Show Once Famous Baseball Arbitrator Relates Most Humorous Situation I Dave Altizer Contin Continues es to Run to Home Plate After Being Put Out at First First- I By Billy Evans Without a doubt the most humorous humorous hu hu- situation that has ever come under my observation my-observation observation in the majors had Dave Altizer former big lea league ue star but now flOW numbered I among the has beens beem playing the leading role I enacted the part of villain I It is baseball tradition that a player released b by a major league club gets no greater delight than helping bring bling about the defeat Of that club as a member of ot some other team Altizer had just been released by Cleveland to Chicago Tho rho two clubs were playing at Chicago be before before before be- be fore a big Sunday crowd The Tho day was made to order for Altizer to todo todo todo do his victory stuff thereby makIng making making mak mak- ing the tho manager of the team that released him look hook like InO a sucker Late in the game ame with one out Altizer reached first on a clean single single single sin sin- gle to right Chicago trailing by bya a couple of ot runs was forced to try for fora a bunch of or tallies S Tho The next batsman gave Altizer the hit and run lUn sign Dave Davo was off oft with the pitch Tile The batsman took a healthy swing s sending a aline aline aline line drive directly Into the hands of First Baseman Stovall of ot Cleveland Cleve Cleve- land KEPT ON R RUNNING NNING At the time Stovall was but a afoot atoot atoot toot foot or two from first base as he had been playing tho the bag to keep Altizer from getting a n. big lead When the line lino drive stuck in Stovall's glove it retired the Latsman tats tats- man making two out By touching first base ho he completed a n. double pla play on Altizer retiring the tho side Altizer AltIer running wild with his head didn't know it As Ai Altizer neared second the he Chicago coacher at third yelled Slide Dave slide He lie accommodated accommodated accommodated dated by gob going Into the tho bag feet feel first in tho the most approved style Stovall seeing the tho hoax helped ie Ic on by throwing the ball into cen- cen Getting to his feet Altizer dashed for third The Tho crowd crowdS seeing the humor of ot the situation was in tin un uproar The Tho fans yelled for Dave Davo to score Joo Birmingham ham playing playing playing play play- ing centerfield for Cleveland re retrieved retrieved retrieved re- re the ball and threw to Bill BUl Bradley at third who purposely allowed the ball ban to get away from him and roll ron toward the grand stand EVEN DID ACT l Flushed with pride at his apparent apparent apparent ent success In outwitting tho the opposition opposition op op- position Altizer continued on to the plate Bradleys Bradley's throw to Catcher Nig Clarko Clarke had Altizer beaten a yard but Nig purposely touching Dave as he lie slid I bi into the plate He lie failed to put he the heball ball baU on him by at least a foot At this stage I had to do my stuff and with all aU the pomp that I waved could muster majestically him out and called him hun so in m my very loudest voice After Atter renderIng rendering rendering render render- ing the decision I tried by level best to get et away from Altizer but ho Ito was too quick on the trigger er for he grabbed my protector kicked my mask and shoved me hither and thither while the crowd ct roared its approval He delayed the game ame at least ive tive minutes before he would resume his position Had lad the affair been on the tho square Altizer would have been suspended for a week because of ot his actions It ItS was not until the tho next inning that he learned from front his s that he had run wild in making the circuit after being doubled up at first Then he apologized That incident happened many years rears ago but I still stihi regard it as the thO comedy classic of my career |