Volume 18 , Issue 9

1907 - Lord Costs The Browns Just $15

Let us talk early 1900s baseball, especially about the "St. Louis Browns." The St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, dated 24 March 1907, Sunday, page 12, reported the following headlines: "Lord Costs The Browns Just $15." Fouls off dozen new balls into bleachers and over the stand.

Found on Newspapers.com

It cost the St. Louis Browns just an even $15 one day before a fielder finally retired Center Fielder Lord of the Athletics on a pop fly. According to the American League rules after a ball goes into the grandstand or bleachers it can no longer be put in play and only new balls are to be used after the old ones have run out.

Lord came to bat in the fifth inning of a game at ST. Louis, and the first ball pitched he hit into the left field bleachers. When a ball is hit into the bleachers it never comes back. Lord hit five more fouls into the same bleachers and an even half dozen over the grandstand before we wended his way to the bench a retired man. Back then (1907) the American League balls brought $1.25, so that the dozen Lord put out of commission cost the home management an even $15. It would be a costly business if all hitters were as extravagant as Lord.

Hardly a day passes but what some writer suggests that the umpires use some sort of signals so that the crowd can tell just how the batter stands as to balls and strikes. This theory received a hard knock in the opening games of the season at Philadelphia last year (1906), proving that the fans want to hear the umpire yell even though they cannot always tell what he is talking about.

"Silk" O'Laughlin opened the season at Washington and in an effort to please the Senators, Representatives, Nick and Alice, restrained his yell pipes and contracted a severe cold. The next day he was to open at Philadelphia and he did, but he could scarcely speak above a whisper. O'Laughlin worked two games using his arms to designate the strikes and balls. The innovation didn't appeal to the crowd and the two games were not unlike funerals as to rooters.

Learning of "Silk's" condition, President Johnson sent another umpire to the scene of battle to help out the arbitrator and when he let go of "Strike" and "ball" the crowd applauded to the echo.
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