The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-20

amusing cllmaXes. Recently l nave of these so-called Twilight leagues. Washington game several years ago
 A game had gone into early twi- light and it was getting so dark that see the ball. The shadow of the grandstand was on the diamond and there was danger of some player get ting hurt. The umpire, though, was obstinate in refusing to call the game. think there must have been a league understanding that all games at Washington must be fin ished even if it actually got dark enough for the street lamps to be 1 lighted.
 On this day the pitcher in despera- tion called the catcher into confer ence.
 A Phantom Delivery
 Say" he said, you take the ball and hold it in your glove. 1 will sim | ply wind up and go through the mo- tions. It's eineh that umps can't | see whether there is ball or not. After l make the motion you give the mitt a slap and show the ball. There's chance he'll call a strike on this fellow and we'll win" It was so arranged. There were two strikes on the batter at the time. He squared himself for a swing. The pitcher wound up and went through the motion of throwing to the plate. The catcher popped the mitt.
 Three strikes. you're out" called the umpire, though no ball had been pitched at all.
 "Strike?" screamed the batter. Where do you get that stuff? You're as blind as bat. Anybody could see that ball was two feet outsider" Our Baltimore club had a reputa- tion as umpire fighters. I guess we did make life pretty miserable for some of them. This was due largely to the never-die spirit that we had built. It was our second nature to flight for the smallest point and, as a consequence, the umpire often had to take the brunt of our wrath.
 Fans often have said to me: "Why do ball players argue so long with an umpire over a decision? They know very well that he is not going to change it."
 Just Warming Umps
 Of course, we know that he is not going to change it but the ball play CTS motive in arguing so insistently, aside from his natural disgruntled feelings, is to impress upon the um-
 
 to let anything slip by them. If he has made a mistake or if the decision is very close the chances are he will be more careful on the next one If he knows that he will be in for a ride,
 1 I am not a believer in disputins with umpires until some player gets put out of the game It may be news to some fans to know that at times I |, 1,p nm ad to V,Ia t1,,< T would fine any one S25 who got put out of game for disputing with the umpire. There is nothing to be gained by losing good player. To get put out is merely to weaken the club. Many games have been lost by players kicking themselves out. There Is a certain point at which they must stop. With a managers non-play- ing manager-it is different If he gets put out the team can go right ahead with all it's strengths
 Just Human Nature
 Still, it's pretty difficult to change human nature by simple words of ad- vice and statements of fact. If ball player is high strung-and all good | players generally are--he cannot en- i tirely control himself when he think the umpire has given him the worst l of it. The keen disappointment over 1 IdlluTe to bO tulou6n Wiln q play, due to the decision, naturally arouses his temper As between the two I would rather have ball player who l fought for every point. even if wrong. than one who meekly sub mitted to everything without a word.
 Back in the nineties we had a ia nous umpire known as Watch" Burnham. He acquired this nickname through run-in with Joe Kelley in la game at Baltimore. Joe will not forget that incident to his dying day.
 The fans of Baltimore had pre- sented Joe with a very valuable watch. Arriving at the club house one day he turned the watch over to the attendant to keep for him. After 1 the players had gone out on the field Umpire Burnham came in to dress. | The club house man had to leave and he asked MT. Burnham if he would keep Kelley's watch until after the game, which he did.
 Batting Umpire Burnham In the third or fourth inning of the game Kelley was called out at second on a close play It broke un our rally. Immediately there was a rush of players to argue with the umpire. i We wrangled and wrangled for sew teral minutes. Eventually 'Burnham got us all off but Kelley. Joe was beside himself in his disappointment. He fumed and fretted, following Burnham all over the diamond.