Mre Ce Ee McBride Page 2 Apre 28, 1941

a *

At Iowa State in the first game, Kansas was leading by one run, 8 to 7o
There were two domm and Iowa State was at bat with a man on third and the call .
5 to 2e This wes in the last half of the ninthe The runner from third started
with the pitcher's arm, the batter struck out, the catcher dropped the ball, the
runner from third crossed the plate, but the catcher threw to first in time.

to retire the sides the wpire called the player out and apparently the game was
overs Immediately I ordered our boys to grab their equipment and start for the
club house on the rume The rooters and team members charged the umpire, claiming
that the runner was safe and the umpire changed his decisions Both wpires then
came in and concurred with the hone team's desiree a

Coach Timm overtook me in the left field on the way to the club house
end said, “Phog, the umpire called the runner safes" I said to Cocah Timm,
"Cap, there is a man scouting this game from the Boston Red Soxs called Beckere
He is an old wupiree You look him up and he will tell. you the rulese ‘The ball
' game is overs” I had quite a time getting my boys off the field because in the
case of a fire or dog fight everybody wants to see ite I finally pulled then
into the dressing room under the stadiun and then Tinm came to me and said,
"Phog, the score is tiede" I said, “Well, Cap, it might be a tie in your mind
but according to the rules the ball game is overe If you want to argue with
anybody see lire Becker who Imows the rulese" Coach Timm was most polite and
courteous but insisted that we play some more baseball. We took our showers
and went to the hotel. . ; | —

- Louis Menze came dow to the hotel leter and said that in his opinion

he thought we were right, but when the players and the crowd ran to the wnpire
and the umpire changed his decision then he was not sure so he looked it upe
Rule 52 clarified the matter definitely for hime Scout Beeker of the Red Soxs,
Louis and I had a faming bee that evening and the next morning Coach Timm and
Louis and a group of us played golf, Becker said there was no doubt in his mind
from the beginnings But it was not my job to find Beckers it was my job to know
the rules and not argue with anybodye So if you read anything in the papers
about the thousand rooters swarming on the field, you perhaps felt that I would |
be right in the center of the argument, but if you would have bet on this situation
you would have lost all your money in this cases I had the rule on my side and
there was no need to argues in fact, there was every reason why I should absent
myself from any declamation or oratorye .

So thanks, Mac, for expressing hope that I am not going to play semie
pro or pro baseball, We are playing amateur baseball and we are keeping it
_ amateur, at least during the time we are playing our opponents, and at all times
when we are admonishing the boys to put the fight into the game and not at someone
“who is calling the decisions ' :

I take it that you paid me a compliment because in the last part of
your sentence you state as muche But even some of our best friends and those who
care most about us read with apprehension and fear rather than the meaning which
you set forthe But I will not let you dom, Mac, I*11 do the job in the same
manner that I have admonished the boys to do ite