The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917, August 17, 1911, Image 8
FAN and the UMPIRE = A BILLY EVANS i — AMERICAN LEAOUE UMPIRE *■ i —COPVTJtGHT &y~ *^SS^iSSS®©! pEAPsaw PUB. ca ET your giaajmi on " i am tetter con. ult an op IM lit. “ - -oil I »* rirf gal a cioao imeumm'T’ Vi to «-rer fol4 you Ihtt yr«M> uiujurt*" Url to tk>- nbU>t> count er tor you tery t tartly, IVrcy.” S;». h horn c:uci» ■ ft- ■- ■ lot throwing the *»a»r Uoh'l you ktw>K enough to wir. v two you iuttr son* totally W»(jr You o - 'Wit own bare must* -J i.* an ;mr btm to ho'J four jub." 7' i .. , thing ii M>«l ti.it U»>k» i.k* M ■a.1 & .» your rna-.h >e4 prut •« tor.“ > . Mtu start to run -<r tbe bark (<•!'■» » u • to t* Wd fur or are g ring to tot »«•* Ti- »«- nit a too million more romriiiuient art - t «n.s*ii.ias at a i.k*- mm lure art burl-cd at ibr 4ans( Uo evert* at a closely CVS. rt*d fJtMUf It u realiy vraag* and o< a<S- nul Into what a ft i ff tbo tiHttr baseball fan can vork him ***J during 4b* ywgrwi of an earning yam* |t . „:*»«<•» Mcredtbie to tt.fck a hat be will do. or . . >ua Ik imagine* (he empire hat niriie a tnat 4*~ tuna that faaa apparently put hia club out of 1W raaulng Proauiaasit r viiPt. l-rtlng rtahed doctor*. neU-taovn actor*, stain boatmv*t men. tn fact men nr all rhma. id! mranabl- Jump to their feet « shu they cucvhSer a punk fcHitca" and -hake (heir tiu violently, utter ail kinds of iro e «*• remark* and ift»:st that nothing ■ta M.tuff their thirst (or r-»enge but the Me hkaad «( the poor, defeats!*** umpire. The neat day. arbeu same one meet* one of the frenzied rooter». and in a J thing nay ** p_s t - to him boo be * ted and tell* him tome ut the thane* ne said about the umpire. Mr. Loyal Meaner *ake* a ros then and there that he aria Merer again open hi* mouth a* a ball game no spatter hoar thrilling the a!'nation. Perhaps the eery e-ft afternoon, if the prop «r snaftn met, m o'ill unknowingly com mx the aery art of (be prertons day iiik pride la to bo admired is all thing* K t— iHi— tan who dor** ■ want to see tae home •eta triumph Is tmtoAf a p*ra!lir sort of man. IVluj* it might be veil for him to hare his •a*..'* tpaeengated Dei ire to srtn at any cost boeoea Sira make* mtri’** at person* abno |r»!j unfair It their ru-wt and opinion* The eateni to atkt the fas alll allow hia nan (aide tn dominate his opinion was sd Mmsrated to me one day last year While on my nay to the bote! after a jaricahrlr b-... not gaue, which the home team tad Ins: by a sens* of 1 to • after a desperate Rtrug g.r I mas orach amored at (h> roarer sat ion of a icvsle of cy-d athewwi fans srbo happen «d te be m the name car !■ was unueitixm* o;.:aw* of or ery «U *ba» -he t:«K4f team needed good Biwd board* instead Of regulation UU. if ’bey o..- <w to a:a a They cited m L T 6t i t obec*- a hit. or even a fy V artitf *t>.M Ut* »o* The cam t»-: AU of ib-?» »e»* «*<r» over the io^« of tW (tar KttTT^iBt borauat of the weak MMtatg of *brtf taroritea They proclaimed it* rtmon «ra«K la eeery raopun. That •at rat «*» the M( f»*at of the day The far.-* tM*>< to forget that for 11 mains* It. htttin* of the nation was Just as treble as that of the bunt teats That The hit that ml the at; run of the (tat acros* the (hat* was doe to a larky bound which seat it over the snood baseman's head To me It «a* on tf (fee let usm of the year The fellow tag day the how team son by a aery oae»iM score of It to 1 As. fate ■tail hen- k. I bumped tato several fans of the pr« tho day oo the ear dowa town TW control was a decidedly poor one. I thin mill the owe aad ooly r*d**aln( feature betas 'he heed Inttisi of the home chib The Ice* were aa'lifted. however, for it was au>totoaely «r-t«n that the home boys had raceimd their turtles eye*, aad that from aow am they e mM soahe tV ben of them Met the IMBM to Wla forget a tilth id* <dhai that hap r O Imaghlift dunas a same at erne dajr. which illustrates what will do when the home team tr set I happened to be working back of the plate that sftitama. arhtle Silk" was performing oo the tmsoa All 'be dime plsya seemed to come op Oh the haoea ‘ 8ttk~ had at lean a duten pteya that male have been circa uate way or the other, because of the estreme cloaca eas m 'kallr all of the plays aeot against the home team, aad while etlk had little or oo tnaMt (no the players, a tan. oho aaa sit lias la the thud base aretkm of the grandstand rhi tv to disagree with the arbitrator on prac tically all of ata roltmftt- He kept up a eoHey of remark* tkiaagkoaf the game, and hdure na doso had eaiusied <j«dtc a few voi d the actions of this one lone to a rather strrn bis work «as well discovered that hts en Ih the front row of the that he ware glasses He the dose of xproas himself to to win M br i relit la his Jiiblla the fas n the title of umpire e-*-r esisted. The Irish in Silk's" blood was up. however, and he managed to work his way through the crowd to writer*' the frenzied rooter was celebrating over the victory. Tae fan was a well-dressed i up. and app ared to r'jsaess more than the average intelligence. You have a lot of li cense to be roasting an umpire, when you have to wear a j«:r of thick glasses to be able to even tee. I can’t see how you ever unpaged to b-eak info th“ grandstand. Your piaca U on tl - outside. tiAi« mg nro .2h a Knot fcoie." Tile fan said nary a »ord in repiy. an i "Silk" having gotten all the •.*-m.m out of his system, was content to drop the tiitter It was evident front the look of embarrassment that came civr the rooter's '■ ■ ■■ .hat b<- was thoroughly dismissed with himself He just beg.m to realize what he lad been d eg throughout the afternoon. ahor'lj after we had reached our dressing room 'here was a knock at the door. We bade our visitor enter He introduced him s.*if as Dr. "So and So," a very promt cent eye specialist We both began to won der if he had c iae to examine our optics. "I just overheard your conversation with that ex ited fan. Mr. O'bouzhiin.” said the si-ecialist . “I really can't blame you for savr c what you did to him. but I would ad vise you to ignore him in the future. I've been treating that chap for a year for eye trouble His sight is decidedly defective. He really ran t see 90 feet with any kind of accuracy. He wouldn't have known wheiber it was you or Jack Sheridan um piring the bases if some one hadn't told him “ Silk" almost keeled over when he heard •be news. It simply goes to show what baseball will do to a man, especially if the home team happens to be .losing This chap with the defective eyesight was getting an ex cellent umpire into trouble because most of the decisions were going against the home team, and he mas so partisan in spirit that he could see only one side of the argument. When you come to think it over, and weigh carefully the cold facts, it is really remarkable the work that devolves upon an umpire during a ball game. In the course of a regular nine inning contest he Is called upon to render between 375 and 400 decisions Rather remarkable figures. Con sidering bis arduous duties, it is not to be wondered at If he errs. Indeed it is remark able that the judges of play do not slip up more frequently Here Is a little data that la mighty interesting. Possibly a perusal of it may cause the umpire to receive more fa vorable consideration. In a nine iuning game on an average of 3$ men on each team will face the pitcher, making 70 men in all who step to the plate in an attempt to outguess the twirler. Thus the umpire is called upon to pass Judgment on three score and ten batters It has been estimated that the umpire makes four decisions on each man. In these mod ern days of baseball "groove” pitchers are mighty scarce. The pitcher is constantly try ing to make the batter hit at bad balls on the outside and inside, while the batter is trying to make the twirler get them over. Conse quently the game resolves Itself into a con tinual battle of wits between the pitcher and batter Should the batter strike out on three balls., It would require three decisions. If the bat ter works the pitcher for a pass to first on four balls, it requires that many decisions. Often tha count before the batter is finally retired or reaches first is one strike and three balls, two balls and two strikes, two strikes and three balls, three balls and three strikes, four nad two strikes or any of the many other combinations that may arise. Thus It would Ti&otr seem that four decisions on each batter in connec tion with balls and strikes would be a fair esti mate. With 70 men coming to the plate in a nine inning game, and each batter aver aging four decis ions. the umpire is called upon to render in the neighborhood of 280 ball and strike decisions. XfX&V /vra&&rA a mntf are aecisions 10 render ou balls in the immediate neighborhood of the foul line during the ordinary game is a con servative estimate. The decisions are often a matter of inches, and many times change the entire complexion of the game. Of course, in a full nine inning game, 54 men must be retired before it is completed. If the home team happens to have made more runs in eight innings than the visitors in nine, they will refuse the last hair of the ninth, mak ing it necessary to retire only 51 men in or der to complete the game. A decision is neces sary on every one made, although frequently it is evident to every one that the man is re tired as on n fly ball or when a man takes a healthy swing for the third strike. Such de cisions are more a mere matter of form than anything else. On the other hand, theer are perhaps 20 plays that come up in a game where the umpire rules the player is safe on a very close decision. A resume would show 2S0 decisions on balls and strikes, 20 decisions on fair and foul hits, 54 rulings on outs and somewhere neJtr 20 plays in which the runner gets the benefit of the doubt, and is called safe, making 374 rulings an umpire is called upon to make during a nine inning contest. It is easy to sit in the grandstand or bleachers, surrounded by a lot of friends who see things just as you do, and umpire the game, when you are not busy munching peanuts. It is entirely different on the ball field, however, where you are a stranger In a strange land, with a hostile crowd ever ready to criticise and 18 active ball players and as many substitutes, together with two foxy managers, trying their level best to outwit you. I happened to have an off day in Cleve land last year, and I decided to journey out to the ball park and call on my brother um pires, "BuH” Perrlne and Bill Dtnneen had been assigned to the game. After making them a friendly visit I told them I Intended tak ing a seat in the grandstand to look them over. They laughingly assented and informed me that they would give their best performance of the season. Bill Dlnneen, the former star pitcher, worked the bases, and St seemed as if every decision was close. Philadelphia was the opposing team that afternoon, and despite the closeness of many of the plays there was scarcely a kick from any of the players. Cleveland was losing, however, and the fans made considerable fuss over several rulings on the bases by Dinneen. From where I was sitting In the rear part of the big grand stand it really did look as if he had slipped up on four plays. Observing that not a kick was made, I was convinced that some thing had happened in each instance which the fans in the stand—myself among them —had not noticed. 1 made note of the plays with the intention of asking Dinneen about them, just to satisfy my own curios ity, and after the game I went to his dressing j room. i "Why did you call Collins safe at first. Bill. J on that throw from Turner?" I asked. "Why. there wasn't anything to that play." said he. "The throw you will remem ber was a trifle wild. It pulled Stovall some distance off the bag. and when he lunged back i his foot was about three inches shy of touch ing first." "Why did you call Baker safe at second?" , was my second inquiry. "From the stand I it looked as If the ball beat him to the bag by 1 a yard.” "The ball beat him all right," said Bill, "but the force of the collision in touching i Baker caused that young shortstop Knaupp j to drop the ball. Had he held the throw,' Baker would hare been an easy out.” “Why did you call Birmingham out at second when Coombs threw to catch him nap napping? Looked as if Joe got back to the bag before the ball reached Barry's bands.” "He got back, but not to the bag." replied Bill. "Barry had him blocked off. and 'Binny' slid against Barry's shoe, not the bag. He hasn't touched the base yet.” "Just one more, Rill. Why was Jackson out at third? It looked as if he easily beat Catcher Lapp's throw In an attempt to keep him from stealing." "No question about his beating the throw,” ; answered BUI. “He was safe a mile, if he hadn't overslld the bag three or four inches and allowed himself to be touched out before he was able to regain it.” On the four plays In which Dinneen was absolutely correct he was forced to submit ] to all kinds of censure, because the fans did not know what had really happened. There are any number of points that the fans should taka into consideration when they see the umpire declare a man out who seems to them to be safe beyond a reasonable doubt. Four of them I have already re ferred to; failure to touch the bag, due to be ing drawn off by a high, low or wild throw; j dropping of the ball after having touched the base runner, due to the force of the collision; i sliding of the base runner into the foot of the inflelder, instead of the bag and the overslid- j ing of the bag after having reached it in safety The fallaway slide is another point that j causes all kinds of trouble for the umpires. This slide is used by most of the leading base runners, and consists of going straight for the bag until within a short distance of it. then falling away, so to speak, by throwing the body either towards the infield or outfield as best suits the occasion, and hooking one foot under the bag. This slide makes it very hard for an inflelder to put the ball on the runner, as it gives him only the sole of the shoe, or as the players express it, only the spikes to touch. The baseball fans, however, may be consider ed pretty fair creatures, and each year they are getting more fair-minded. I have noticed a vast improvement in each of the five years I have umpired in the major leagues. I attrib ute the improvement to the fact that the um pires are being backed up in their decisions, and the attitude of the sporting writers. Mexicans’ Favorite Dishes I hai a. ■state. ft sort of stone ikh the eon is crushed to sad then ytted Into thin roun «ad tosfted oft ft day griddle I as foa ride dot is «r«7 house ft l; it is Oftly the hr the voftua as they thft tortillas la their ■ The lime in which the corn is softened is said to account for the very strong white teeth of the na tives. Prljoles are. of course, beans, and after being boiled a long time with onions, chile and other savory bits, are put into boiling lard for their final flavor. Knives and forks are not needed where a tortilla can be folded in the middle and used as a scoop for the beana These two ar ticles of food form almost the entire .diet ot the poor. All food is very hot, from the chile put in it, and one doesn't realize the peculiar .flavor that cinnamon will give to many dishes until he has eaten it in everything, from coffee to ice cream. While pulque, the ferment ed juice of the maguey, our century plant, is the national drink, if a peon is very drunk it is probably due to mescal or tequilla, two stronger drinks made from the same maguey. Often have I seen women cook an entire meal over as little charcoal as one hand, can grasp. A Legal Mind. “No use whispering soft things to that girl. She's a law student” “How does that affect her case?” “Well, she’s prompt to detect the Incompetent, the irrelevant and the immaterial." Toe Cautioua. “How can you distrust your daugh ter’s suitor when in this letter he pro poses to lead her to the altar?" “Well, in Its very nature, isn't that a miss-leading proposition ?” “No Chickens for Sale” By DONALD ALLEN (Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary Press.) The same train that carried Miss Mildred Frayne up to her aunt's home at Long Point to spend the summer month also carried Mr. Winfield Ches ter. They sat It different coaches, nowever. and there was nc coinci dence about it- Had they sat in the same chair car he might have been reading a magazine and she locking out of the window. A quarter of a mile below Aunt Tay lor's house lived old Mrs. Ryder. She was a widow and lived alone, and now and then she bad a bad turn with rheumatism. Miss Mildred had known her tor several years, and It wasn't two hours after her arrival that she started out to see the old lady. She round her in bed and sadly needing nursing. . “What you need.” sagely replied the girl when she had heard the lamenta tions,'- is chicken soup. It's better than all the doctors. 1 know at least t dozen people who'd have died but for chicken soup. Chicken soup with * little rice In It will make a well woman of you in two days." “Maybe It might help me." the pa tient sighed. “It will. It must. It cured me when 1 had typhoid fever and the doc tors had given me up. I can get the ■ice up at the house, but as for the thicken—ler me see? We have none, Started Off With the Chicken. but one must be found somewhere, i'll go back and telephone to some of ;te tanners around here Some ot :nem will surely spare me a chicken." "But it will be too much trouble." Trouble? Don t you think I'll willingly go to some trouble to save your dear old life? Just lie quietly all 1 come back. You can groan all you wan: to, however. Our family loctor says that groaning is a great celp in curing any one " Back to Aunt Taylor's the girl got iown the telephone book and called .ip one farmer after another and in quired about the chicken market, it was not encouraging. Some had chick ens and some hadn’t, but those who , lad answered that nose was for sale. The very last address proved hopeful, l'he call was answered by a pleasant voice saying: “Why. yes. we have chickens here.” "And will you sell one?" “1—1 don't think we have ever sold chickens." "But this is a special case. A chicken is wanted for an old lady who iS 111." "Then that alters the case, and 1 can promise you a fat pullet.” "How much is it*” "No charge.” “But I'm willing to pay and want to. If you can send it dewn to old Mrs. Ryder’s I’ll give you 50 cents tor it. Have the man bring change “or a dollar.” "As 1 said before, we have no chick ens for sale, but—” "And send him soon, please. Good oy.“ That message bad gone to the nouse of Mr. Chester’s mother, and he it was who had answered it He be Sieved the voice to be that of a girl. He hadn't hung up the receiver before Ue believed her to be good looking. His mother hadn’t come Into the room before be bad made up his mind to be che bearer of that chicken. ~1 know there fs an old woman named Ryder living about two miles down the road," eaid the mother, "but *be can’t have a telephone in ber cot tage. It might have come rrom the Taylor's, i’ll have James kill a chicken and take it down there." "But I’m going to take it myseir,” said the young man. "And why?” "1 want to see the girl who owns that voice” "Nonsense! Mrs. Taylor is as old as 1 am 1 don’t know of a girl within five miles of here.” Nevertheless, the young man insist ed on going, and after the unhappy pullet had had her neck wrung he started off with the body dangling from his right hand. Before his two mile walk had been accomplished dusk fallen and the moon had come up. Thus, as he approached the cot tage he saw a figure of a girl stand ing in the highway, and beard a voice calling: “If you are the man with the chick en make baste, please. Yes, you have it, and I’m so glad and thankful. Yot^ see. I want to get the soup made right away. Did you bring change for a dollar?” “Well—er—n-o-o,” was the reply. "Why, you are not a farmer’s hired man!” exclaimed the girl as she looked at the chicken carrier for the first time. “No, but I have brought the fowl. Let me carry it in for you, please. It’s bleeding yet My name is Ches ter.” “But really—” "And do yjou know how to pick and dress a chicken?” “My stars, but I never thought ol that, and Mrs. Ryder’s sound asleep! 1 am Miss Frayne, Mrs. Taylor's niece. I’ll have to run up and ask auntie." remaps i can neip you, said me young man, trying hard to look wise. "To get the feathers off easily you have to scald the bird. I believe. Can you get some hot water?" "I’ve got a big kettle on the stove, and here’s a dishpan. But you mustn’t help. Tou must take your pay and go. That is—that—" “That is. I'm going to help with the chicken. You might spoil it for soup, you know. We lay it in the dish. Now we pour on boiling water. Now we turn it over. After five minutes the feathers will be loosened/ "But you are a gentleman—and you are a young man—and you must live in the city—and how do you know? If 1 don’t know how to dress a chick en why should you?” “And now we take it outdoors,” con tinued the young man with a smile, "and don't you see how easily the feathers come off? And while I'm holding the body over the flame of the stove for a minute you will please get me the butcher knife. The chicken must be drawn and ‘hen cut up." “But why do you help?" asked Miss Mildred. "Because 1 feel sorry for Mrs. Ry der, and because you don't know how to dress a chicken. Now the knife. Now to put the pieces in cold water and rinse them thoroughly. One piece will do for all the soup she’ll want to night- Only about a quart of water. Now put in the rice and pepper and salt and boil for 30 minutes, and there you are. I must go now. but I'll drop in in the morning to see how the pa tient gets along.” “But who—who asked you to?" “Oh. I furnished the chicken, didn't I?" he answered with a laugh. "Good night.” Forty minutes later, when old Mrs. Ryder was taking her chicken soup and telling how good it was. she no ticed a serious look on Miss Mildred's face and asked what had happened. “Why, a young man brought this chicken." "Bless his kind heart!” "And he dressed it for you.” “Bless him some more!” “And he bossed me around terribly.” “He did. eh?" “And 1 know just how things are going to turn out. He’ll come here again tomorrow, and then I shall have to ask him to auntie's house, and she'll like him, and he’ll like me. and I—1—. Well. It won’t be two months before he’ll say he loves me and must have me. and—and—” "And you’ll be engaged and then married and be one of the happiest brides in the land. What a fine chick en! What beautiful soup! Why. that young man is worth his weight in gold!” Belle of the Beach. ”i got my hand stung by a sea net tle." said the young girL 'Terrible; too bad.” “It wasn't so bad. Four young men Insisted on holding my hand all at once.” Not Much So. “I would really like to test your en durance with a temperature above the hundred mark." "Well, that's cool!" Poker Not American Game Judge Declares Pastime Ceases to Be Sport When Host Furnishes Lunch, Cigars and Money. A California Judge has ruled that poker is not an American game. To any man who has ever furnished the lights and the lunch, the table and the chairs, liquids and cigars for a gung of friends, and right on top of all that hospitality, has been forced to provide all the money also, poker ceases to be a game and becomes a slaughter. When guests will eat your sand wiches and raise you out of hands that you have won. isn’t the California Judge right? Poker isn’t a game; It’s a misdemeanor. When men will smoke your good cigars and remind you that you were ten cents shy on a pot 20 minutes ago, poker Isn’t a game; It's grand larceny. And on top of all this, when your guests depart, their pockets bulging with your money. Instead of thanking you for your hospitality, they chuckle among themselves and remark: “Let us know when you’re going to do this again, will you? It’s the soft est thing we know of." Then you quietly put out the cat for fear she’ll suffocate in the tobacco smoke downstairs If she’s left In doors. turn out the lights and crawl into bed. wondering what fool ways men had of getting rid of their money before poker was Invented._Detroit Free Press. Once Was Enough. Dr. Topham la a surgeon at the Cen tral Emergency hospital. It wasn’t hta fault, but when the reported wrote hla story of the accident he wrote too much and the copy reader* had to cut It down to space requirements at the offlce. So that Is how it happened that this appeared: "The man was treated by Dr. Topham and the body • „I22 to the morgue.” San Francisco Chro^