THE ----------- National G Pastime A REVIEW OF BASEBALL HISTORY The Lost Art of Fair-Foul Hitting Robert H. Schaefer 3 Ila Borders, Pitcher jean Hastings Ardell 10 Strike Out: A 1946 Baseball Strike Bill Swank 16 Dick Higham: Umpire at the Bar of History Larry R. Gerlach and Harold ~ Higham 20 My Start in the Newspaper Business Eddie Gold 33 The Polo Grounds Stew Thornley 35 Harry and Stanley Coveleski Dave Anderson 39 The Hawaii Winter League, 1993-1997 Frank Ardolino 42 Finding Andy Nelson Bob Tholkes 46 Pepper: The House of David Way joel H. Hawkins and Terry Bertolino 51 Chick and Jake Stahl: Not Brothers Dick Thompson 54 The Southern California Trolley League jayBerman 58 The Last Days of the New England League Charlie Bevis 61 Bill Frawley and the Mystery Bat Rob Edelman 66 Nelly Kelly's Waltz Edward R. Ward 69 Utica Indoor Baseball Scott Fiesthumel 70 Willard Hershberger and the Legacy of Suicide Brian j. Wigley, Dr. Frank B. Ashley, Dr. Arnold LeUnes 72 Ronald Reagan and Baseball james C. Roberts 77 Carroll Hardy, Pinch Hitter Bill Deane 82 Throwbacks: The Erie-Buffalo Baseball Club Mike Ward 84 Joe Gedeon: Ninth Man Out Rick Swaine 87 A Celebrity Allegory Larry Bowman 90 George Sisler Paul Warburton 93 Rube Marquard's Lucky Charm Gabriel Schechter 98 Millor League Pla'yer Ross Horning 101 Tilly Walker Marky Billson 105 Waite Hoyt, Conveyor of Baseball Memories Rob Langenderfer. 109 1907 Pacific Coast Championship Series Tom Larwin 112 Urban Shocker: Free Agency in 1923? Steve L. Steinberg 121 SaiIll Mally and lile Prince of Darkness Martin D. Kohout 124 TIle Dreaded Sticl{ball Gallle: Verse Ev Parker 132 THE NATIONAL PASTIME (ISSN 0734-6905, ISBN 0-910137-81-1), Number Editor 19. Published by The Society for American Baseball Research, Inc., 812 Huron Rd., Suite 719, Cleveland, OH 44115. Postage paid at Birmingham, AL. Mark Alvarez Copyright 1999, The Society for Amf'rir.:.m H:,u';f'h(lIII{f'Rf'(lrch,lnc. All rights Copy Editor Desigtlated Reader reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written pennission is prohibited. Printed by EBSCO Media, Birmingham, AL. A.D. Suehsdorf Dick Thompson The Society for American Baseball Research History: The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) was founded on August 10, 1971, by L. Robert "Bob" Davids and fifteen other baseball researchers at Cooperstown, New York, and now boasts more than 6,600 members worldwide. The Society's objectives are to foster the study of baseball as a significant Ameri­ can institution, to establish an accurate historical account of baseball through the years, to facilitate the dissemination of baseball research information, to stimulate the best interest of baseball as our national pastime, and to cooperate in safe­ guarding proprietary interests of individual research efforts of members of the Society. The National Pastime The Society published its first issue of The National Pastime in 1982. The present volume is the twentieth. Many of the previous volumes are still available for purchase (see inside back cover). The editorial policy is to publish a cross section of research articles by our members which reflect their interest in history, biography, statistics and other aspects of baseball not previously published. Interested in Joining the Society? SABR membership is open to all those interested in baseball research, statis­ tics or history. SABR membership runs on a calendar year basis; if you join after October 1, you will lJe rulled uver into the next calendar year. Membership dues are $50 US, $60 Canada & Mexico and $65 overseas (US funds only). Students and seniors can join for $30 ($40 in Canada & Mexico and $45 overseas). Mem­ bers receive the Baseball Research Journal, The National Pastime, TIre SABR Btilletin, a Membership Directory and other special publications. To join SABR, send the appropriate a,mount and your name and address to the address below. Feel free to contact SABR for more information at the address below as well. SABR Dept. TNP 812 HtlfO!l Ret E #719 Cleveland, OH 44115 216-575-0500 www.sabr.org info @ sabr. org It wasn't easy The LostArt ofFair-Foul Hi..."...eL.-. ....g Robert H. Schaefer Baseball matured and came of age during the last ground, far from the normal defensive positions of the third of the nineteenth century. The game improved as infielders stationed within the foul lines. The ball was a result of suggestions made by a cadre of thoughtful in play and the fielders were obliged to give chase as it sportswriters and managers who subjected it to critical skipped to the recesses of the foul grounds. The striker analysis at the end of each season. almost always earned first base, and frequently two Captain Harry Wright, of the Boston Red Stockings, bases, on this type of hit. Strikers who were skilled in along with sportswriter Henry Chadwick, were the two the art of fair-foul hitting had a huge advantage, be­ most important personalities in this developmental ef­ cause it was impossible to post the infielders to defend fort. Chadwick's column was published in the against it and at the same time adequately cover the influential New York Clipper, as well as other daily fair ground between the bases. newspapers. His writings help us understand the rea­ In the 1870s, the second baseman was usually sta­ sons behind successful and unsuccessful proposed tioned in the immediate vicinity of his base, a rule changes considerable distance from the first baseman. Scientific One of the burning issues of the early 1870s con­ hitters attempted to exploit this large opening by pok­ cerned the rule for determining fair and foul hits. It ing ground balls between first and second. stated that if a batted ball first bounced in fair territory, The typical response to the threat of a fair-foul hit the ball was in play no matter where it rolled thereafter. was to position the first and third basemen directly on This permitted a method of batting that became known their bases, with one foot in foul ground. This defen­ as fair-foul hitting, a controversial art at the time, and sive posture only exacerbated the middle of the one that today is vastly misunderstood. diamond even more. Thus, the mere existence of the Using the rule, a select group of clever hitters per­ fair-foul hit inflated the batting averages of all hitters, fected a technique for deliberately striking the ball in who could tap bouncers through what today we would a manner so that a spin-"English"-was imparted to consider enormous holes. it. After first touching the ground in fair territory the "English" caused the ball to twist sharply off into foul How it was done-Just how did a scientific hitter ac­ complish the art of fair-foul hitting? First of all, the After thirty-five years in the aerospace industry, where he was hitter had a colossal advantage in that, according to the responsible for the human engineering aspects ofthe Apollo program rules of the 1860s and '70s, pitches he fouled off were and several versions ofthe Space Station, Bob Schaefer has devoted his time to a project he calls {In Quest of .400." The focus of his not charged as strikes. He could make as many unsuc­ research is to understand the circumstances surrounding each.400 cessful attempts at a fair-foul hit as he cared to without season in terms ofthe extant rules, equipment, and ballparks. This accumulating strikes. In addition, the striker had the article is an outgrowth ofhis research on the twenty-four individual privilege of calling for a high or low pitch-there was major league .400 hitters and the thirty-five seasons i1z which that no single fixed strike zone. fabled batting average was attained. A REVIEW OF BASEBALL HISTORY 3 When a hitter planned to make a fair-foul hit, he al­ first in time-which was usually impossible­ ways called for a low pitch. Chadwick tells us that a the runner on first would easily get to second fair-foul hit could never be made except from a low ball, safely. and then the striker needed to step up so as to hit the ball down to the ground within the foul lines. The Pearce acted on Chadwick's suggestion and prac­ hitter's key for success was to hit down on, or chop at, ticed the art of the fair-foul hit until he had it down the ball and deliver a glancing blow so that a spin was flawlessly. He used the fair-foul with such regularity imparted to it. Spin was vital for the ball to veer sharply that the infielders would anticipate it and creep in off into foul territory, beyond the reach of the fielders. close. Chadwick reported that Pearce would trick them The idea that a fair-foul hit was easy to make was~ in by pretending to prepare for a fair-foul and then justtap Chadwick's succinct phrase, "absurd." Chadwick re­ the ball over their heads for a safe hit. lated that the sljght~~t miscalculation on the part of the Other famous players, such as George Wright and striker transfot·~e(tihe,venturedfair-foul hit into an Davey Force, duplicated Pearce's skill. The art of fair­ easily caught foul 'bound, or a chance to field the foul hitting spread and by the early 1870s many striker out at first base. The foul-bound rule provided strikers employed this style. Of course, some used it that a striker was out should a player field the ball af­ more often and effectively than others.