Evening star., 1939-07-25
Frjck's Recent Edicis
Indicate Umpires
Partly al Fault
National Leoeuers Now
Con Figure Penalties
Ahead of Offense
BY WHITNEY MARTIN,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW YORK, July 25.-It hasn't
quite reached the point where price
lists are hung in locker rooms like
laundry tickets, but National League
baseball players are getting pretty
fair idea of what it will cost to use
various degrees of body English in
trying to make an umpire change
decision.
The price list isn't so bad at that,
with such notations as: One shove,
S days; with fist, 10 days, replacing
the familiar one shirt, IL cents; with
collar, IA cents.
Anyway, President Ford Frick's
latest move in his attempt to help
the umpires keep the peace without
the players trying to get piece of
the umpires is an edict that any
player who pushes or shoves an
umpire will be suspended auto
matically for five days.
Recent disputes which passed from
words to violence indicated what
the players may expect when they
shove with their fists or use the
splitter without authority, par
ticularly with the umpire as target.
Bill Jurges, Giant shortstop, was
ousted for 10 days and fined for
combining the two attacks, and the
leniency of that penalty indicates
the fault wasn't all his.
Respect for Umps Vital.
In fact, Umpire George Mayer
kurth also was fined and suspended,
leaving the opinion that Mr.. Frick
had some inside information as to
who spat upon whom first.
We refuse to believe that Mr..
Frick booted one in penalizing the
umpire. He always has leaned over
backward, if anything, in supporting
the boys in blue in their arguments,
which is as it should be. The
umpires are the police, the law of
the diamond. and if they aren't
respected the ball fields might as
well be turned back to the cows and
chickens, with patch set aside for
forget-me-nots. There just wouldn't
be any more baseball.
A mild dispute over decision is
not out of order, although it's quite
a waste of time. We've yet to see an
umpire reverse decision on ball
or a strike, or putout on close
play.
The idea possibly is that bolster
Gus protest will intimidate an UNI
pire so that the next time close
play arises he might favor the team
which makes the most noise, but we
don't believe it works out that way.
Arbiters Fanatically Honest.
In your correspondents limited as
sociation with umpires he has found
them courageous, honest to the point
of fanaticism. intelligent, and with
a knowledge of the game that would
shame the average ballplayer.
AS an example we recall one Ollie
Anderson, who the last we heard
was bossing the umpires in the
Western Association. A slim, red
dish. intent fellow up in years who
practically had devoted his life to
umpiring, and whose pride in his
profession would be the envy of Bill
KLEIN.
Anderson could sit down and draw
diagrams of how every player should
play his position, with side trips on
batting, base running and any other
phase of the game which might be
mentioned.
However, that's neither here nor
there. 1t just illustrates the type of
man whom ballplayers and fans
regard as public enemies. Anything
Mr.. Frick, or any one else. for that
matter, can do to make 1t possible
for them to walk on field without
the fear they might be carried OIL
might be listed under general i'm
provement.