Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-09-19 | Page 4 | Umpire Has No Friend

I UMPIRE HAS NO FRIEND I When a judge, sitting on the bench, has submitted to him a problem of law, he is not required to give his decision instantly nor does he have to submit to hoots and jeers from an assembled mob of fans in case his decision is not popular. The judge takes his time, days and weeks, if he so desires He listens to arguments by learned and able attorneys and often they file with him briefs in which they hae set forth all the decisions relating re-lating to the points at issue The average .ludge will decide in a year not nearly so many eases as an umpire in a basehall game decides in the course of two hours And the umpire must decide instantly. He has no chance to hear arguments by the opposing teams and nobody ever files a brief ip the case at bar He must pass on the point at issue right now and if the decision means the winning of a ball game, as so often a decision oes, then the arbiter is liable to be mobbed after the contest is over. I The judge sits in court, looked up to by all and esteemed by all, j while the umpire has no friend and everybody who has paid his' way in is free to address uncomplimentary remarks to him. I Yet the umpire has the harder job of the two. Because he has tj) pass judgment so quickly, he is bound to make mista'kes that the Judge in court; can avoid by deliberation The umpire, too, has so many more points on which to pass than has the judge. And almost I any fair lawyer will make a good judge; at least as good a judge as the average of today But good umpires are born and not made. Not all good ball players are good umpires by any manner of means.