The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-12

From the Sporting News
 Eddie Collins was put out of ball game last year for~the first time in his big league career of IA years. but ac- cording ot Billy Evans, who tells the story of it. the umpire who broke Col lins' record was more distressed aoout it than Eddie himself.
 Beginning the story Evans com ments:
 You might gather from the fact that Collins went all those years without pe- ing put out of game that he is not an aggressive ball player, but such is not the case.
 If you rate players aggresisveness l on the way he protests rulings of the | umpire, and the number of times ne IS | elected during the summer, Collins IS 1 not aggressive from your point or view | I have rated aggressiveness on the way l a player battles the opposition, on the | way he keeps on trying regardless or l the score. on the way he protests to the umpire when he believes he has KICK coming. and, can get away with such a protest without incurring the wrath or that official. That is the Eddie Collins | tyne of ageressiveness and 1t IS the | worthwhile type. He protests only when he believes he has kick coming He makes his protest In a gentiemanly manner that wins the respect or the umpire, rather than incurs his wrath
 Now for the story of how Collins got l the gate for the first time last year " came within three or four days or tne close of the season. That tended to make the pill all the more bitter " was in the final game of the St. Lotus series at Chicago, if my memory serves me correctly" continues Evans 1 '"That game sand three more remained on the schedule To cinch the pennahl it was necessary for the White Sox tc | win one more game. In thls pafuculai game Collins started a bit too late to try to score on a hit to the inheid ane was retired at the plate on close play Collins believed he was safe, while uV- | pire George Hildebrand, who made the decision, saw the play the other way and called him out.
 "Hildebrand was squatted directly over the play as he@gave the decision Collins, peeved at being called out, an' perhaps equally sore at himselr pc cause of his late start, picked up handful of dirt on the ground ane tossed it away.
 q don't believe Collins had tho slightest idea where that dust was go ing when ne threw lA. ohiCt NH'"'~' if landed squarely in the face of Hide brand After that official had gottei the dirt out of his mouth. ears, eyes ant nose and was able to speak. he in \ formed Collins in no mild tone that h' was through Collins apologized, SC did Manager Gleason, so did practically all the other Chicago players. but t' no avail Hildebrand was in no moot to accept an apology.
 "Ordinarily visiting players rathe , rejoice when an opposing home sta gets the gate but none of them fel , that way about the Collins case. Al the St. Louis players sympathized witt Eddie in his plight. They regretted Hldebrand found it, necessary to sent him to the shower.
 'It was the funniest experience
 ever had" said Hildebrand tha r evening. "All could heIr those play CTS says was. Forget it, George Le him back He didn't mean to do 1t, and a hundred other like expressions I really felt like reversing myself par ticularly when learned it was the frs time Collins was ever put out of ; Egame."
 That rather preyed on Hildebrand' mind, for while we were at dinner tha evening he spoke of the occurrence : talf dozen times, and expressed regret