Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
BY HENRY L. FARRELL.

III Tnefe were uNWflyGen laws tnaC nla0e
him behave himself and respect the
older players. In most cases the rookie didn't
have 70 be told. He was awed by his job and
awed by his distinguished associates
But times have changed, they are saying
around the major league circuits. The umpires.
particularly, say they have sensed the change.
The big time has become infected with new
breed Of cocky rockies who are tougher Jockeys
than Johnny Evers was in his palmy days with
the Chicago Cubs.
It might be explained that base ball jockey
Is a player who rides other players and the
umpires. He gets out his verbal whip and
stings them into frenzy with wise cracks
picked up from any number of sources.
The base ball jockey usually substitute
player whose Punishment from the park would
not hurt the club or a pitcher who was not
due to work, sits on the bench, in a corner
where the roof gives him a sounding board, and
goes to work on the umpire. The other players,
in hot weather, almost always sit on the steps
Of the dugout to pour out their wise cracks.
1t is matter of almost common consent that
"Mouthy" Durocher, the New York Yankee in
fielder, IS the freshest rookie to arrive in the
major leagues during the past decade. He made
such a hit with his cocky ways that he may
have started a vogue among the other rockies.
The umpires think he has.
nUROCHER came to the Yankees from the
ST. Paul club of the American Association,
and his chances for a permanent Job weren't
any too good. The Yanks had a swell second
baseman, Tony Lazzeri, and a good shortstop,
Mark Koenig. There just didn't seem to be
any room on the field for Durocher But that
didn't bother him.
III sit here until one Of those buns falls
down and then I'll get in there and play" he
announced one day In the clubhouse.
Kinda cocky, amt you young fellow" Babe
Ruth asked. And Durocher replied that he
wasn't the least bit afraid of any one In the
league.
That statement gave the Yankee players an
idea. Here was cocky rookie who could be
used to advantage. The Yanks had only two
good jockeys, Waite Hoyt and Ben Paschal
There are rules to jockeying that q veteran
follows and rookie wouldn't know about But
1t is also fact that player on an opposing
club will not get heat out of the jockeying
OF veteran that he would out of fresh
rookie.
SO the Yankee players told Durocher what to
yell at the players on the other side He follow
ed instructions and burnt up the league Moth
Ing like 1t happened In years A fresh rookie
was jockeying players and umpires as they
never had been jockeyed before. The word went
around that he was q fellow to be smacked.
Umpires were laying for him. And the Yanks
were having great time ribbing him up.
RlLL MCGOWAN is an umpire In the Ameri-
can League who will not be tTifled with
But MCGOWAN admits that Durocher stopped
him In the first game in which the two came
together.
The game was one between the Yankees and
the Boston Red Sox. MCGOWAN heard contin-
uous yells Of bonneville! Toonerville" from
the Yankee dugout
Il knew it was either Hoyt or that fresh
young DurOcher," MCGOWAN said in relating
the incident, but I didn't know what they
meant by that bonneville stuff Hoyt wasn't
working that day and knew better than to
walk over to the Yankee bench and ask them II
they were yelling at me and what they meant
by 'Toonerville'"
Finally he got his chance. And sooner than
he expected. Durocher was sent up as a pinch
hitter and MCGOWAN asked him:
Were you yellin' at me?"
Without waiting minute the fresh rookie
shouted right in the umpires face:
"Yeh, was yellin at you. Whaddabout it?"
MCGOWAN said he was almost knocked off
his feet by the insolence of the rookie
but he wanted to know more
What do you mean by that bonneville
STUFF" he asked him.
did you ever read those pictures about the
bonneville trolley and did you ever see the
picture Of the motorman? Well (going on in
one breath), you're a bonneville umpire"
You're a fresh young so-and-so," MCGOWAN
said, land I'll smack you in the jaw"
Well" Durocher said, maybe I'm what you
called me and maybe you can smack me, but
you'll always be a bonneville umpire to me
and you won't stop me, big talk"
And MCGOWAN admitted he was stopped. He
couldn't say anything more lest the word would
get around that the bonneville stuff got under
his hide.
But MCGOWAN had an opinion that the
bonneville cracks weren't invented by Du-
rocher. 1t was his bunch that they were put
into his mouth either by Hoyt or Paschal.
The umpires say it is awfuy tough to pick
out the jockeys on the bench and that is the
reason. when they get desperate, that they
have to clear the while dupnnt