Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-19
"JACK" EXPLAINS
FORFEITED GAME
OF LAST SUNDAY
BY Jack Cameron.


Invariably when disputes arise
on ball fields those in the grand
stand fail to learn the cause and
I should like to be set straight in
the minds Of the fans" about last
Sundays game.
In the eighth inning, with first
and second bases occupied, when
the batsman hit fair ball ran
to third base to render a decision
there and declared the runner safe,
on the ground that the throw was
low and a trifle wide. making it
necessary for the fielder to reach
out for the ball. which he took in
his gloved hand. and then rested
the hand on the ground, ball I'M
derneath. This, in my judgment,
was a violation of Section 8. Rule
Sc, which reads that the ball "must
be firmly held" l contended that
the fielder used the ground to re-
tain possession of the ball.
The Belen players. and no doubt
a number of the fans" believed
the runner was out. as the fielder
had his foot on the bag and the
ball, apparently, beat the runner
to the bag-it was force play and
fielder was not obliged to touch
the runner. / concede this to be
the fact, but contend that the ball
was not firmly held" The cap
tain of the Belen team protested
that l had no right to render a de-
cision at third base. See Section
3 of Rule 81.
Declared Game Forfeit.
When 1 began counting the min
utes after calling "play," the man
ager of the Belen team called his
players from the field and after a
consultation with Manager Man
dell an agresment between them
was made to declare the runner
out and proceed with the game.
Manager Mandell suggested that !
rule the runner out and call play
This I politely declined to do. tax"
ing the stand that the managers
have no authority to change a de-
cision and call attention to Rule
SO. I then declared the game for
feited to Al and left the field.
II the managers Of seml-pro
baseball teams are unwilling to &C
cept the rulings of an umpire they
themselves select, then there Is no
occasion for the use of umpires IN
a ball game.
No living person has yet been
gifted with the umpiring or base.
ball games to the satisfaction OF
managers, captain, players and fans
alike. Were I gifted so, l would IN
all probability be serving the major
leagues at a salary of from $S'OOO
to $4,000 a year. The arbiters IN
the major leagues are not infalllole
and they, too, have their troubles
I will say, though, that l call balls
and strikes as they appear 10 me-
with favors to no one, and / render
decisions according to the playing
rules, as / interpret them, ana
have studied them carefully.
No Criticism From Padilla.
Manager Mandell, a day or two
ago, in trying to Justify his acton
last Sunday, explained to me that
he was prompted by the fact that
q number of wagers had been made
on the result of the game and that
If the game had been forfeited and
not fully played some serious argu-
ments might have arisen over the
settlement of such wagers. This
in my opinion, is a very slim aipi.
Baseball games are not played for
the benefit of those who wager on
the result-they are played for the
sport in it. I have wagered on the
result of ball games myself and
have always been perfectly satisfied
with the result whether the game be
fully played or forfeited--that is
one Of the chances the wagerer
must take.
/ did not seek the position as
umpire--Manager Mandell sought
I accepted the task with
the distinct understanding that no
error of judgment must be pro-
tested. and that any misintepreta'
ton Of the playing rules called to
nv attention by either manager
would be promptly corrected. To
this both Manager Mandell and
Manager Padilla. Of the Grays,
agreed. / have yet to hear the
slightest criticism from Manager
Padilla.