Clipping:Pay back; early use of 'popped up'; suspend play
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| Date | Sunday, September 29, 1867 |
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| Text | [Unions of Lansingburgh vs. Mutuals 9/25/1867] The fifth inning now commenced [with the Mutuals leading], and the appearances of things above indicating a coming storm, word was passed to hurry up the cakes; and the Mutuals went in to get out. The storm was now gathering rapidly overhead, and threatened to burst every moment, and Waterman began to strike at every ball pitched. Not liking this style of thing, the Unions began doing likewise in the field; that is, they did not see balls that were thrown to them, and let others go by that were batted–Waterman thereby getting round and scoring his run. Bearman, too, got round to his third, when Hunt popped up a foul ball, and Craver thought he had better stop this style of thing and end the game; so he caught the ball, and thereby left the Mutual score at 19, with the Unions 13 to get to tie. The rain now poured down in pretty lively, and a rush across the field was made by the crowd for shelter; and what with rain, wind, and dust, ballplaying was not exactly in order. But the umpire refused to call the game, or even to suspend play, ordering the men instead to go on with the game. As it was to the interest of the Mutuals to play the game out, and of course obey the umpire, they took their positions on the field and called for the striker. The Unions, first remonstrating, afterward positively refused to play in such a storm, no matter what the umpire said; and seeing this, Birdsall [of the Unions of Morrisania, the umpire] stuck to his post, called for balls to be pitched, put up imaginary strikers, decided five innings played, and then called the game, and signed his name on the Mutual book, giving the game to the Mutuals. There was a great deal of talk about this action after the rain was over, and the sun shone out again; but as there was no appeal from a legal decision of the umpire, the losers of bets had, of course, to grin and bear it. Had the Unions gone to the bat, the game would have been called before the close of the fifth inning, as no fielding could have been done in such a storm; but they chose to do otherwise, and lost the game... EDITORS OF THE N.Y. SUNDAY MERCURY: NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 1867 In the report of the game between the Mutual and Union, of Lansingburgh, published in the Chronicle of Sept. 26, I find the following: “And certainly the umpire has not raised himself in the esteem of his friends, except, perhaps, those who won their bets by his refusal to call the game, etc.” With all due respect to the gentleman who makes this assertion, allow me to say that the umpire, Mr. David Birdsall, is, in my opinion, as honest a ballplayer as ever handled the bat, and the last man that should be charged with unfair conduct on the ball-field. On the 9th of July, 1867, the Union Club, of Morrisania, played with the Haymakers on their ground, at Lansingburgh. During that game, it rained so hard that the umpire found it necessary to have an umbrella to protect himself; yet I heard no intimation from the Haymakers that the rain was troublesome to them at that time, and the game was continued. In conclusion, allow me to state that I freely sanction the conduct of Mr. Birdsall, and feel confidant that on no condition would he act otherwise than as an honest, upright, and gentlemanly ball-player. Respectfully yours, THOMAS E. SUTTON President Union B.B.C., of Morrisania |
| Source | New York Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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