Evening star., 1920-11-21


is governed, the big duty to the ga
that the national commission was
1919 did not cause few players to
Vol money. Those players probably
gardless Of who was the governing
Base ball is a national institution.
1t is the favorite sport of millions,
many of whom take an active part.
The professional ball player. the big
Lacquer in particular, is supposed to
be the last word. Because he can
efficiency he is able to command. On
the surface such proceedings may
seem perfectly proper. In way IT
is. but it seldom works cut. since 1t
offers the opportunity for wrong
doing.
Fate Of Game with Players.
1t is impossible to do anything
crooked in base ball without having
the secret leak OUT. After the second
game of the 1919 series in Cincinnati
there were enough rumors af1oat to
have caused some one to take some
definite action. The clubhouse is the
place to settle a lot of things, and
i again remark that the honesty OF
base ball rests with the players, and
it is the duty of each individual to
assert hirusal< when things do not go
10 suit ni0As
For several years the player will
be the target of suspicion because Of
the actions Of few. 1t is up to him
so to conduct himself that there Will
be no ground for criticism. Because
of his great ability he Is the object
of much hero worship and becomes
the idol of thousands OF fans. cite
sno particular case, because every mig
Lacquer of ability has his following
who swear by him and what3he does.
sv&lx ,aIr vn1o q
to the public and the game. That
duty is to keep the game clean. As
a body they should refuse to tolerate
player under even the slightest
suspicion.
Condemns Bonus System.
Personally. 1 believe one Of the
worst features connected with the
game is the bonus system often incor.
porated in a players contract. A
club owner agrees to give pitcher
a certain additional amount If Ne
wins twenty games. so much more II
he wins twenty-five. and Il he wins
thirty the bonus promised il; perhaps
twice that promised for twenty vic
tories. Likewise. q bonus Is onered
TO a player based on his batting
average. If he hits .27o he IS to re-
ceive a certain amount: II he hits 300
the bonus is perhaps doubled. and
so on.
Every ball player wants his team
mate, or member of a rival team, to
win his bonus, il the winning OF 1t
does not work q hardship on IN, any ny
ways is with the player against the
owner. Such contracts cause play
ers. perhaps. to misjudge a hy ball.
or make a third baseman play deep. |
so the batter will have a good chance |
TO beat out a bunt or have the catcher !
tip the batsman or as to what is !!
being pitched, or to make the pitcher
throw nothing but fast ones Bonus
contracts sow weeds of evil and
should be eliminated, because they |
are all wrong.
Recalls Hooper's CaSe.
!. have in mind a case that con- |
cerned Harry Hooper of the Boston |
club. Several years ago Hooper, it |
seemed. had a contract with the Bos-
ton Red Sox that called for an addi- |
tional $1,000 or $500 provided he |
class fellow connected with base ball |
that individuals Harry Hooper. The |
incident I relate will bear out my |
. statement.
1t seems the average published a |
, few days prior to the close of the sea |
son gave Hooper an average Of .296. !
( making 1t appear that with an or
:; dinary break in luck he would hit |
+. Just prior to the start of the final
. game the players had it doped out |
that it would be necessary for Hooper
to get two hits in four times up to !
reach his goal. I was umpiring the
bases that afternoon and several ball
players. half in Jest and half seriously.
remarked: Hooper gets all the close
aDnss today"
don't know Of any player for
! whom I have a greater regard than
& Hooper, because he always is fair. |
Pofoonany ] was hoping he would
get his two hits, As wanted to see
HIN win the bonus The mere in
ference that I might help him out
nsSk : couple Of tin times. % and 'rs FATHER
hs4tedly replied. well. hope !
211A<ry gets his two hits but he don't |
tneed to look to me for help. shall
scail them Just as see them" Now,
iHeoper II a fast man. In that game
he hit two slow grounders to the
indeld and gave me two close piays-t
at drst base. Each time called him |
out. although the margin was close. !
Hooper shows CaIiSer.
At the time It seemed that each de-
cision would cost Hooper about S75e,
AZ he made only one hit in four times
up. and, according to, the unofIicial
averages, that would cause him to
finish just under the 800 mark, The !
Boston players coaching at first base
protested each ruling. as did some of |
the crowd who were pulling for
Hooper, but nary a word came from
Harry. 1
After the game some Boston play
ers made some unkind remarks about
my decisions. As / reached the Bos-
ton dugout I bumped into Hooper
felt rather badly about the affair
and tried to express my regrets by
remarking, Tough luck. Harry. to
lose out by such a narrow margin"
Before had a chance to say a word
as to how close the two plays were
get away from the plate very fast
or ! would have beaten both in6eld
hits. They had me each time"
That was rather big thing for a
player to say to fellow who had
apparently relieved him OF $1.5o6 by
giving two decisions against him
where the deciding margin wass
fraction of a second. Happily, the
unofficial averages were slightly in
correct. The oficiai figures gave him
rating slightly better than SEQ.
Ruth sneneed squawkers.
Last season after Babe Ruth had
made forty-nine home runs q consid-
cradle time elapsed before he made
the df,ieth. Much money was
wagered on that feat. The ever
suspicious freely claimed that Ruth
wasn't trying to hit that mark
was delighted when he cracked out
his fftieth wallop and made q few
more for good measure.
The life of a ball player or umpire.
in fact. any one connected with the
same-always has had enough rough
spots. because they are public char
acters and. therefore. targets for