Sport: Royal Thumbing

Two masters of the art of umpire-baiting met in Pittsburgh last week. As they and their hardy apprentices tangled with two baitable Men in Blue, the sound & fury easily cleared the fences of Forbes Field.

It began in the first inning of a four-game series between the rowdy Pittsburgh Pirates and the noisy Brooklyn Dodgers. Umpire George Barr called Pirate Bob Elliott out at home, and got not-too-gently pushed for his pains. He promptly ordered Elliott out of the game. When Manager Frank (ex-“Fordham Flash”) Frisch hurled a caustic comment from the bench, he too got the royal thumb. Elliott drew a $50 fine from National League president Ford Frick; Frisch was fined $75.

In the second game Brooklyn’s Luis Olmo objected, more or less politely, to a strike called by Umpire Tom Dunn. Olmo: “You missed that one.” Dunn: “You shut up.” Olmo: “I won’t shut up.” That finished Olmo (fine: $50). For objecting to Dunn’s action, Manager Leo (“The Lip”) Durocher also got the heave-ho. The Pirates, long experienced in treading the paths of banishment, began laying a carpet of towels for the Lip’s exit. Durocher gave the towels a few kicks, then reached into a box of baseballs and scattered the pellets down the right-field foul line. Fine: $100.

The third day, Dodger Augie Galan got tossed for kicking dirt at Umpire Barr (fine: $50). Dixie Walker followed—for flinging his glove in the air in disgust (no fine). In the final game, Brooklyn’s hotheaded Ed Stanky had his $50’s worth of fun. He threw his hat high in the air after a called third strike, and Umpire Barr again did his duty as he saw it—thereby setting a new record for canning players from consecutive games.