"They All Do It!"

Was that George Mitchell on today’s baseball steroid issue?...No, actually it was Albert Spalding weighing in on the tragic issue of alcoholism that plagued major league baseball in the late 19th century. It would be quite common for players to report for games intoxicated, fines would be levied and their names would be reported in the Sporting News (The Sports Illustrated / ESPN of the times). Albert Spalding, President of the National League Chicago club, who instituted an extremely strict policy against this problem, said in 1888, “My players have said to me point blank, that they ‘have not touched a drop today’ have been proved to have drank that very day over a dozen glasses of beer before going to a match (Spalding would hire detectives to watch his players). It costs us thousands of dollars lost each year, some clubs more than others for they all do it.” Sound familiar?

The Definitive Years: Setting the Record Straight on the Evolution and Effects of the Catchers Mitt

Controversy reigns in the overhand vintage base ball world today with the catcher’s glove at the forefront. Most clubs here in New England try to represent the year 1886 (why that year was chosen is not clear). Let me say, we all do a damn good job…almost too good, better than we or most people realize. It’s all based on the hand injuries to the catcher. Most vintage club’s catchers started using gloves from the 1920s or 1930s (based on photos of the time period, these were a decent idea) stuffed with anything soft and durable which worked fine for a short time but with growth in the number of teams, the number of games increased and the old gloves took a beating and were falling apart due to age and use. Replica 1920s and 1930s gloves were next (also stuffed with whatever). Some were great quality and some just basically sucked. A few diehards would chose to go 100% authentic and go with both hands using the half finger style gloves. Based on my research, MLB catchers had a choice to use whatever they wanted as there were no regulations to catcher’s gloves. With hand injuries on the rise in the vintage game, some tried to make production model gloves of the time period. This included some decent attempts of which the most popular (but historically shaped wrong) was the completely round pancake mitt (sort of like a modern day training glove). The pancake protects the hands in two ways, the web-less but round pancake acts as a “web” lessening the chance of palm injury by catching the ball in the “web” without the need of using the free-hand to contain the ball. Keeping the free-hand away from the action of course prevents injuries from foul tips. The problem with the pancake is two fold. It is shaped wrong and injuries still happen. Since the pancake has no interior structure, the thumb is prone to injury when “jammed.” I have seen it happen to others, I have experienced it myself.

What The Hell Was Going On Back Then?
To put things in perspective, read my other entries or do your own research. There are many, many sources. To simplify things, 1884 is the starting point of this puzzle. In 1884 overhand pitching was first allowed at the major league level. Over the next several years ball and strike counts were tinkered with, fluctuating between the two major leagues. In 1886 pitchers were allowed to get a running start outside the box in order to throw as hard as they could. In 1887 the back line of the pitchers box was moved back to 57’ from 56’ and the pitcher was required to stay in the box when he began his motion to pitch and keep one foot on the back line. The count for balls was reduced to 5 from 7 but the strike count was raised to 4 from 3, foul balls were now strikes and a hits batsman was allowed to take his base. Some of these changes were to control the pitchers speed in order to bring more offense into the game while some of the changes were viewed as a compromise for the pitcher. In between, the number of changes was too exhausting to account for all of them. By 1893, the pitching distance was pushed back to the modern distance.

When Did Mitts Become The Norm?
In March of 1889, Earle Decker & Paul Buckley applied for a U.S. Patent for a “Catcher’s Glove” (a real mitt, not a five finger glove). Decker was a major league catcher, off and on from 1884 to 1890. In the summer of 1889, ads began appearing in the Sporting News for the “Decker Glove” promoting catching “without injury.” In August, the patent was issued. However, in the summer of 1888, Joe Gunson a catcher in the major leagues, off and on from 1884 to 1893, lays claim to the first mitt in use (1888) and was shocked when Decker began mass marketing the glove in 1889.

What Effects Did The Mitt Have?
It’s worth mentioning that once the overhand game began and the rules were tinkered with year after year (focusing on the pitcher/batter relationship), the average runs per game were very stable. Here are some stats to chew on: 21 runs per game in 1871, down to 15 in 1874 and would hover to around 10 to 12 from 1875 to 1900. From 1900, the average score would drop to 7 runs per game for the next several years. In 1886, the year we are most familiar with, the National League average runs per game was 10.5 while in the American Association the average was 11. In 1891, the first year where “mitts” were used on a regular basis, the National League Average was 11 runs per game while in the American Association the number of runs scored rose to 11.5. Other offensive categories were on the rise as well including hits per game and strikeouts per game fell, even with foul balls counting as strikes. What does this prove out? From 1884 on, run scoring was NOT HIGH and fireball pitching WAS THE NORM. Go figure?

What Is The Solution?
So we know that 1888 / 1889 was the year the catcher’s mitt was first used and then mass marketed and popularized. The “Akadema H1928” (with the thread-webbing removed – go ahead and Google it) is a dead ringer for the “Decker.” With no appreciable change forecasted in scoring, I would say we need to set our sights on 1888. Back to the Future anyone?

Sore Catcher’s Hands Draws Controversy

During a National League game in Chicago in August of 1886 between the Philadelphia Quakers and the Chicago White Stockings, sore catcher’s hands would be the focus of a controversial strategic situation. Interestingly the key characters in this affair are some of the most famous in all of 19th century base ball.

With Chicago batting in the top of the 3rd having taken the lead 5-3 by scoring four runs in the inning already and still threatening with a runner at 2nd, Dan Casey, the Philadelphia hurler pitched a fast ball wild and high enough to get past catcher Deacon McGuire advancing the runner on 2nd over to third. Catcher McGuire claimed he injured his finger on the play and opted to pull himself from the game. League rules required approval from the opposing team’s captain, the legendary Cap Anson, and the umpire in order to remove an injured player from the game. Anson declined the ok claiming McGuire was not badly injured and the umpired also agreed and told McGuire to stay in the game. The Philadelphia captain, Foxy Irwin, became enraged and “kicked” in McGuire’s defense (more importantly knowing McGuire was really injured and could not catch a pitch with any effectiveness). He consulted with team manager, Harry Wright (whose powers were limited in playing matters) and asked McGuire if he could continue and reluctantly agreed. This again enraged Irwin even further and he continued to “kick.” The umpire understood the catcher’s hands were sore before but did not believe they became unplayable on the last play and required the catcher to continue.

Fifteen minutes had past during the argument upsetting the cranks who had become impatient. When play resumed, the furious Philadelphia captain directed McGuire to stand way back behind the batter (much more so than normal) and catch the pitch on the bounce. On the first pitch the runner from third stole home. Three more runs would score in the inning on a series of hits, passed balls and dropped third strikes as McGuire was unable to perform his duties with any effectiveness. With the crowd becoming even more restless due to the lack of quality, League president, Albert Spalding, who happened to be in attendance, immediately went down to the field to consult with Harry Wright and directed catcher McGuire to move closer to the batter in the normal position. Again, Irwin exploded, this time at Wright for approving this move and ordered McGuire to his position deep behind the batter. Spalding, having heard Irwin reversed his order, raced back to the field to confer with Anson and Wright and declared that the came would continue under protest and allowed a change in catchers to which Spalding shook his finger at Irwin and said, “We’ll have you disciplined for your tactics!” Finally, after forty minutes of delays and arguments, the game continued and Chicago won but much of the interest was lost.

It was thought that Anson was to blame for this entire problem not letting the change in catchers. The editors of the Sporting News agreed with Anson stating that “sentiment and chivalry does not and should not enter into the question in any shape, whatsoever.” The wise but dirty Anson, who knew McGuire’s hands were already hurting at the outset of the game, did not believe McGuire’s hands got hurt on the play and was using his rights to make the call in Chicago’s favor. The actions of Irwin irked Spalding so much that he suggested disciplining the Philadelphia captain for “conduct prejudicial to the good repute of the game of base ball.”

Training the Catcher: A Process Essential to Good Base Ball Playing

Brooklyn Eagle
August 4, 1890
In a great article written in 1890, the topic is the early season preparation of the catcher. The early part of the article talks of proper loosening up the arm when in the gymnasium in pre season by throwing short distances and eventually lengthening the throws to reach second base with “comparative ease.” A later section talks about the importance of a mask but the relevant portion to us modern day vintage ballists talks about preparing the hands.

“A point of catcher’s practice which does not enter into the work of the pitcher is that of toughening the hands. Rowing on the machines, climbing the rope, swinging on the flying rings, and hand ball, if there be any court for that excellent game, will all tend toward this end. He should consider, however, that it is not merely toughening the skin of the hands that is desirable, but also hardening the flesh so that is not easily bruised. For this reason he should receive no swift balls, and should stop at the first feeling of anything beyond a moderate tingling of the palms. His hands should receive their full preparatory hardening before he goes out into the field, for ordinary carefulness demands that he should do no catching behind the bat after the season commences with hands full protected by well padded gloves. What is commonly called a stone bruise is one of the carelessness in this respect.”

We Struggle Playing Backwards / They Struggled Playing Forwards

In September of 1896 Westfield Massachusetts’ William “Adonis” Terry would write an article for the Chicago News which also appeared in the Brooklyn Eagle regarding the evolution of pitching regulations and its effect on the game. This is a great article for two important reasons; A) This is in Terry’s own words, B) There was no one in the game at the time as successful as Terry who not only survived the changes over the years but also thrived, especially in the later years of his career when the last change to the pitching format was the most drastic. He was one of only a very few who made the successful transition of pitching from 55’ 6” to 60’ 6”.

Born in Westfield Massachusetts, Terry began his professional career in 1883 with the then Brooklyn Grays pitching side-arm in the pitcher’s box that all us modern day vintage ballists are familiar with. By the time his major league career was over in 1897, he was pitching from 60’ 6” and throwing off a rubber slab.

It is interesting to note the irony in this where we modern ballists struggle playing backwards with the rules of the late 19th century while Terry tells of the struggles of the 19th century ballists playing forward. To learn more about the career of Adonis Terry checkout http://adonisterry.tripod.com

Dan “Gunner” Genovese

‘Hard To Pitch Nowadays’
Adonis Terry
September, 1896

Pitching today is a very different job from what it was twenty years ago, or ten or even five. Rules have been changed and tinkered with; distances have been lengthened and a myriad of tricks, calculated to embarrass the pitcher, have been vainly tried. Unless the rulemakers take into their heads to so fix the rules that the pitcher will simply have to stand up and lob the ball over the plate the pitcher will remain autocrat of the game and batting averages will continue to be under .500.

No matter what the changes in the rules might be, the men who were the pitchers under one style remained pitchers under the next arrangement. Some of them have been driven out of the business by the changes from time to time, but the pitchers who survived had been pitchers before and they have never succeeded in inventing rules which would make twirlers out of short stops or great box stars out of fielders.

Pitching under the ancient round arm delivery was a curious process and I fancy that only the short distances prevented the pitchers from being hit even harder than they were, and some of the old time games had scores large enough to satisfy any crank on batting. Then the pitchers were allowed to get their arms higher and higher, until all restrictions were done away with and they could throw where and when they wanted. The system under which the Chicago team won its glory (Chicago White Stockings won back-to-back National League pennants in 1885 & 1886) was that which allowed the batter to call for a ball where he wanted it, high or low, and the command which this necessitated from the pitcher was marvelous. Seven balls were called before a batter could take his base and the number was none too great under such circumstances. During the period of the call for your ball rule an idiocy requiring the pitcher to keep both feet on the ground while throwing the ball was perpetrated (for the 1885 season the National League implemented this rule in order to slow velocity). If you don’t think that rule was a strain, just take a ball and try to throw it, even with moderate speed, and keep both feet fixed on the ground. It requires a gyration of arm and body that’s worse then seven Delsarte lessons (A popular form of expression through dance that encompasses almost gymnastic type movements).

With the three strike and four ball rule, originally four strikes and five balls, the pitchers began to develop great speed and fine control. Then the howl about the pitcher domination began to be raised and the batting cranks commenced to scream about the advantage given the pitcher. Even so, the science of batting and the art of fielding were advancing just as rapidly as the talent of the pitcher. There were fewer strikeouts to the game in 1892, last year of the fifty feet distance, than used to be the rule in 1887. The ball was coming in faster no doubt, but the keen eyed fellows at the rubber weren’t missing it to any great degree. It was the work of the fellows in the field that was killing the batting. There were games where only one hit would be chalked up for a team, and yet the winning pitcher would have only four or five strikeouts. The fielders have taken care of all the rest. Something had to be done, however, to still the popular clamor for more batting, and, of course, the poor pitcher had to suffer. So the box was abolished, a small strip of rubber substituted, science and change of place and pace were discouraged by compelling the pitcher to keep his foot on that slab, and the slab itself was set back in the diamond (Interestingly, Terry would comment in an earlier article in February of 1895 that some of the early struggles and cheating pitchers would perform with the rubber. With the rubber, being just 12” wide at the time, many pitchers would stand either far off to the left or far off to the right of the rubber because pitchers who pitched from the rubber would create a deep hole, nearly six inches causing pitchers to become off-balance and lose command. Umpires would rarely enforce this rule and opposing captains would never point this out. Eventually, the rubber was widened to 24” wide). That worked pretty well. The slugger had a fraction more time to judge the ball. As I said, they could hit it before, but they had to make quick haphazard snaps at the ball. Now they have time to, at least, make an attempt to place it. The result was a most satisfactory increase in the slugging.

But all the rules ever invented to hamper the pitcher couldn’t kill his fielders, and the men behind the pitcher have now learned to play for men under the new rules just as under the old. Batting averages were a shade lower in 1895 than in 1894, and are quite a little smaller so far this season. The fielders have gauged their men…that is all.

Formerly a pitcher could go in every other day with perfect safety. Now a rest of at least two days between games is necessary, and many pitchers cannot be worked more than one day in four. The extra distance makes a man work that much harder to send the ball up the way he used to do. There has been a change, too, in the tricks of the trade. We used to largely rely upon great speed, with short, fast curves, alternated with a slow ball. You can all remember the drop ball of Buffington and Ramsey, Luby’s sharp outcurve, Keefe’s slow ball, John Clarkson’s variety of fast and slow balls (Terry cites pitchers, some Hall of Famers and some of limited success, whose careers were, for the most part, finished when the pitching distance was moved back five feet). Nowadays, the curves are necessarily wider and slower, and all such scientific tricks as a change of pace, keeping the ball up around the batter’s neck and the simple process of sending it over at medium speed, straight and true, with trust in the fielder for safety, are the proper scheme. A drop curve is hard to throw now, and a drop curve pitchers had a terrible time the first year of the new rules, as everything they threw would hit the plate. A wide out-curve can be seen and judged much easier than in the old days, and an incurve works rather batter. The fast, high ball, with a little raise to it, and a drop by a man that can keep it up from the plate, are the curves of the day.

Chicago News
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
September 15, 1896