The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-08-15
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On the
L.aIll....
with
ELLIOTT
METCALF

cause the jumps Judgment
against the home club did not
coincide with theirs.
That the umpires are fair,
doing their level best. is with
out doubt =.
They're out there making liv-
ing, even as you and I. and because
l know their mistakes are honest
I need look only into my own
closet to find similar errors
even as you -.
But when 1t comes to a matter Of
judgment I'm willing to give them
the edge. They're on the play
closer than any of us and as rule
are right. At times they have
missed them, have admitted ii
But that's part of baseball :.
All over the nation umpires are
catching blazes from the fans. Not
only in the minors. but in the
majors. Some of the criticism
comes, no doubt, from incompen-
teney. But much is not. Time
after time I have compared my
judgment with our jumps and found
myself boldly telling the world that
I'd never seen such incompetent
officiating . -.
Later when I'D let things cool
down I'D admit TO myself that haste
had engulfed me, that spoke with
the fire Of a fan expressing HIM
self only as a baseball fan can and
will. The old American privi-
lege -.
l cannot forget that they are
honestly trying. decently doing
their best, showing no partiallity
in their forever difficult job :.
difficult even at its best. And that,
after all, is the best any man can
do -.
At times the umpiring in the WI
has been class z. but day in and day
out the boys have called 9s right
ones to two wrong ones, only the
wrong ones stand out. It's like
good news and bad news. good acts
and bad acts. The bad remain
longer in mind, more indelibly i'm
pressed -.
When an jumps kicks one, makes
an atrocious call, no one will say
so quicker than your old column
friend here. None has in the past.
At the same time I'll give them a
boosting mitt when they have 1t
coming. I know their predica-
ment. They're the perpetual men
on the spot, and they can take IT
just as long as it is vocal -.
A Nd now I'm coming to a
serious point the hood
lam fan :.
You'll find him in parks |
everywhere. but for some Pc
culiar reason he is more on the
rampant this year than in
many years past. Perhaps ii
is the disturbing day and age
in which we live . the all too
often disregard for law, the
other fellows opinion and
judgment 80.
The hoodlum fan, the vicious
hombre. turks among the crowd
with a pop bottle or some such
weapon in his hand. And when an
umpire misses one or crosses the
hoodlum's judgment. the hoodlum
hurls the object at the jumps out
upon the field =.
I'm strong for aggressiveness in
play. I'm strong for the old real
habit of roasting and
blowing off steam at the jumps. j
get a great whang out Of scuffle
Or exchange Of punches between
players, because know players
are fighting for victory :.
In these days Of crooked fights.
phoneys in other sports. chiseling,
sports promotions. II
foes me good to see hardened pro-
fessionals in the greatest, cleanest
game on earth willing to fight be-
cause they believe they've been de-
MED what is rightfully theirs
willing to take a fine out Of their
in standing up and war
ring for their rights
But there's no place In baseball
Tor the hooldum, the potential
killer, who hurts bottles and other
deadly weapons onto the field At
an umpire Baseball IL too
too decent for such
rowdyism and the sooner the club
owners and police see that such
tactics are halted the better II will
be for all concerned
The average fan Is good. decent
citizen and IL should /
be his duty to put the finger on
a bottle or weapon thrower fast.
The police should be on the alert
and once a man is caught in such
an act. arrest him. Charges
should be filed against him and the
hound punished. He throws and /
then he hides. He won't come out