The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-09-25
Washington Protest On Game Refused
SENS FLAG HOPES
GET DEATH BLOW
Harridge Turns Down
Protest OF PHILADELPHIA
Contest

to receive a death blow to their
American League pennant chan.
ces.
Will Harridge, American League
president, turned down Owner
Clark Griffith's protest OF yester-
days 4-3 12-inning defeat by
Philadelphia in the first game
of a doubleheader.
THAT settles it-both the pro.
test and the pennant race" the
75-year-old Griffith said in a
throaty voice that almost broke
with disappointment.
The controversy was over what
constitutes legal catch Of a
fly ball.
Thus ended for the Senators a
wartime season that held out great
promise from mid-season on, only
to end in a sad-sack sort of way
as the team Topped down the
home stretch.
The lone remaining hope is that
the leading Detroit Tigers will
lose three of their last four games,
throwing them into a tie with
the Senators for the title.
AS the long-faced Washington
players reported to Griffith stad!
ium today fo- instructions on how
to idle away the last week Of
the schedule, they learned that
Griffith had protested yesterday S
loss.
Griffith commended that Umpire
Eddie Rommel "misapplied" q
rule in the eighth inning wher
Buddy Lewis fielded Mayo Smith:
fly to right field for what ap
parently was the first out.
After the catch, the Senators
say. Lewis switched the ball te
his right hand and started te
make an unde--handed toss tt
Second Baseman George Myatt
who had run out on to the grass
Lewis inadvertently hit hi:
glove with his right hand ane
dropped the ball. Rommel ruled
it mo catch" The Athletics scor
ed three runs in that inning tt
tie, and won out in the twelfth
The Senators took the secone
game, 4-3, but it was too lat'
then to improve their pennan
chances.
Manager Ossie eBluege argued
so vehemently over the decision
that Rommel chased him from
the game.
Bluege, however, did not notify
the umpires of protest while
the game was in progress, as the
rules require. That worked
against the Senator'S cause wher
Griffith got around to calling Har
ridge on the phone.
In a wire to Griffith, Harridge
said the portest was refused or
two counts:
THAT it was based on a ques
ticn Of what was purely umpire
judgment.
2-That league relations do moi
permit a protest unless it il
made while. the affected game is
in progress.
Harridge said that the ball was
not caught as the rules provide. "
Griffith told a reporter that lone
provision of the rules" provides
for filing protes within "a
hours after game under ex
tenuating circumstances.
There was plenty of evidence
to call hearing. if Harridge had
wanted to do so," Griffith added.
Griffith pointed out that his
protest was on "nlisapplication'
of the rule and not of the UNI
pire's judgment.
"Umpires have abused the rule
about what a legal catch is" he
said. They've gone far beyond
what the rule was intended to
cover"
Bluege said that he doubted
if Rommel saw the entire Incl
dent.
He was watching the battle as
ne rounded first" Bluege said
Then when the crowd yelled, he
glanced out and saw the ball or
the ground so he ruled it nc
catch"
Other umpires said they could
not see the play fully, according
to Bluege, because 'Myatt was
in the way"
Connie Mack, boss of the Athle-
tics, commented in Philadelphia
that Washington's protest didn't
have a chance to get by"
II wasn't looking at Lewis
when he let the ball go but they
tell me he just up and dropped
it," he said. "A fielder has tt
hang on to the ball and return
it and that's about all there is te
it,"
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