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Show RATE BILL' KLEWI ftS 1 WORLD'S BEST IP. I Pitchers and Fielders Say Na-tional Na-tional Arbitrator Is Al-, Al-, ways on Square. NEW YORK, Dec. 6. Before the last whispers of baseball are lost, in the din of other activities it becomes a duty to narrate on Bill Klem. tho pep-pory pep-pory umpire of tho National league, who is one of tho arbiters in the world t tour of the Giants nnd White Sox. Klem has not only proved that he Is a good umpire, but has proved that he is nlso a brave mtin. Ho has not even shuddered nt being cast into the midst of forty or moro fiery, athletes oh a trip that will carry him beyond the BH protecting hand of his native country. Ah a matter of fact. BUI will about bo equal to tho occasion. I Taking Klem is a "mark of distinction for him. lie is regarded by many an the best umpiro in the business, a 'fact which seems to be pretty woll estab lished bv his selection twice for world's scries. In the present instance it -was largely due to Manager McGraw that Klem was selected. McGraw, who never Xal had any particular love for umpires as atil a general thing, thinks hlghlv of Klem because ho recognizes that "Klem has become- a master of his business, just a H McGraw himself has become a master of his own end of thopamo. McGraw hns often maintained that Klem wan I the only man in the business who could . do Matty justirn on balls and stride nnd would always rather havo him in an important series than any othor ar biter. Jvlem is popular among tho ball players, but this trip around tho world . is going to ho a now oxporience for him Tn tho courso of a regular .weapon, the umpires asRociato very ttttlo with the ball players. They stop at differ-cnt differ-cnt hotols nnd their schedulo 1b' so ar ranged that they seldom travel on tho same trains na I ho hall clnbs. But on this trip Klem will bo in the partv all-the all-the time. Of course, no great inipor tance attaches to tho outcome of these games and there should not bo nnv trouble over decision?; but ball player never seem to bo ablo to "keep off" an umpire oven in exhibition Raines. On the other hand, Klem is probably tho most successful siloncer of ball Slayers now extant. It is a part of bp usincss ho has porfocted. But bo i3 aided a good deal by the fact that players givo him credit for having n keen eyo and knowing their own, nnd morcovor they know that above all things he is a'lways fair and unpre-judiccd unpre-judiccd in his decisions. Klem has become the best umpire in tho business by making a study 4of hm lino of work. Ho has studied pitchors and motions so as not to be delivered on balls and strikes and ho knows vhcro to place himself for tho various plays that come up' nndor certain situ ations in. a gamo. Klem is usually paired off with tho new umpires break in cr into tho loaguo so that no can . school them on tho way " should ho dono in majors. Unlike most umpires. Klem hap never been a ball player, at lea3t not a pro-fesslonal. pro-fesslonal. He started out as an umplr but gavo hi line tho same attention and study that other successful mon . give to thojr work and has, therefore. not only raised his own standard, bur also that of tho umpiring business as a whole. sl The declarations by Eddie Plank and Chief Bender to tho effect that in the games Klem worked behind the plate while they pitched not a ball or a strike was missed have resulted In KJam being advanced to a position where hcla rated us one of the highest salaried umplrea In the world. Coming from American league source the recommendations havo mado a deep Impression and ono of tho National leagues' first nets nftor Klem had re-eclved re-eclved $1000 from the nntlonal commls-slon commls-slon for hla services in the five games, IH was to permit Klom to accompany the Giants and Whlto Eox on tho world's tour at tho expense of the league. WM Klem'n contract calls for $000 for noxt season's work, with a chance of an extra S1000 or more from tho ante-neason ante-neason and Intcrlcague games. It was not many years ago that Klom was do-clared do-clared Incompotcnt by tho Connoctlcutf league, an organization which had a natlon-wlde reputation for wrecking the hopes of nsplrlne umpires. Klem went west nnd gradually lived down the Con- JJH nectlcut experience, until ho was called to. tho big show. |