Clipping:Confusion around a blown foul call
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| Date | Sunday, October 18, 1874 |
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| Text | [Boston vs. Athletic 10/16/1874] A dispute arose in the second inning of the Bostons, which threatened at one time to put a stop to the game, it happening in this wise: McVey had reached first base by a good hit, and ran to second on Leonard’s hit to Battin that the umpire called “foul,” and the ball being fielded to McBride [pitcher] at first, McVey or Leonard if the ball was fair was certainly out; but the umpire said he had made a mistake and meant to call Leonard’s hit “fair,” and decided neither out, thus making the Athletics suffer for his mistake. Finally, after twenty minutes wrangling, the umpire reversed his first decision of foul, and therefore had no alternative but to give Leonard out at first base, and the game proceeded, the anything but honorable conduct of the Bostons in claiming and insisting upon a palpably unfair advantage thus given by an umpire’s mistake, thoroughly disgusting everyone on the ground and losing their many friends. Philadelphia Sunday Mercury October 18, 1874 [Boston vs. Athletic 10/16/1874] Here followed one of the most extraordinary scenes we have ever witness on a ball field. McVey hit a clean corker to right field, and took first base. Leonard then hit a ball, promptly called by the umpire [Nick Young] “foul.” McVey had moved to second, and Battin quickly fielded the ball to McBride at first. Leonard had not run, as a matter of course, and McVey was certainly out. Mr. Young declared, in the coolest manner possible, that no one was out, as he had designated the nature of the ball wrongly, and that Leonard was entitled to first and McVey to second. As a matter of course, fair or foul, either McVey or Leonard was out, and here a squabble ensued. Mr. Young continued unseemingly [sic] obstinate, and was urged to stand firm by the high-toned Boston players, who never take unfair advantages. His stand was so manifestly unjust that it can only be ascribed to Mr. Young’s well known partiality for the Boston Club. McBride very properly at the time refused to continue a game where the simplest rules were to be violated in such an open and barefaced manner, and for twenty minutes a confused parley ensued. The Bostons and Mr. Young succeeded in carrying the point by a compromise, (there could have been no compromise, properly,) by which McVey was given second base, and Leonard declared out. This ridiculous conclusion seems satisfactory, however, and the game continued. During this episode the spectators behaved in a manner so orderly and quiet that it reflects credit upon their good judgement, where their prejudices had been so openly challenged and provoked. The inning resulted in a blinker for the Bostons, to the general satisfaction. Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch October 18, 1874 |
| Source | Philadelphia Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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