Vintage "base ball" lingo

[Mike Eisenbath]

Forgive me, Leon, if this isn't appropriate here since it's not about collecting, per se, but it does involve old-time ball -- and I think we're all aficionados of that!

Much of the language used in the early days of the sport (let's say late 19th century and early 20th century) differs from that of today -- especially words used in contemporary newspaper reporting. For instance, it was always "base ball," as in two words. (Does anyone know when that changed universally?)

My question: What words used then, and not used now, strike you as most interesting, curious, amusing or even would like to see used again today? My favorites are:

-- Cranks (the word generally used for fans)
-- Magnates (the word usually used for team owners)

As an aside, I'm really glad Perfectos didn't stick as the nickname for the St. Louis NL club!

Mike

[90feetaway]

"Soaking" the runner always was an interesting term around in the very early days of the game. Hey if you can't tag the runner, why not throw at his body. Imagine if that happened today.

[Eric72]

• Twirler
• Striker
• Keystone Sack

There are others, such as "fair/foul hitting" that wouldn't fit today's game.

[gonzo]

“First division” and “second division” recall a time when there were only 8 teams per league and the top 4 teams in each league got a share of the World Series gate receipts. For most players, a Series winner’s or loser’s share could be a substantial part of their overall earnings, and even for 2/3/4 place, it would be a nice bonus. One team might run away with the pennant, but there was still some money at stake for the others. After divisional play started in 1969, the terms mostly faded into irrelevance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_division_(baseball)

[steve B]

The goat wasn't the greatest of all time but rather the guy who messed up and cost his team the game. Especially if the mistake was really bad and the game was important.

[crispycards]

Not so much lingo as just part of the game were nicknames associated with players based on their upbringing, heritage or ethnicity. "Chief", "Heinie" and "Rube" come to mind immediately, none of which have really survived into the modern era !

[raulus]

Originally Posted by steve B

The goat wasn't the greatest of all time but rather the guy who messed up and cost his team the game. Especially if the mistake was really bad and the game was important.

Another option here: boner.

I suppose if you want to get technical, a boner is an action.

Most famously used to refer to my man Merkle. But for his boner, the Cubs would likely not have won in 1908, which would have further elongated their streak.

[kcohen]

If you look at dead ball era schedules and publications, away games are termed "games abroad".