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Show j BILLY EVANSSOLVESJASEBALL PROBLEMS Written Especially for This Paper by the Famous America League Umpire. . . if 1 i -v-A - A J ' i ' 1 ' , jA.mbrn J "'"x V A K r-rrY1? J JM PLAYERS INTERESTED IN UNIQUE DECISION. Never does "Connie" Mack protest a decision of an umpire. When his players kick, they do it in a manner that wins consideration rather than ejection from the umnire. When Mack does not agree with the umpire he debates and reasons rather than protests. He will talk the play oyer with you on the bench the next day, or argue it out with you on the train if you happen to be making a jump with his team. A few years ago a play came up in Cleveland "over which "Connie" disagreed dis-agreed with the .official, but he did not make known his grievance until the next afternoon. Mack's team had the game sewed up at the time, a new official was judging balls and strikes, and a word from Mack from the bench sent his players, who intended to protest, back to their positions. Mack desired to see the new recruit get a good start; he knew that to advance any argument that might cause the umpire to reverse his decision on a point of rule would tend to weaken his mastery of the field, and so Mack accepted the verdict as given. The play came up with Chief Bender pitching, Ira T.homas catching, and "Joe" Jackson was at the bat. Knowing Jackson's ability to hit almost anything, any-thing, Bender decided he could do the least damage to a slow one; Jackson had just fouled off two fast ones into the right field stand. With two strikes on him, "Joe" took a healthy swing at Bender's most deceptive slow ball. His effort -was a little foul tip that struck Ira Thomas high on the chest protector nnd bounded into the air. Thomas managed to catch the ball before it touched the ground, and contended that Jackson, was struck out. The youngumpire refused to allow the out, claiming that Thomas had been aided in making the catch by the protector. . Answer to Problem. The play seldom comes up, and in a way w-as a rather peculiar one. The umpire would have acted more wisely, however, had he allowed the strikeout. strike-out. Since the ball struck the protector and bounded srmnrelv into tt,Q i,. - Jackson really was struck out. Had the ball stuck in the protector at the neck momentarily and then rolled out, Thomas making the catch before it ; struck the ground, the umpire would have been right to not allow the out as 1 the protector would have aided in making the catch. The rebound must be direct for an out. Mack, to illustrate the play to the young umpire the next ' clay, put the following question to him : "Say .that a fly ball knocked to the ' 'outfield was lost in the sun and struck one of the players on the chest bounded off and was caught by the other fielder who was backing up befo ' the ball touched the ground, what would you do?" The umpire said he would 1 declare the man out. Mack finally made him see the foul-tip play in the same light. (CopTight by the Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.) |