Robb Accepts American League Post: Umpire to Report For Duty Tuesday; Quit National League After Being Fined for Tiff With Card Manager Eddie Stanky, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-08

article


view raw text

Robb Accepts American League Post Umpire to Report For Duty Tuesday TuesdayQuit Quit National League After Being Fined for Tiff With Card Manager Eddie Stanky StankyBy By the United Press PressScotty Scotty Robb who quit his job as a Na ¬ tional League umpire because he felt a public rebuke undermined his authority on the playing field was hired by the rival American League yesterday in an unprec ¬ edented switch switchAmerican American League president Will Harridge announced simply that he learned from the National League that Robb was a free agent so he hired him Robb revealed how ¬ ever that three American League friends two of them umpires tipped him off he would be hired if he approached Harridge HarridgeWhen When I got home from Cincinnati Tues ¬ day night I thought I was through with baseball after 16 years Robb said at his Cedar Grove N J home But the phone started ringing By 11 oclock yesterday morning I had talked to Mr Harridge and we came to terms termsI I choked up to think that the league wanted me meRobb Robb was fined by National League pres ¬ ident Warren Giles two weeks ago for pushing Cardinal manager Eddie Stanky during a game argument at Cincinnati Ohio Giles also gave Robb a public dress ¬ ing down saying he would have been sus ¬ pended were he a player playerRobb Robb seethed for several days then qiiit Giles told him if the incident undermined his confidence his resignation was ac ¬ cepted And that was that until today when the American League hired Robb and told him to start working Tuesday Robb said he would get just about the same salary as he drew in the National NationalIncident Incident Without Precedent PrecedentThe The whole Robb incident was unprec ¬ edented in major league baseball For one thing umpires are seldom fined and when they are it is kept secret For another one league never hires anothers umpires umpiresAt At Cedar Grove Robb revealed he was all set to settle down to his printing busi ¬ ness when he got a telephone call Tuesday night from the American League office First a friend in the office talked to me then two umpires Robb said They all told me to call Mr Harridge HarridgeI I surmise that the league was reluctant to seek me out because perhaps they thought I felt bitter about resigning my National League job jobAt At 11 oclock yesterday morning Mr Harridge asked me if Id care to become a member of his umpiring staff I was so amazed I kind of choked up I asked him to give me a minute to collect my thoughts and get the apple to go down in my throat throatThen Then I told him Id be tremendously honored merely to be asked I told him Id be glad to become a member of his staff staffRobb Robb said he has no assignment yet but Harridge told him to be ready when the Eastern clubs go West Tuesday TuesdayWhen When I came home last night I felt pretty low Id been in organized baseball the past 16 years and now it looked like I was through I certainly would have been too I would have gone back to my little printing shop in back of the house here hereIts Its my intention until the end of my days never to say why I left the1 National League so dont ask me Mr Giles made the decision after he received my report and he was justified I paid my fine closed the matter and have no regrets No recriminations Everything turned out for the best bestHe He admitted however the Stanky inci ¬ dent was not the whole reason he quit the National League LeagueA A reporter asked him you must have had plenty in your craw crawRobb Robb smiled I guess I have he said saidRobb Robb had served in the National League since August 1947 1947At At Cincinnati Giles said Robb should make the American League a capable um ¬ pire pireI I expect to have a replacement for Robb on the National League staff within a week or 10 days he added I now have three minor league umpires under consideration


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952050801/drf1952050801_2_1
Local Identifier: drf1952050801_2_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800