the Washington club, a young man who left behind naught but friends,
left a vacancy in the organization which was filled by the selection of
Mr. Benjamin S. Minor.
The new president of the club has had practical experience in Base Ball
and perhaps plenty of it, as almost everybody has had in Washington, but
he is a wideawake, progressive and ambitious man, who is of just the
type to keep Base Ball going, now that it has struck its gait in the
national capital, and the future of the sport looks all the brighter for
his connection with it.
THE UMPIRES
The umpires are always with us, and the umpire problem has been a
vexation of Base Ball since the beginning of Base Ball time, yet neither
the umpires, the public, the club owners nor the league officials need
be discouraged, for it was fully proved in 1912 that umpiring, as a fine
art, has advanced a step nearer perfection. We may well doubt that
perfection in its every quality shall ever be achieved, but we may all
feel sanguine that it is possible to realize better results.
It is true that some men make better umpires than others, exactly as
some men make better ball players than others, but it is also true that
if the men who find it the hardest task to become the most expert
umpires would be given a little more encouragement they might be a
little more successful.
To the staff of umpires of the National League and the American League
it is but fair to render a compliment for their work of last season.
Some of them made mistakes but the general average of work on the part
of the judges of play was excellent.
There was less tendency on the part of the umpires to render their
decisions without being in a position to follow the play correctly. They
were occasionally willing to concede that they might have been wrong
when an analysis of the play was brought to their attention and they
were firm in asserting discipline without becoming overheated on their
own account.
To the mind of the Editor of the GUIDE, in the general light of
observation, the most serious blunders committed by the umpires in 1912
were in making decisions before the play took place. This did happen and
more than once. To illustrate, by an example, the Editor of the GUIDE
had exhibited to him some photographs taken during 1912 in which a
player had been "waved out" before he actually had arrived at the base.
Granting the desire of the umpires to be alert and ready to render
decisions promptly, it is equally apparent that giving decisions in
advance of the completion of plays is likely to imbue the spectators
with an idea that the umpire is either partisan or incompetent.
Young umpires, in their haste to "make good" in the major leagues, are
apt to overdo rather than fail to be on time.
While it is not a pleasant subject to discuss, it is a fact that some
umpires had been accustomed to use the very language to players on the
field that they were presumed in their official capacity as umpires to
correct. The writer knows of instances where this took place.
It has ever been the policy of the GUIDE to stand for clean and high
class Base Ball. Twenty per cent. more women attend ball games now than
did ten years ago. Eighty per cent. more women spectators are likely to
attend five years from now. To encourage their attendance every effort
should be made to eliminate all disgraceful conversation on the field.
Wherever it may be ascertained that an umpire has used profane or vulgar
language on the field the editor of the GUIDE believes that he should be
fined and punished as sternly as an offending player.
It is contended that the position of the umpire has been rendered more
arduous by reason of the world's series. The argument is advanced that
the players are more intractable, by reason of their eagerness to play
in the post-season games. That argument would be stronger were it not
for the fact that some of the worst disturbances emanate from the
players of the clubs that have no chance to play in the world's series.
As a general rule two good reasons may be advanced for disputes on the
part of players.
First: Desire to "cover up" the player's own blunder.
Second: General "cussedness."
There are players who make honest objection on the excitement of the
moment from sheer desire to win, but their lapses from Base Ball
etiquette are so few and far between that their transgressions usually
may be forgiven with some grace.
The Editor of the GUIDE would offer one suggestion to league presidents
and umpires; it is this: whenever two possible plays occur in
conjunction, instruct the chief umpire always to turn to the spectators
and inform them which player is out.
For instance, if a player is at bat and another on the bases and two are
out and an attempt is made to steal second, as the chief umpire calls
the batter out on strikes the public should be clearly informed that the
batter is out. If the play looks close at second base the crowd
frequently believes the runner has been called out and resents it
accordingly. In line with the same play, when the runner is called out
and the fourth ball at the same time is called on the batter, the chief
umpire should turn to the spectators and to the press box and make it
clearly understood that the batter has been given a base on balls. It
saves a great deal of annoyance and fault finding.
By the way, although it has been said elsewhere, the Editor of the GUIDE
would beg the indulgence of repetition by stating that the work of the
umpires during the world's series of 1912 was one of the finest
exhibitions of its kind ever seen on a ball field, and somehow it seemed
as if the players, would they but deport themselves during all series as
they did during the world's series might find that there are more good
umpires in the world after all than bad ones.
BASE BALL WRITERS OF THE SOUTH
While the Base Ball writers of the cities which comprise the Southern
Association have no organized membership similar to the Base Ball
Writers' Association of the major leagues and the organizations which
are best known as the class AA leagues, they are a clever, hard-working
group of young men, who have labored in season and out of season, not
only to build up Base Ball but to build it up on the right lines.
Experience of more than a quarter of a century has most abundantly
proved that the standard of Base Ball has steadily been elevated. It
needs no compilation of fact nor any dogmatic assertion on the part of
the Editor of the GUIDE to attest that fact. It is a present condition
which speaks for itself. The general tone of the players is far higher
than it was and there has come into evidence a marked improvement in the
spirit of the men who own Base Ball clubs. In the earlier history of the
sport there was a tendency to win by any means that did not actually
cross the line of dishonesty. Later there came a season when the
commercial end of the game tended to encroach upon the limits of the
pastime. This has been repressed in the last two seasons and to-day the
morale of Base Ball is of a higher type than it ever has been in the
history of the pastime.
It is a high class sport in the main, managed by high class, men for
high class purposes.
Going through the early stages of building up a successful league,
which, by the way, is the severest of all tasks, and even now at
intervals confronted with changes in the league circuit, the Southern
writers have steadily been sowing the seeds of high class Base Ball and
they have seen results prior to this date, for Base Ball has become
popular and has been handsomely and loyally supported in sections in
which fifteen years ago it would have been considered impossible to
achieve such results.
It is true that business reverses and adverse conditions have had at
times their effect upon Base Ball in the South and possibly may produce
similar results again, but the admirable offset to this fact is that
none of these conditions at any time has daunted the spirit and the
resolution of the young men who have zealously been preaching the cause
of clean and healthy Base Ball.
Very likely to their zeal, their courage, their tact and their ability
it is possible to ascribe the increase in good ball players which is
making itself manifest in the South. More high class and attractive
athletes are coming from the Southern states in these days than ever was
the case before. Base Ball is very glad to have them. When a
representative major league team is made up of players who represent
every section in the Union, engaged for their skill, it seems as if Base
Ball has become nearer an ideal and a national pastime than ever before
in the history of the sport.
To the Southern writers the members of the Base Ball Writers Association
and those of the organizations patterned on like lines send greeting.
BASE BALL WORTH WHILE?
One of the foremost divines in the East who has a deep concern in Base
Ball and Base Ball players is Rev. Dr. Reisner, pastor of the Grace
Methodist Episcopal Church, of New York City. Throughout the season he
attends the games and is greatly interested in the work of the players.
He knows Base Ball well, and in addition to that he knows the
environment of Base Ball players and their character and endeavor as
well as any person in the United States.
It is Dr. Reisner's custom each year to preach a sermon to the Base Ball
players and their friends in his church in New York, and the building
always is filled to listen to his discourse. In view of the interest
which he takes in the national game and because of his excellent
knowledge as to the general details of the sport, the Editor of the
GUIDE asked him to say a few words to the ball players of the United
States through the medium of this publication, and he has graciously
consented to do so in the following pithy and straightforward talks:
BY THE REV. CHRISTIAN F. REISNER, NEW YORK.
The Bible is the Spalding book of rules for the game of life. James B.
Sullivan, beloved by all athletes, gave me these rules for athletes:
"Don't drink, use tobacco or dissipate. Go to bed early and eat
wholesome food!" The boozer gets out of the game as certainly as the
bonehead.
I have interviewed scores of the most noted players. Every one had a
religious training. Many are church members. All avoid old-time
drinking, as our fathers did smallpox.
Mathewson belongs to the high type now being generally duplicated. He is
a modern masculine Christian. Base Ball demands brains as well as brawn.
Minds muddled by licentiousness and liquor are too "leady" for leaders.
Hotheadedness topples capable players.
I am proud to style scores of Base Ball players, I know, as gentlemen.
They are optimists. Defect is unrecognized. Team work makes them
brotherly. Bickerings break a Baseballist. Every member of the team
gives himself wholly to the game. Jeers are as harmless as cheers.
Every minute he does his best. He sleeps only at night. To do these
things the player must follow Bible rules. If he keeps it up life's
success is certain. Governor Tener and Senator Gorman proved it. No
wonder "Billy" Sunday wrote me "I would not take a million dollars for
my experience on the ball field."
It taught him how to knock the Devil out of the box.
Base Ball is invaluable to America. It thrills and so rests tired
nerves. It brings the "shut-in" man into God's healing out-o'-doors.
While yelling he swallows great draughts of lung-expanding, purifying
air and forgets the fear of "taking cold."
He is pulled out of self-centeredness, while shouting for another. He
stands crowd jostling good-naturedly or gets his cussedness squeezed
out. He chums up with any one with easy comments and so gets out of his
shell and melts again into a real human.
Base Ball absolutely pulls the brain away from business. It emphasizes
the value of decency and gives healthy and high toned recreation to
millions. If kept clean its good-doing cannot be measured. Nothing is
worth while that does not do that.
THE SPALDING BASE BALL HALL OF FAME
(From Spalding's Official Base Ball Record.)
New faces enter into the Spalding Base Ball "Hall of Fame" this year.
The object of this "Hall of Fame" is not necessarily to portray the very
top men of each department of the national game, for it frequently
happens in these days, when players take part in only a few innings now
and then, that they become entitled to mention in the records, although
they do not bear the real brunt of the work.
In the "Hall of Fame" will be found the men who might well be termed the
"regulars." Day in and day out they were on the diamond, or ready to
take their place on the diamond, if they were not injured.
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
First of all, Daubert has earned his place at first base for the season
of 1912. Threatening in other years to become one of the group of
leading players, he performed so well in the season past that there is
no doubt as to his right.
There is a new player at second base. The regularity with which Egan of
Cincinnati performed for the Reds earned him a place as the banner
second baseman.
At third base the honor goes to J.R. Lobert, the third baseman of the
Philadelphia club. In this particular instance Lobert was crowded, not
for efficiency, but in the number of games played by Byrne, third
baseman of Pittsburgh, and Herzog, third baseman of New York. In the
matter of chances undertaken on the field, Herzog surpassed both Lobert
and Byrne, but, in justice to Lobert, the honor seems to be fairly
deserved by him.
John H. Wagner, the brilliant veteran of the Pittsburgh club, fought his
way to the position of shortstop in 1912. His fielding was better than
that of his rivals and at times he played the position as only a man of
his sterling worth can play.
Owing to the fact that the able secretary of the National League, John
A. Heydler, has compiled two methods of comparing pitchers, the "Hall of
Fame" in the National League this year will include two faces. They are
those of Hendrix of the Pittsburgh club and Tesreau of the New York
club. The former won the greater percentage of games under the old rule
in vogue of allotting percentage upon victories. Tesreau, however, under
a new rule which classifies pitchers by earned runs, easily led the
league. The editor of the RECORD is very much inclined toward Mr.
Heydler's earned run record; in fact, has suggested a record based upon
the construction of making every pitcher responsible for runs and
computing his average upon the percentage of runs for which he is
responsible. That places Tesreau in the front row, with Mathewson
second.
There are two catchers who run a close race for the "Hall of Fame" in
1912. They are Meyers of New York and Gibson of Pittsburgh. Meyers
caught by far the larger number of games, and, basing the work of
catcher upon the average chances per game, seems to lead his Pittsburgh
rival. Both men are sterling performers, and Meyers is an instance of
the greatest improvement on the part of a catcher of any member of the
major leagues.
For the position of leading outfielder, all things considered, Carey of
Pittsburgh is selected for the "Hall of Fame." Not only did he play in
the greatest number of games of any outfielder, but his general work in
the outfield was sensational.
For the position of leading batsman the "Hall of Fame" honors Zimmerman,
the powerful batter of the Chicago club. His work with the bat in 1912
approached in many ways that of the high class and powerful batters of
old. He batted steadily, with the exception of one very slight slump,
and his work as batter undoubtedly was of tremendous assistance to
Chicago. Zimmerman did not shine alone as the best batter, as he was
also the leading maker of home runs and the best two-base hitter of the
season. That gives him a triple honor.
The best three-base hitter of the league was the quiet Wilson of
Pittsburgh. Though not so high in rank as a batsman as some of his
contemporaries, there was none in the organization who could equal his
ability to get to third base on long hits.
Bescher, as in 1911, earned in 1912 the position of leading base runner
in the National League. He stole more bases than any other player of the
league, and was also the best run getter--that is to say, scored more
runs than any other player.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
First of all comes Gandil for first base. His greater number of games
played and his steady work at first almost all of the season, as he did
not join the Washingtons at the beginning of the season, places him in
the "Hall of Fame" at first base.
Rath is a newcomer to the Chicago club, but by all around good work he
earned the place at second base. Not so heavy a batter as some of his
rivals, he covered a great amount of ground for the Chicagos and
steadied the infield throughout the year.
For the position of shortstop, McBride of Washington is the logical
selection. Day in and day out he was one of the most reliable shortstops
in the American League.
At third base John Turner of the Cleveland club retains the honor which
he earned for himself in 1911, and he is one of the few players who is a
member of the "Hall of Fame" two years in succession.
In the outfield, for all around work, the place of honor goes to Amos
Strunk, the young player of the Philadelphia club. He was in center
field and in left field, and he was a busy young man for most of the
year.
Pitching at a standard higher than the American League had seen for
years, Wood of Boston is given the "Hall of Fame" honor as pitcher. His
average of winning games was very high, and he was compelled to fight
hard for many of his victories.
The man who caught him seems entitled to be considered the leading
catcher. He is Cady of Boston, although for hard work Carrigan, also of
Boston, gives him a close race.
Once more Cobb is the leading batsman of the American League. There was
none to dispute his right to the title. He was also leading batsman in
1911 and is another American League player who holds a position in the
"Hall" two years in succession.
The leading home run batter of the American League was Baker of
Philadelphia. He earned the same title in 1911. It is a double "Hall of
Fame" distinction for him.
Jackson of Cleveland enters the "Hall of Fame" by being the leading
batter for three-base hits.
Speaker of Boston becomes a member of the high honor group by being the
leading batter of two-base hits.
Lewis of Boston is the leading batter of sacrifice hits.
Collins of Philadelphia was the best run getter.
Last, but by no means least, of all, Milan, the clever outfielder of
Washington, is the best base stealer of the year, and better than all
the rest, earns his distinction in joining the "Hall of Fame" by
establishing a new record of stolen bases.
JOHN TOMLINSON BRUSH
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.
John Tomlinson Brush was born in Clintonville, N.Y., on June 15, 1845.
He died November 26, 1912, near St. Charles, Mo., on his way to
California from New York, for his health. Left an orphan at the age of
four years, he went to live at the home of his grandfather, in
Hopkinton, where he remained until he was seventeen years old. At this
age he left school and went to Boston, where he obtained a position in a
clothing establishment, a business with which he was identified up to
his death. He worked as a clerk in several cities in the East, and
finally went to Indianapolis in 1875 to open a clothing store. The store
still occupies the same building, and Mr. Brush continued at the head of
the business until his death. It was in the early '80s that he first
became interested in Base Ball in Indianapolis, and he made himself both
wealthy and famous as a promoter.
In 1863 Mr. Brush enlisted in the First New York Artillery, and served
as a member of this body until it was discharged, at the close of the
civil war. He was a charter member of George H. Thomas Post, G.A.R.; a
thirty-third degree Scottish Rite Mason, and was also prominently
identified with several social and commercial organizations of
Indianapolis, notably the Columbia Club, Commercial Club, Board of
Trade, and the Mannerchor Society. In New York Mr. Brush took up
membership in the Lambs' Club and the Larchmont Club. For several years
he made his headquarters at the Lambs' Club.
Mr. Brush is survived by his widow, Mrs. Elsie Lombard Brush, and two
daughters, Miss Natalie Brush and Mrs. Harry N. Hempstead. His first
wife, Mrs. Agnes Ewart Brush, died in 1888.
Mr. Brush's career in Base Ball, a sport to which he was devotedly
attached, and for which he had the highest ideals and aims, began with
the Indianapolis club of the National League.
It has been somewhat inaccurately stated that he entered Base Ball by
chance. This was not, strictly speaking, the case. Prior to his first
immediate association with the national game he was an ardent admirer of
the sport, although not connected with it in any capacity as owner. He
was what might be called, with accurate description, a Base Ball "fan"
in the earlier stages of development.
An opportunity presented itself by which it was possible to procure for
the city of Indianapolis a franchise in the National League. Mr. Brush
was quick to perceive the advantages which this might have in an
advertising way for the city with which he had cast his lot and
subscribed to the stock.
Like many such adventures in the early history of the sport there came a
time when the cares and the duties of the club had to be assumed by a
single individual and it was then that he became actively identified as
a managing owner, as the duty of caring for the club fell upon his
shoulders.
From that date, until the date of his death, he was actively interested
in every detail relating to Base Ball which might pertain to the
advancement of the sport, and his principal effort in his future
participation in the game was to see that it advanced on the lines of
the strictest integrity and in such a manner that its foundation should
be laid in the rock of permanent success.
Naturally this was bound to bring him into conflict with some who looked
upon Base Ball as an idle pastime, in which only the present moment was
to be consulted.
The earliest environment of Base Ball was not wholly of a substantial
nature. It was a game, intrinsically good of itself, in which the
hazards had always been against the weak. There was not that
consideration of equity which would have been for its best interests,
but this was not entirely the fault of the separate members of the Base
Ball body, but the result of conditions, in which those whose thought
was only for the moment, overshadowed the best interests of the pastime.
There was an inequity in regulations governing the sport by which the
clubs in the smaller cities were forced, against the will of their
owners, to be the weaker organizations, and possibly this was less due
to a desire upon the more fortunate and larger clubs to maintain such a
state of affairs, than to the fact that the organization generally had
expanded upon lines with little regard to the future.
The first general complaint arose from the players who composed the
membership of the smaller clubs. They demurred at the fact that they
were asked to perform equally as well as the players of the clubs in the
larger cities at smaller salaries. Not that they did not try to do their
best, for this they stoutly attempted under all conditions. It was the
effect of a discrimination which was the result of the imperfect
regulations that existed relative to the management of the game.
This attitude of the players resulted at length in the formation of a
body known as the Brotherhood. To offset not the Brotherhood, but the
cause which led to its formation, Mr. Brush devised the famous
classification plan. Imperfectly understood in what it intended to do
for the players, it was seized upon as a reason for the revolt of the
players and the organization of the Brotherhood League.
At heart it was the idea of Mr. Brush so to equalize salaries that the
players of all clubs should be reimbursed in an equitable manner. As
always had been the case, and probably always is likely to be, the
players who received the larger salaries were in no mood to share with
their weaker brothers any excess margin of pay which they thought that
they had justly earned, and it was not a difficult matter for them to
obtain the consent of players who might really have benefited by the
plan to co-operate with them on the basis of comradeship.