The dying art of the hidden-ball trick dates back to the early days of pro baseball, with seven successful executions documented in 1876 alone. This ruse occurs when a baseman conceals the ball instead of returning it to the pitcher. When the runner steps off the base, he is summarily tagged out with the hidden ball. The trick has been used some 264 times with success, a rarity roughly in the class of the no-hitter. The hidden-ball trick has produced many hilarious stories throughout the years, and even enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in 2013 when it was employed twice late in the season.
In Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick: The Colorful History of Baseball's Oldest Ruse, every known execution of the hidden-ball trick in the major leagues is documented, compiled from decades of research. This book recounts how the hidden-ball trick has completed triple plays, ended games, resulted in two arrests, cost a Hall of Famer a managing job, and even occurred in a World Series. Stories include how Fred Merkle gained revenge on Johnny Evers, how Gary Carter was caught to end a game—on his birthday—and how Lou Boudreau was nabbed the day after saying the play was obsolete.
In addition to a complete chronological listing of every documented ruse, Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick also includes descriptions of tricks that went awry and a list of unsubstantiated accounts. This unique compilation of baseball stories will be of interest to baseball scholars and fans alike.
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Edition
1Table of contents
- Title Page
- Introduction
- What Is the Hidden-Ball Trick?
- History of the Trick
- Masters of the Trick . . . and Their Victims
- 1876–1889: The Early Tricks
- 1890–1899: Gaiety in the ’90s
- 1900–1909: Coughlin Corner Tricks
- 1910–1919: Ban Tries to Ban It
- 1920–1929: A Decade Dominated by Babe Who?
- 1930–1939: The Crow Flies High
- 1940–1949: Pesky Holding the Ball
- 1950–1959: “Step Off the Base a Minute, Will Ya?”
- 1960–1969: Stick Was Slick
- 1970–1979: Elementary, My Dear Watson
- 1980–1989: Happy Birthday, Kid!
- 1990–1999: Master Matt
- 2000–Present: A Dying Art?
- Tricks Gone Awry
- Unsubstantiated Possibilities
- Odds and Ends
- Notes
- Successful Executions of the Hidden-Ball Trick (264): An Incomplete Listing
- Unsubstantiated Possibilities (38)
- Bibliography
- Index
- About the Author