“There was more fun
at Dundurn park yesterday than at any previous game of ball played on the same
grounds ever afforded.”
Hamilton
Spectator. June 22, 1886
It was a regular season baseball game that
began under threatening skies. The game involved two International League professional
teams, the visiting Binghamtons versus the home team, the Hamiltons.
The Spectator
afforded a great deal of space for its reporter to recount in some amusing
detail what happened at the game:
“The game opened in
the usual style. The Hamiltons made three in the first inning, and three in the
second, and it looked much as if they could have gone on producing triplets to
the end.
“Binghamton knocked
out a couple of singles, and at the close of the first half of the fifth inning
the score stood 6 to 2.
“Then came the fun. A
gentle drizzling rain began to fall, and it looked as if it would presently
develop into a deluge.
“For the information
of people who do not live in Hamilton, the information is here interjected that
it requires five complete innings to make a legal game.
“Of course, the Bings
wanted to prolong the inning until the rain fell big enough to induce the
umpire to declare the game off.
“Of course, the
Hamiltons wanted to rush things, complete the inning, and count a won game.
“The Bings were very
slow in their movements in taking the field. Little umpire Hoover endeavored to
accelerate their motions; but the Bings had suddenly become weary. Then they
began to throw the ball away out into the field and to walk slowly after it.
“Some sharp talk from
Hoover got the inning started. Collins was at bat. Pitcher Becannon tossed him
an easy one, and Collins moved his bat across the plate, carefully avoiding the
ball. One strike, said Hoover.
“In the course of
time, the ball was returned to the pitcher, and after he had monkeyed away all
the time he possibly could, he tossed another easy one. Collins again avoided
it, and Hoover remarked two strikes.
“By this time, the
audience was convulsed with laughter, and the Bings were getting wild, and were
hoping for a regular Noah’s ark deluge.
“Pitched Becannon
thought it a good scheme to throw in a wild one, which Collins didn’t strike it
knowing the catcher couldn’t get it. The fourth ball resulted in another
strike; but the catcher moved out of the way, and let it go by.
“Collins wandered
slowly off the line, and the umpire mentioned that he was out for so doing.
“Terrific laughter
among the audience, and much hatching of schemes among the Bings.
“McGucken to bat. The
first ball was about two feet over his head, but he struck viciously across the
plate about six inches from the ground. One strike, remarked the umpire.
“It is doubtful if
the Bing pitcher ever made so many consecutive strikes before. The next ball
came, and McGucken changed his tactics. He hit the ball feebly out to short,
who agilely got out of its way, and let it go by.
“But the batter didn’t
budge and was put out for not running.
“Then came Mickey
Jones to bat. Manager Sullivan sat on a bench. He whistled to his men and made
signs. Presently, they tumbled
“Lo! An inspiration! They would change pitchers.
The captain looked around to see which fielder was farthest from the box, and
called in the man from the right garden.
“The man from right
came in very slowly. Umpire Hoover remarked that there was no use in that sort
of monkeying; that they’d have to play ball if it rained buckets.
“Another inspiration
seized the Bing captain. The pitcher couldn’t pitch without that ornamental
skin thing that some pitchers use to make people think their arms are sore. It
took a good deal of hauling and grunting to get it on the new pitcher’s arm.
The fact that it was put on the wrong arm don’t count.
“It is marvelous that
the new pitcher hadn’t head enough to insist on a few trial balls. He finally
got into the boz, picked up the ball, fondled it softly, wiped one hand on his
bifurcated garment, looked around to see that the field was all ready, studied
the ball awhile, wiped the other hand, looked at first base to see if the
baserunner who wasn’t there could be thrown out, looked around the horizon,
fondled the ball a little more, repeated all these preliminaries and added some
more, and then let her go.
“Jones made an awful
swipe at the ball, and came within four or five feet of hitting it. It was a
narrow escape. The next one hit Mickey’s bat. He stood still, and the umpire
punished him for his dilatoriness by declaring him out.
“The fifth inning was
then complete, and the score remained 6 to 2.
“The laughter in the
grand stand was uproarious, and the Bings looked as if they had been beaten at
two games.
“And that was about
the size of it.
“The Hamiltons then
took the field, and afterplaying a few minutes, umpire Hoover came to the
conclusion that it was raining.
“And Hamilton won.”1
1 “The World
of Sport : The Hamiltons Down Binghamton in a Five Inning Game.”
Hamilton
Spectator. June 23, 1886.
The time of the game 55
minutes, and the attendance was numbered at 350 paying customers.
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