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Show tlASE HITS OF BUSKERS MADE UMPIRE OF DINEEN J ! TWENTY-SEVEN SAFE DRIVES WERE UNDOING OF PITCHER LTV . - Bjj ; By billy i;vs I H "How did you ever happen to lie an i mr rrnnror . . . askod after a tough ball frame. I fl At such times It Is hard for a sane' individual to figure out why anyone' should want to be an 1 1 n 1 1 1 1 . Umpiring Isn't such a bad job after H nil, yet i seriously ct n i t II anyone la H in love with the job as they say. i Hi Like all other poi I lorn J VH i in ' carrlei the redl thrill, it caus- I HI cs you to get case hardened to mnay II ' l 1 1 I I don't ebelleve an) youngster ever ft H had a hit big ambition th i umpire F I rltlca . umpires ire born, nol i fc 1 everything, md back of the ca- Ka 1 majoi Ic ru umpire la 1 an unusual F 1 E3 Dlnncen tell why he started umpiring. Ha iiriv - fcj en to It i will let in. ti II 9L iB'l 'A bush leagu BTWj me thai I ought t.. take up umpiring "It was when I was with the St i Louis Browns. I started poorly in the spring. My old arm didn't seem . to have the strength to put any "sip" on the ball. TRIED EU !S1 CI RE Jimmy McAlccr. one of the greatest great-est fellows that ever managed a hall i rluh was In charge of the Browns, I, told him one day that I thought I wa through Jimmy, probably feeling that myj ervlces to tho Amvlcan league de-1 served little consideration, suggested' that I give the arm a good rest before I ucaln tried it out- "I waited for five weelfs. The Browna had a game scheduled with a minor league team ut Springfield. III. I told McAleer I would work that1 game. "I worked it, finished It, and I'll never forget it. I seemed to have pretty good speed, but I simply couldn't get 'em by the batters. It was a slaughter v.".- lost the gHme by a lop-sided I score, something like 1 9 to 6. I re-1 member the home learn made 27 hits off mv delivery. II l lit()N -( LAD (ONTKACT "I had an Iron-clad contract with the St. Louis club for the rest of the year. That game however, convinced me that I was through. 1 told Jimmy McAleer so after the game. At first ho rcfusod to hear to it. I turned In my suit and never have pitched a ball game since "President Johnson of the merlcan league, had told me he would give me a chance at umpiring. I wired him that evening that I was ready to take it I have been taking chances ever since "The onl pleasant memory of that game at Springfield was the fact that It saved two slipping veterans like myself my-self trom hearing the rattle of the tin can. ' These two players had received their notice of release. Each of them made five hits off me Including several sev-eral home runs That caused the manager man-ager to change his. mind and enabled i hem to stick out the season. "All of which proves there Is a silver sil-ver lining to the darkest of clouds. Be-lievo Be-lievo me that was a dark day in my career." |