Evening star., 1939-07-20
From the
Press Box
Friek Policy Is Blamed
For Abuse of Umpires
BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Core espondent of The Star


BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
NEW YORK, July 20 (NAN.A).-
Over in the American League, where
an umpire can walk freely in the
knowledge that he is no mans Gus
pidor, they do not pretend to under
stand the policy OF the National
League president, Ford Christopher
Prick, in fining and suspending Um-
pire George Magerkurth for serving
in that capacity.
"A guy spits in Magerkurth's face
and then takes a punch at him."
said an American League manager
scornfully, when he heard of the in
cident. land they fine the umpire
and knock off 10 days pay for hit
ting back. What in heck do they
expect him to do? Stand there and
take it?"
1t was Bill Jurges, shortstop of
the New York Giants, who thus in
vaded Mr.. Magerkurth with mouth
and fist few days ago in the course
Of an argument about a foul-line
home run. There was something in
Jurges' manner as he did so-the
sort OF confident arrogance Musso-
lini might show while kicking King
Zog Of Albania in the pants-that
made it plain he had nothing to fear
in the way of consequences.
Nobody Tokes Rop for Ump
But Wife and Penny Bonk
And Jurges was correct. They
fned the shortstop $3.50 and sus-
pended him for 10 days, which is the
equivalent in baseball circles Of
two years for murder in the first
degree. To soothe Williams feelings,
they did the same to Magerkurth-
$3.50 fine, 10 days in the cooler.
Jurges' fine was paid by his club.
Who took the rap for Magerkurth?
Nobody but Mrs Magerkurth and the
penny bank.
For the last few seasons. umpires
In the National League have be-
trayed timid uneasiness in ham
ding rebellious ball players Squawk-
ers can squawk for 10 or Is minutes,
Jam their noses up under the UNI
pire's jaw, spray him with the best
their vivid vocabulary have to offer,
kick, stamp. shove, and question his
ancestry-and the worst they get is
the day off and an early shower
This means only one thing-that
the umpire is afraid of something
And what has he to be afraid of but
the players boss, sitting back in the
dugout with the wickedest kind of
blackjack in his hand-the threat
of throwing the umpire out of work?
And how can that sort of threat have
force If the umpire knows that the
league official will betray him in
pinch and bow to the wishes of the
beefing ball club?
McPhoiI Will Soy Anything
For Soke Of Publicity
When Leland Stanford MacPhail
Of Brooklyn hollered last week that
Bill Terry had threatened to get
the Job" of a rookie umpire, Tom
Dun, we were disposed to take the
sharge with bowl Of salt. Mr.. Mac
Phail will say almost anything for
business reasons. But the more you
study the course of events this sea-
son. the surer you feel that Mac
Phail may have had something there.
Terry's team has been bold and
abusive of umpires all year. The
Giants have paid more fines than
usual, but that merely is a good in
dex of their attitude. The fines
have been small, the penalties harm
less. Terry's men have cussed and
threatened and thumbed their noses
10 times, scot-free, for every time
the boss has coughed up s25 or $50.
Terry is close to Ford Christo-
pher Frick, the president of the
1eague-or perhaps it would be more
accurate to say that Mr.. Frick has
shown signs Of being squarely under
the large left thumb Of the Giants
manager. I may be guilty of in
Justice to Mr.. Frick on this score,
but, If 50, the president can show
his good faith very simply by sup
porting his umpires in the future.
BoIIpIoyers Ever Willing
To Toke Rest With Pay
AS long as a ballplayer knows
that he can win a Today vacation,
with expenses paid. by splitting in
an umpire's teeth. he will revel in
the prospect, which has appealed.
at one time or another, to almost
every ballplayer.
The Jurges-Magerkurth fued be-
gan last week at the All-Star game,
when Magerkurth, calling them be-
hind the plate, set couple of Ma
tional Leaguers down on third
strikes. Jurges was judging these
pitches from slight angle-in fact,
he was deep in the dugout-but he
fumed and yelled about them so
loudly that he seemed to be limiting
st some kind of coast-to-coast con-
spiracy, with Magerkurth in the pay
of the American League.
If Magerkurth indeed was TAX
Ing the American Leagues rotten
gold, then Jurges had legitimate
complaint, and the place for him to
bring it up was in court.
But I do not think that Mayer
kurth was accepting tainted money.
Why should he bother about money
at all, when his own league takes
1t away from him as fast as it comes
In?