Since last night's game was called by the umpires, I thought I would share this, which in no way has anything to do with last night's decision. It just gives me an excuse.
It is a story about Walter Johnson and others.
...Then the A's tied the score (in the seventh) and Johnson came in. He shut 'em out until the nineteenth, when his catcher got hurt. We put in Rippey Williams, who always wanted to catch Johnson, and the first pitch got by him and clipped Billy Evans, the umpire, on the ear. Billy clapped a hand to his ear and it came away with blood.
"You're not gonna get me killed," he told Williams. And he called the game on account of darkness, although it was only about four-thirty.
Red Smith on Baseball
I once had the pleasure of talking to an older gentleman who had spent some years umpiring in the minors. And I asked him did he ever favor certain players when it came to calling balls and strikes. To which he replied: Yes, the catcher. He is the one who keeps you from getting killed.