The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-21

after the W0Tlu SehAcS .
retain. such feelings and enenusl
man must be extremely human.
The letter from Doctor ]. A. Dob
aon of Madison, Wisconsin. reaos as
Follows: cat that time, q resident
of washington. saw you pitch ano
win your first game, eighteen years
ago. Yesterday on the mecnahIca1
scoreboard here, / watched as you
won your game which mace WASH =.
fnrton champions Of the world. 1t
nav interest you to know hat at
ai1hty-three. / am about the oldest
fan IN the country. was associated
with the late Nick Young, and at
HIS request drafted the rules OF
1879. which think provided q
championship Standard.
"I umpired the first regular
championship game played pc
tween Boston and the Olympics
81 Washington. Al Spaldlng was
on the slab for Boston and Asa
Rralnaril for Washington. So
am unite likely the oldest umpire
living. Harry McLain, w. r.
DrinIxard. Jack Beardsley and
myself umpired at Washington
and the others are dead.
In the HISTORY Of baseball. pub
Iished in the sport page Of Wash
inRton paper some four years ago,
you viii find that am given credit
for the present code OF making av-
erages and times at bat. have
pulled for you since your first game
being In attendance at all games
until three years ago.
T.
to me concludes his letter with very
kind personal sentiments.
don't believe the umpire IL
always right. But as long as he
trys to be right, he should not be
criticized. Many q time have
though an umpire missed close
ones on me and know Of decis-
ions that cost me hard games. Once,
] think, an American League uTn-
pire cost me q no-hit game, by
mistake 1t was unintentiona1 and
we had no arguments.
have never been put out Of
game nor have / ever been in a
fight or an argument with an UNI
pire or a player. And yet hope
readers viii not get the wrong
impression. am not criticizing
every player who has on occasions
lost his temper. And don't mean
to set myself up on any pedestal
because have been so fortunate.
In fact, I've had friends say wal.
q little more Why don't you have
q little run-in once in a while,
just to show you're on your toes. :
Possibly I might have needed the
advice Of such friends without do
ing much harm.
Some Of the cleanest and finest
characters i'm baseball, such as
quiet George Sisler have been
Ousted by umpires for some slight
act, I'm q moment Of excitement.
But the player VINO should not
be tolerated is the one with q
chip, always on his shoulder.
Those fellows are rOWdieS and
generally their worst conduct and
IOudesf kicking comes at q time
when they hope to cover up some
inexcusabIe error Of their own
Every player of course is sub
1ect to contact with an umpire.
Not so much in a fielding position,
as at bat. Balls and strikes cause
more arguments than any other
point. But in the average game,
q player only bats Sn four innings.
q pitcher on the other hand, Is in
there depending on an umpires de-
cfsioIl and judgement for nine inn
ings. Consequently, always feel
that . pitcher is In q better posi-
ton to judge an umpire's work
than any other player.
There are times Of course, when
1T IL proper and necessary for
H. ~Nas a. 4.
AN umpire. The rules provide for
ssuch cases and the team leader
paways has the right to formal
Hottest with the proper authorities.
Drills can be done without rowdyism
Al I'm any way delaying the game.
tehy leader who would permit his
am to lose a game through an
1umpire's decision, which to all ap.
pearances seemed q serious mis-.
take, would do his team and play.
ers an injustice.
found out long ago that one
OF the necessary things for success
ful work in the box il that a
pitcher at all times must keep his
head. Washington once had a
pitcher who would lose his head
when someone in the stands
shouted: Take him out" He'd
become 20 angry he couldn't pitch.
We had another pitcher who would
start fighting with the umpire the
minute he missed one strike. He
was of little value to us the rest
of the game.
You also see pitchers who let
opposing coachers and players get
on their nerves. A coacher will
engage a pitcher in conversation If
possible: hoping to get his mind off
mis- pitching. These types OF play
srs are generally the ones who
ride" an umpire.
regard every American
League umpire a. my friend. It
wouldn't look well for umDires to
IrateFniZe with players during the
championship season. but on the
Held / like all Of them.
6hly Evans is great favorite
Oh mine because he is a fine UNI.
pre- and also because he has
worked In so many of my impor-
liant games. Billy was on duty
eighteen years ago. the afternoon
- broke in against Detroit. In
1908, when ! pitched three games
IN a row against the Yankees
Evans was the umpire. Billy Evans
is recognized as one of the lead.
Ing baseball writer's of the dow