Assaulting the umpire--1/3
Today's selection--from 1901: The War of the Baseball Magnates. Ban Johnson (1864-1931), founder and first president of the America League, had to act to curb increasing incidents of assaults on umpires from the earliest days of the league:
“There were some patrons who had no confidence in Ban Johnson or his methods. Yet he still had many supporters who were pleased with the results he had achieved. Among those that thought well of, and supported Johnson were the umpires, who appreciated his backing. The need to support and protect umpires, as Johnson had done, was never more apparent than in a game played in Farmersberg, Indiana, 20 miles south of Terre Haute. On the afternoon of August 20, [1901] while umpiring, Ora Jennings was struck over the head with a bat by Marcellus Forbes, a player who had become incensed by Jennings' decision. Jennings' skull was fractured, and he died shortly after. Forbes, who was an ex-convict and had served a term in the county penitentiary for attempted manslaughter, was taken to jail at Sullivan and processed.
“As tragic as the act was, it did not signal the end of rowdyism in baseball. Instead, it was an indication that rowdyism had become a feature of the game. While Johnson and the magnates had been striving for dean ball all year, their efforts were not supported by certain managers, whose intense desire to win had overcome their better judgment. There were some, however, who thought part of the problem was that Johnson had held on to certain umpires too long after their incompetence had been fully demonstrated. While the reasons would continue to be debated, the day after the Farmersberg incident, despite the efforts of President Johnson to keep it down, the American League was marred by similar acts.
.jpg) |
| Ban Johnson (center) surrounded by the individual portraits of the eight American League teams |
“In Washington, with the Senators leading the White Stockings 5-0, Washington's Boileryard Clarke was on third and Pop Foster on first when Bill Coughlin came to bat. Jack Karell, pitching for Chicago and with two strikes on Coughlin, failed to get them over and Coughlin was given a pass filling the bases. Joe Sugden, the Chicago catcher, claimed that the last two balls called by umpire Haskell should have been strikes, and the Senators should have been retired. Some of the spectators agreed and after a brief wrangle the game proceeded with the bases full. Billy Clingman, the next man up, then tripled to center field bringing all runners home. Sugden again began arguing with Haskell.
“Still, the game continued, with Win Mercer the next batter up. The second ball pitched went through Sugden's hands and struck the umpire. Under the rules, Haskell had no choice but to allow Clingman to score on the misplay. As soon as the decision was made, Katoll, who had retrieved the ball, threw it at Haskell as hard as he could. Haskell's back was partially turned, and he was struck below the left knee with sufficient force to cause a fracture. After the game Haskell's leg was badly bruised, the color of blueberry pie.
“Once hit, as Haskell turned to order Katoll from the game, Frank Shugart ran up from behind and struck Haskell in the mouth. Haskell then turned upon Shugart and the entire Chicago team rushed toward them as policemen and Washington players intervened. The fight continued until quelled by the police with some difficulty. Shugart fled but was captured by police and he and Karell were taken to the nearest police station where they paid $20 and $10 respectively, as collateral for their appearance in court.
As bad as things were in Washington, later that day there was a similar incident in Baltimore. For two days there had been bitter feelings toward umpire Tom Connolly. The state of public outrage against the umpire was so strong that it was necessary to furnish the umpire with police protection each day. Both McGraw and Judge Harry Goldman of the Baltimore dub had wired Johnson about the situation, but Johnson paid little attention. On the third day the police department sent 50 men to the grounds to guard against trouble. As it turned out it was a good thing they did.
“In the first inning Connolly made a questionable decision and the crowd hooted. In the third, Doc Casey of the Detroit Club hit a high fly ball to right field. At first it looked as if it was going fair but then it landed more than a foot outside the foul line. Outfielder Cy Seymour went after the ball while Doc Casey kept running the bases. To everyone's amazement Connolly called the ball fair and the crowd went wild.
“The game went on and Baltimore pitcher, Frank Foreman, was getting knocked around by Detroit, so Harry Howell was brought in to take his place. With three men on base and two outs, Detroit's Jimmy Barrett hit to Jimmy Williams who took his time throwing to Baltimore's first baseman, Jack Dunn. While the runner was dearly safe, Connelly declared him out. Again, the crowd jeered. In the next inning Dunn hit to first base and Detroit's Pop Dillon fumbled the ball. When Dillon recovered there was a race to the bag. Once more there was controversy. While it appeared that Dunn had reached the bag first, Connolly declared him out. At that point the Baltimore players protested while the spectators shouted their disapproval. Joe McGinnity, the Baltimore pitcher, who was suspended at the time, walked up to confront Connolly. After McGinnity stepped on Connolly's foot with his spikes and spit in the umpire's face the game was declared a forfeit. Howell then got a hold of Connolly and Kid Elberfeld tried to pull him away as the spectators and the police swarmed the field.
“One spectator, Frank Allen, struck Connolly in the face and others were trying to get at him when the umpire was hustled to the ticket office and Allen was arrested. Allen, along with Elberfeld, McGinnity and Bill Keister were taken to the office of Magistrate White where Elberfeld and McGinnity were discharged. Keister was charged with disturbing the peace and was fined $1 and court costs, while Allen was fined $20 and court costs. Prior to the game Johnson had suspended McGinnity from the coaching line for 10 days and Roger Bresnahan and others had been fined $5 each which had added to Baltimore's frustration. Later in the evening the police department notified the Baltimore dub that Connolly would no longer be given any protection in the future and ordered that the umpire be kept away from Baltimore's ballpark.
“Shortly after the two incidents, from Chicago, Johnson provided a statement. ‘McGinnity has been indefinitely suspended and should be blacklisted. Shugart should be blacklisted also, though his offense is not so black as McGinnity's as it is the first for him. I lay all this trouble with the umpires to the National Leaguers Duffy, Griffith and McGraw. These three men have stirred up all this trouble previously unknown to the American League. I have no trouble with Collins and men like that. I received a telegram from Umpire Haskell last night, saying Shugart struck him and that a letter explaining the entire trouble will follow. I have suspended Shugart and Katoll indefinitely, and when the letter comes, I will fix the punishment more definitely. I now see no alternative but to fine Shugart and suspend him for the rest of the season, and
it may be that he will be expelled from the American League for all time. I shall not make the punishment definite, however, until all the reports are in.’”
COMMENTS (0)
Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/customer/www/delanceyplace.com/public_html/cmsAdmin/plugins/websiteComments/websiteComments.php on line 279