The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-17
ED. FITZPATRICK IS THROUGH AS CAL. PRESIDENT
Protest Board Meets To- night to Settle Baseball
 Squabble
By JOHN A. CLUNEY

l
 Suddenly, and "out of clear sky" Ed Fitzpatrick, president of the City Amateur Baseball league for the past two years, announced his resig- nation last night at the end Of a long and stormy meeting of league managers and officials. The session held at the Y. M c. A. wound up with the selection of protest com- mittee to hear the claim of the North End Thomas club against the Tribune A. c. 1888 city champions, who 6-2 victory over the Thomas club last Sunday is under verbal fire.
 If the protest board of three can be brought together the issue may | be settled tonight at a meeting scheduled for D. m. Thomas J.. Flanagan. Charles J. Allen and Mike Cunningham former local baseball manager, now connected with the Meriden branch of the h. ternational Silver company. Flana- gan and Allen are Connecticut Light and Power company officials Well-known to local baseball and boxing fans.
 Letter From Ump
 MT. Fitzpatrick gave pressure of business" as his reason for resigna- tion. Prior to his announcement, letter from Umpire Leno Castaldo to the league president was opened and read, in which the umpire implied that he had been in error when he allowed two base hit for Sipples, Tribune outfelder, who hit ball into a tree in right field, the trunk of which was agreed upon as a dividing line to determine automatic doubles and "all you can get" Since Sunday, Umpire Castaido stated the ball in question landed "siX or seven feet to the left of the tree" and then says T ruled it two base hit' im- plying he had been in error on in- depreciation of the ground rule, as claimed in the Thomas club protest.
 Umpire Bill Stanton came to last nights meeting and said the ball was hit into the middle of the u lCC. d IUJICb V tllC ii6iib AA trAiJ thing" thereby upholding his two- base hit ruling, which was the same as Castaldos at the time. A signi- ficant point relative to the latter umpire's letter to MT. Fitzpatrick is that he does not say or admit that he was in error, but IMPLIES such when he puts the ball to the left of the tree and then gave the batter an automatic double.
 Changed His Mind?
 Stanton's testimony was to the effect that both he and Castaldo agreed at the time that the hit called for two bases under the ground rule agreed upon prior to the game. Since that time, CaStaldo has decided the ball Handed" to the left of the tree, which calls for a single only, which the batter has to make, though Castaldo does not say so in his letter merely stating T al- lowed him two bases" leaving the conclusion to be drGWn that he was in error by doing so.
 Fitzpatrick completely divorced hlmSel1 rom all league alIalrS, With the announcement of his resigna- tion, which includes exhibition games, the On To Pittsburg" finan cial campaign and all other City Amateur league business. Oddly enough, he intended to resign a. the beginning of the season, but was prevailed to continue in office, with the same set of assistance. Pending election of a new president Vice. President Patrick Doran will con- duct league affairs. At tonight's protest committee meeting, Edward J. Hart, Joe Cosgrove or Ed Walsh of Meriden may appear in the event Flanagan, Allen and Cunningham will not or cannot serve. Managers of Tribunes and Thomas clubs, in cluding Coaches Harry Melvin and Johnny Devito, Fay Vincent, Bobby GreatoreX, and Empires Leno Cas- taldo and Bill Stanton are expected to attend the meeting. Secretary Raymond Tram was busy today con- tacting the above named persons.