Early Catcher Paid A High Price-O/T- NY Times

[uffda51]

Nice article. Thanks, Bruce.

[orator1]

Orator James O'Rourke was a catcher in the 1870s and 1880s and this is how he described it in his own words:

"Before gloves were used, the catcher suffered unbelievable torture. On a hot day, when the blood circulated freely, the catcher's hands would swell about the third inning. When swelling started, the pain caused by impact of the ball decreased, because the swollen flesh made sort of a cushion. On a warm day I have heard a catcher say proudly, along about middle of the game, 'Oh, I am getting along fine - my hands are swelling up in great shape'. But on a cold day, when the blood did not course freely, and the hands would not swell, the pain was intense.

"In those days there were few players that were not scarred. It used to be part of the pitcher's duty to try to hit the batter with the ball. I have seen men knocked senseless many times, and you must remember that at this time the pitcher stood 45 feet away, instead of 60 feet 5 inches, as today.

"Talk about the roughness of football in those days, and the hopelessness of trying to stop it, but it is nothing compared to the brutality of baseball during the constructive period. My head has been so sore from being hit that I could not think and my hands so sore from catching that I could not hold an orange tossed from a distance of six feet."

[JasonL]

Was in Cooperstown this past weekend visiting our Shrine of the game, and took some time to talk through with my son some of the museum's exhibit on the evolution of the cather's position and its gear....a very nice exhibit and interesting...right along the lines of this topic/article.

[Joe_G.]

With enough education, we just might see some of the catching pioneers make the HOF (don't get me started )

[martyogelvie]

thanks for posting that article.

enjoyed reading it!