|
Talking about firearms and ball games: Two stories I've got to share,
From an 1896 newspaper artilce of a ballgame in New Jersey between Clifton and Little falls.
"The pitcher named Connelly got so mad at Umpire Mahoney's strike zone that he picked up a bat and headed for the umpire. Mahoney yanked his revolver out of his coat pocket, and warned the pitcher that if he took one more step, he would shoot his nose off. Connelly returned at once to the mound and the game continued with no further complaints." (I'm sure the nose is the body part that the umpire threatened to shoot, aint yall?)
And a 5/16/1896 Wheeling, West Virginia newspaper:
"At Vivian, on the Norfolk & Western Railroad to-day, a gang of miners, off for a half holiday, engaged in a game of base ball. A player named Jim Carrigan tried to make a home run, but was declared out at home plate by Umpire Charley Hunt. This so enraged Carrigan that he went home, got his shotgun and fired a load of buckshot into the umpire, inflicting wounds which will probably kill him. A new umpire was substituted and the game went on, Carrigan taking part in it."
The moral of this story is, if one of the "rats" shoots you, make sure you eject him before you pass out!!!
(Thanks to Steve Cutchen for sharing this with UT last July.)
Roger Greene
|