Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1913 — GIVE UMPIRE JUSTICE [ARTICLE]

GIVE UMPIRE JUSTICE

Quite Easy to Be Mistaken in Baseball Game. First Baseman Bigbjf Loses Job at Base When He Confesses Decisions of Arbiter O’Brien Were Correct. Umpire Joe O’Brien, when arbitrating in the New England league several seasons ago. was the victim of a' mistake on the part of fans which shows how wrong ardent followers of the national pastime may become in their desire to win ball games. O’Brien was umpiring in a game between Haverhill and Lynn and the two clubs were fighting for position in their league. “Stuffy” Mclnnis, now with the Philadelphia Athletics, and John Collins, now with the Chicago White Sox, were members of the Haverhill club.. O’Brien was ofSelating on the bases and the score stood one run in favor of Lynn at ,the beginning of the ninth. '/ One of the Haverhill players drove the ball to George Ort at shortstop and he threw to Bigby at first base. O’Brien motioned the player safe. That resulted in the score being tied up and the home fans of Lynn panned O’Brien right and left. *

“Robber!" “Thief!” “Get a rope!” were a few of the epithets that reached the ears of the umpire as the players took their positions for the extra inning. In the thirteenth inning Ort; threw another one wide to Bigby and a player scored with what proved to be the winning run. The crowd went after O’Brien and a cordon of policemen escorted the present American league umpire to his hostelry. Several days later one of the boys met Bigby in Boston. This was cause for surprise, as it was the impression he was still with the Lyhn club. “I thought you had a mortgage on first base, Bigby; what are you doing here?” aske& his friend. “Well, I’ll tell you the straight of it,” replied Bigby. “The fellows in the clubhouse were roasting the umpire for losing the game for us. They said O’Brien was robbing them. They said he ought to be in jail. I told the whole bunch that I was drawn off first base by Ort’s throw in both the ninth and thirteenth Innings, and that O’Brien’s decisions were right in both instances. After my confession the manager fired me. That’s why lam here.”