. There
was a delay when the time arrived to
start the contest. 1t developed that the
umpire had been unable to get to work.
because of Illness A number of ex-play
ers who were at the game were consider
ed. but the two mana gers could not agree.
Finally my name was suggested, and was
acceptable to both managers. l was in
formed of their decision. but declined.
The crowd was impatient. II became
noised about that I was the only man ac-
ceptable to both managers, and that. since
i refused TO work. the game would prob
ably be called off. Just when it seemed
was to escape, a fan in the bleachers.
with loud voice. yelled:
what's the matter-have YOU lost
your nerve?
Fans Make Bill Sore
my career. The fan had made me sore
clear through, and almost as soon as he
had finished his remark ] assured the
rival managers | would take chance.
You couldn't make SIS any easier
said one of them. That was the first
tnkling 1 had of what my pay was to be-
Fifteen dollars for couple of hours of
work-aimost as much as / was getting
for a whole week for carrying around the
title of sporting editor 1t made umpiring
appeal TO me- Attired In the best clothes
had, took the field for my debut. The
game went thirteen innings, the visiting
team winning, l to 0. 1t was a pitchers
battle, with but few close decisions, and
i got along famously. The regular umpire
was unable TO work the following day. and
i gathered in SIS more. My bank roll was
so large that for the first time in NV life
felt pocketbook was a necessity instead
of luxury.
I managed to get along so well that
on the third day l was offered a regu-
lar position as an umpire at a salary
that was decidedly higher than I was
receiving as sporting editor. I ac-
cepted, for, as umpiring had furnished
me WITH the money TO purchase a
pocketbook, ] felt the only way to keep
roll in it was to keep on umpiring.
and l continued to off1ciate although
there were many times when seriously
doubted my wisdom in accepting the
position.
Three Years in Bushes.
After three years in the bushes I
hao ABOUT decided there were Jobs
vacant that were better than calling
balls and strikes. 1 had Kept up nv
newspaper work in addition to nv
umpiring, and in the fall of 1905 I
reeeived an offer from big league
city paper of place on its sporting
section: The offer looked good to me.
Tor / had about decided I would he
better on on newspaper. Then
something happened that changed my
opinion OF my ability.
The morning after I received the
newspaper offer the postman handed
me letter bearing the address of
tne american League Offices in Chi
Scago. l had not the slightest idea
1t was the offer of a position on tho
umpirfng staff, as the jump from the
DusneS to the big show" had always
appealed to me as big one.
oh perusing the contents I found
my fondest dream was almost 4 real
ity The salary offered was more
money, 1t seemed to me, than I had
nsiieved there was in the world.
mere was also an additional clause
which stated that ] would receive =
$500 bonus if / managed to finish The
season That extra $500 made me noSs
tive would finish. / needed the rnonev
ana after being revived I broke ali
ttaoss.coantry records to the post Office
70 get on my acceptance.
Big Crowd Greets Bill.
began my big league career in New
York A crowd of about rs o00 yvas ~
attendance. When I stepped on The
Hein ~ seemed that wherever looked
! could see grinning faces I mag
nee al or them were laughing at me,
Wnens as a matter of fact, I suppose
there was scarcely person on the f1eId
VINO noticed me- There were too MANY
stars to attract attention for any
one 20 give any time to a poor ''busher."
out snail never forget that crowd. I
Weo seeing more people in one day than
nad seen in whole season in the
league came from. The game went
WE'VE innings and IL required some
tning ike two hours and a quarter. To
me those two hours seaiaed like a cou-
PIE OF years. When til. game was nm
fshed l was more fatigued than 1 would
have been If / had been using a pick
and shovel all day, instead of merely
saying ''out" and safe"
Empires are human. despite all as
sertions to the contrary. Apparently
many people believe the men who give
the decisions on the diamond are com
posed of some strange substance-pos-
eiply mineral, or vegetable, or ami
NAL substance. but certainly are not HUI
man / once met a young lady who,
upon hearing ! was an umpire, seemed
surprised TO learn i had father and
mother and a sister and brothers; that
1 lived in house. ate real food, was
rnarried-in short, that I was human
being. able to love and hate and IL
stuck with a pin would very likely say
Ouch! or something worse.
Each day when the umpire steps on
the field he has eighteen active athletes
arrayed against him. as well as two
live managers and an imposing bunch
OF bench warmers. The crowd is to be
considered. for. as rule. majority of
those present agree with the umpire
only when he renders a decision in
favor of the home team. Several years
ago fair-minded fan asked me this
rather pertinent question:
Tries to Please Himself.
When you go on the hall field. whom
do you try to please, and what effect
does the kicks OF the players and the
rawlings Of the crowd have on you?"
When go on the field try to sat
tsfy myself" I replied 81 give the
plays just as / see them, without fear
favor. When L iSfy Sao,