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Show 1 JAZZY SPORTS Fan from a town in Dolaware, where they have Independent ball, sends In a question ho wants answered. answer-ed. The nature of It can't be understood under-stood until all the circumstances arc rotated with their harrowing details, which, according to tho Inquiring fan, were about as follows, and ho vouches for the truth of them by sending in a clipping from tho local- paper. The Blue Rocks and the Mohawks wero playing and they selected to um-piro um-piro the game ono Jack McGowan, who happens to be a brother of Uill McGowan, umpire In the International League. McGowan waa a member of the Bluo Rocks team, but on account of his reputation for fairness It was agreed he should call balls and strikes. Tho game went along to a tio, and 2, when McGowan made a decision that did not please the Mohawks, and they kicked so hard he quit and sat himself him-self down on the Blue Rocks bench. Comes now the ninth Inning, with another man umpiring. The manager of the Blue Rocks sent McGowan as ono of his players, in as a pinch bitter. bit-ter. McGowan slammed out a homer and won the game. Tho question the fan asks In all seriousness ser-iousness is: ' Can McGowan after acting as urn-nlre. urn-nlre. bo used bv his to.im ti.t .a mnvnr In tho game ho had started to umpire? um-pire? Wo pass tho rules don't cover tho point. That nut of an umpire in the Western Wes-tern Association who would not let a pinch hitler take a batter's place Ue-causo Ue-causo tho batter already had ono pitched pitch-ed ball called for a strike, had nothing noth-ing on a player on the Chlckasna team of the league. But the player didn't last until the season opened at any rate. This player, Bill Bailey by name, was working on first in a practico game. There was a runner on third and none out. Tho batter hit a foul fly to Bailey, who captured It gracefully, grace-fully, thon Idly toesod the ball toward tho pitcher. The runner on third scooted home. "Why the hell didn't you watch this runner and keep him from coming home?" j'olled the catcher. "What for?" askod Bailey, "How can ho come home? It was a foul." Maybe Bailey has gone to Join that umpire named Powers in tho Texas League, who stoppod In front of the first baseman and himself caught a foul fly. Anyway, he has disappeared. And the game goes on. And John B. Sheridan says wo don't need any bralna In It. Roscoo Arbucklo, movlo comedian and former Coast League magnato, was fanning about the efforts of tho Coast League magnates -to stamp out gambling, and became quite Indignant as the fanning wont along. Said tho big comedian: "I'll bet a thousand dollars that within 30 days gambling will bo stamped out. Why, I'll bet two to ono that tho campaign started in, tho Coast League will sweep the country. Not only that ball players aro honest. I'll bot throo to ono there isn't a player in tho Coast League who could be approached. Gambling should not be tolerated, and you can bet your life I'm against It." Other members of tho party start-ted start-ted to smile. "Thought you were against gambling?" gamb-ling?" broke In ono. "I am," replied Arbucklo, "and if you don't beliovo I'm right whon I say gambling will bo cleaned out I'll bot you a suit of clothes that my predictions pre-dictions about cleaning up the league will come truo within a month." How times have changed. Only a couple of years ago the young ball fan who couldn't dig up the necessary 'two-bits' to get Into the ball park waited outside for the heavy hitter to drop ono over the fenco that ho might got tho ball, return it and be admlted free to see tho game. One day last wock a lad occupying a porfectly good 51.10 seat In the Polo grounds grandstand got hold of a ball that had been batted Into tho foul ground, and tho last scon of him he was hotfooting It for tho oxlt with tho prized sphere. 00 |