The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-07-30
WATERFOWL HANDS THIS TO
MILBANk BASEBALL FANS.

The following is taken from the
Watertown Herald and is so rankly
unjust to both the Milbank team and
the Milbank fans that the writer
should be called to time.
"The "Game Ended In Dispute,
according to headline in a Milbank
paper of last weeks issue. Somehow
baseball" and dispute" seem old
time team mates in Milbank. In prac-
tically every game between Water
townand Milbank, in the years past,
the game has ben marked by rag
chewing and unspOrtsmarlike behav-
ior. The players seem to be in the
field to win-if not by fair means,
then by foul; and in the category of
American sports there should be no
place for the "dirty" athlete. Milbank
players have been ably aided and abet
ted in their "queer'' work by their
rooters,th game played in this city
week ago Sunday proving the point.
Milbank "rooters" in the grand stand
used language that should have en-
titled them to a place in a steel
lined room. 1t would, of course, be
worse than unjust to ac-
cuse all Milbank people of being
crooked or indecent in the matter Of
athletics; but it ought to serve a good
purpose in calling attention to the
poor advertising the town is getting
from the actions of the great minor
ity Of its residents.
The article gives the impression
that the Milbank- Watertown game
was the one which ended in a dispute
which was not the case at ALL The
game in question was the Milbank-
Montevideo game. The Montevideo
team came down here loaded, with
all of the sporting blood of the city
backing them with their money and
determined to win. Only three of the
Monte players were "home guards"
the others were hired players who
were hired to win ball games. It
was their duty to crab the umpire's
decisions and they did, and they did it
up brown. Monte has a reputation in
the Minnesota baseball circles as be-
the following week with the Benson
team We're Dut off the field bv the
Benson baseball crowd for alleged
dirty plays. The Milbank- -Watertown
game was played with hardly any
disputing except in the play where
by the Watertown player missed
third by good foot which the crowd
saw protested. The unpiring was adj
m;ttedly bad. and has been bad in
every case where dispute has arisen
and the crowd is as quick to hoot a
bad decision for the visitors as they
are for one on the home team. The
fans pay an admission to see
the game and they expect to see a
good, clean game The "poor adver-
tising' which Mlbank gets is only
from such misconceptions of preju-
diced articles such as the above. and
not from "the actions of the great
minority" of its residents.
The game Sunday pleased the fans
who were present and according to
the Graeeville players. the cleanest
game they have played. Milbank has
bad q number of games with the
Minnesota team and every one OF
the1a have been free of any disputes
or arguments.
Dr.. Sullivan, who umpired Sunday
will be on the lob at every home
came for the rest of the season and
it is to be hoped that disputing over
umpire decisions will be avoided after
this. DR.. Sullivan knows the game
backwards and both the PLAYERS and
the fans can rest assured that it will
rot be an error Of baseball technique
that Doc hands out. Umpires are
rare and a good umpire is much rarer
and it is the fault Of the hall team
that good umpires could not be secur-
ed.