Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 201, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1919 — EMSLIE AN ARBITER TWENTY-NINE YEARS [ARTICLE]

EMSLIE AN ARBITER TWENTY-NINE YEARS

Famous Umpire First Handled Indicator in Parent League. .<i I Fans Chide Bob About His Wig and Tell Him He Is Blind ap a Bat, but He Continues.to Hold His Own With Best of Them. One of the pleasing bits of Information announced from the National league offices last winter was the statement from John Heydler, president of the league, that Bob Emslie would be retained as a regular umpire In the coming season. A few years ago old Rob was only a substitute, but his work has been so successful during the last two seasons that Heydler did well In putting him back on the regular staff. They may chide Bob about his wig, writes Frederick G. Lieb, and tell him he is “as blind as a bat,” but just the game old Bob <x>ntinues to hojd his own with the best. The season -of 1919 marks Emslie’s twenty-ninth successive year as a National league umpire, as he came Into the league on August 19, 1891. On August 19, 1916, the National league had quite a celebration in honor of his twenty-fifth National league birthday. Emslie is a Canadian and was borr. in that extremely virtuous city of Guelph, Ontario, on June 21, 1861 Later in life Mr. Emslie removed him self and all his earthly belongings to the lovely little city of St. * Thomas, Canada, where he now resides. It was many, many seasons ago that Emslie was first heard of in baseball. Along In the late seventies a young hurler was making a great reputation as an expert in making a baseball curve and curve in a very deceptive manner. Emslie soon gained recognition as one of the best pitchers in Canada, which, of course, was not saying much, for there were few hurlers of class residing within the domains of Queen Victoria at the period.