The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-08-17
/ No ST I
PACE FOR
OTHERS
By R. D. Thomas

mlayers. Two teams have taken II
where they like it least lately and
no. umpire yet is in difficulty.
Your sandlot umpire rarely Tor
1eits q game. And the sport has
suffered through his leninency.
some Of the nastiest tangles in the
eame's history would have been
prevented by iron.handed action on
tile umpire's part.
jimmy Jones and George Watt
today occupy conspicuous places n.
; thu lirnplre's ranks. Each took hold
Of q disagreeable situation ana
handled it firmly and properly.
Jones forfeited q game in the
Terminal league championship play
OFF because a team stalled for dark
Hess. using 8 disputed decision as
cause for delay. He gave the vic.
tory TO the Black and White Taxi
team, which. evened the series with
the Pullmans.
\ For disputing decision oyer.
Time UnlDire Watt chased two st.
J0senh PLAYERS from the game and
left the club without enough men
10 continue against the knicker-
b0ckers. TIC was an Important
contest I'm Section A Of the Capital
City Association.
Most umpires avoid forfeitures
IKE poison. believing these incidents
breed personal unpopularity and lose
assignments for them. The reverse
Is closer to the truth. Hard-boiled
umpires. with the courage and de-
cision to manage a distastefui stu
alton. are in demand.
When two hard-fighttng rivals
meet usually there. is an argument
over the selection Of an umpire. In
the end, as rule. they decide on
an aribter more or less distinguishet.
by steely backbone, who VIII
brook no monkey business from
either side. 49,
Old Tom crooke was held in high
esteem by the sandlotters principally
for the reason that he was fearless.
If is on record that Tom forfeited
tough battle once and thereby ri5kei
his hide. He saved it by arminE
himself with a bat and sticking out
his jaw.
We know Of another umpire
who. threatened with bodily harm
n he forfeited the game, declined
TO exercise his power. He left
tangle that never was satisIactOr-
fly Strengthened and he has been
heard of little since as an umpire.
An umpire who can be intimid-
Ated into altering a decision Is
baseball disease. One sign Of weak
ress and the players in a tight
wolves.
However. they are extremely few,
for the reason that none lasts long
I'm the profession. Most lenlent UNI
pires are that way because OF in
nate good fellowship. They dislike
TO be iisagreeable and are willing
to go to extremes to avoid distaste-
1ul action
This sort of vacillation leads them
into trouble and others with them.
Jimmy Jones, when umpiring in
the Departmental League, several
times was cautioned by league Off
Gals that he was being a trifle
too lenient : Jones. learned from
experience that this was true He
changed his style. He left good
fellowship on the field to the play
ers and devoted himself to the
cold-blooded business OF running
the game without regard for the
feelings of any player. He is said
to be a. 100 per cent improved
umpire.
The st. Joseph team may regis
ter a howl against Watts action,
but it win fall on tin ears. Watt
has been commended by execu-
tiyes of the Capital City AssOcia-
tion for his prompt, orderly han.
ding, Of tough problem.
They also have commended Jimmy
Jones, though Jones' decision was
not made in an association )ntest.
In the next several weeks many
games will be played, with the city
championship at stake. The UNI
pires are facing the toughest period
of their season. They must handle
many close contests between vic
tory-excited rivals. There will be
tension.
- 1t will help the umpires to know
that the Capital City Association Is
ready to back them to the limit in
all matters Of judgment and inter-
fere only when an arbiter runs
afoul' Of a rule. Jones and Watt
have set an example that very
likely will have it's effect on sand
lot umpiring in general here
There will be less soft stuff and
more iron. There will be better
baseball and fewer protests