Billy used his platform as a former professional baseball player to share the gospel

The Pantagraph. Thu, Jan 02, 1908 ·Page 10

“BILLY” SUNDAY AS UMPIRE

PRESIDED AT INDOOR BASE BALL GAMES.

Large Crowd Witnessed the Ex-Base Ball Evangelist Handle the Indicator—Cheered in Decisions.

Sunday’s New Year.

11:30—Addresses children.

2:30—Preaches at tabernacle.

4:30—Umpire ball games.

7:30—Preaches again.

Several hundred people witnessed an unusual sight at the South Center street armory on the afternoon of New Year’s day. It was the playing of indoor base ball under the guidance of a man of national reputation in the diamond, but now turned preacher and evangelist. Unusual was the scene, in the first place, because indoor base ball itself is something of a novelty in this city. In years gone, there have been occasional games played, but never before was there a regularly organized league with a fixed schedule, and when there were games in the past, they were witnessed mainly by a few score of the enthusiastic fans. It is said that yesterday’s game was seen by hundreds who had never before witnessed such a contest.

And in the second place, it was unusual and unique to have a game of indoor base ball umpired by Rev. “Billy” Sunday, theevangelist who was himself once a star player on the outdoor diamond. His presence in the city to conduct a revival was taken as an opportunity for the managers of the league to secure his services to umpire this game. And the announcement of this fact drew a crowd of people who would otherwise have been probably entirely ignorant of the existence of the game or perhaps of the existence of such a sport.

Arrives From Meeting.

Rev. Mr. Sunday had been preaching over at the tabernacle, which is only a block away from the armory. The religious meeting there overlapped for some twenty minutes the time scheduled for the ball game in the armory, hence the first of the games had proceeded about half way through before the famous umpire arrived on the scene. The first part of the initial game was umpired by Frank Will, the regular league umpire.

While the enthusiasm of the spectators was running at a high K. C. T. game, a new horde of people, many of them women, at the door, caught of the announcement that the religious meeting was over and that Sunday was coming. The crowd had been standing about before him, but with the additional contingent added, all the available room for spectators was crowded.

Mr. Sunday entered the hall in company with a number of local preachers, and this was probably the first time an indoor ball game had been honored by so great a company of spectators. Mr. Sunday lost no time after entering the room in getting to his position behind the bat.

Umpire Will giving way gracefully. Presides in Two Games. A cheer arose from the crowd, and the magnificence lifted their din as the people recognized the preacher-umpire on the home plate. Mr. Sunday doffed his overcoat and was found clad in a business suit of light gray. He had been heated up pretty well in speaking at the revival, and the air of the armory seemed cool to him. He at once turned up his coat collar to protect his throat.

After a few minutes, some one handed the new umpire a base ball hat, and he donned this, wearing it throughout the rest of the game.

With the indicator in his hand, Umpire Sunday shouted out at regular intervals the familiar words often heard on the diamond in announcing strikes and, two balls, one ball, foul strike, or batter out.

Nearly every time the umpire would announce a decision, the crowd would cheer at the beginning of his work, but after so much attention was paid to him, and interest returned to the game when Mr. Sunday was not engaged.

His mannerisms, his shoulder or head motion before the ball was delivered by the pitcher, and the way he himself threw the ball back to the pitcher, at Story of the Games.

The first game was won by the Turners, who defeated the Knights of Columbus by a score of 1 to 0 in an exciting and clean contest. Miller won the game for the Teutons with a two bag hit in the fifth. The Turners played a scoreless game and the K. C.’s had but two misplays charged against them. The games went five innings by agreement, as did the second game. The score by innings:

R. H. E.

Turners 0 1 0 0 0 – 1 2 0

K. C.’s 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 1 2

Batteries: Turners, Richanne and Miller; K. C.’s, Reardon and Day. Umpires, Wise, Sunday and Zier.

Olympics Win Second Game.

A batting rally in the final inning won the second game for the team representing the Olympic Athletic Club. The Olympics were shut out until the fifth, when the opposing team, that from Company D, had scored three runs. Then the Olympics came up to the Adams slants and the game was finally entered as a victory. The score by innings:

R. H. E.

Olympics 0 0 0 0 4 – 4 5 2

Company D 0 0 0 3 0 – 3 4 2

Batteries: Olympics, Muhl and Noonan; Company D, Adams and Keenan. Umpires, Wise, Sunday and Zier.

A few less than five hundred—486 to be exact—saw yesterday afternoon’s games. In both cases the spectators saw pretty battles.