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From: omh@brunix.UUCP (Owen M. Hartnett)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Getting to 1st without a hit, revisited
Message-ID: <12173@brunix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Feb-85 00:33:27 EST
Article-I.D.: brunix.12173
Posted: Fri Feb 15 00:33:27 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 18-Feb-85 06:18:24 EST
References: ucla-cs.3642, <263@ihu1m.UUCP>
Lines: 36

The incident is written up in the book "The Glory of Their Times" by
Lawrence Ritter.  The 1st base stealer's name was Germany Schaefer.
The book consists of several extensive (and great) interviews with
old time ballplayers.  This incident was narrated by Davy Jones:

[Schaefer had just stolen second trying to draw a throw so
a man on third would score]

...So now we had men on second and third.  Well, on the next pitch
Schaefer yelled, "Let's try it again!"  And with a blood-curdling shout
he took off like a wild Indian back to first base, and dove in headfirst in
a cloud of dust...

He figured the catcher might throw to first-since he evidently wouldn't
throw to second. [the catcher held the ball on the first steal].

But nothing happened.  Nothing at all. Everybody just stood there and
watched Schaefer, with their mouths open. Me, too.  Even if the catcher had
throw to first, I was too stunned to move, I'll tell you that.  But
the catcher didn't throw.  He just stared!  In fact, George Stovall, the
Cleveland first baseman, was playing way back and didn't even come in to
cover the bag...

The umpires were just as confused as everybody else.  However, it turned out
that at that time there wasn't any rule against a guy going from second
back to first, if that's the way he wanted to play baseball, so they had
to let it stand...

[Schaefer tried to steal second again.]

And on the next pitch darned if he didn't let out another war whoop and
take off agin for second base.  By this time the Cleveland catcher
evidently had enough, because he finally threw to second to get
Schaefer, and when he did I took off for home and both of us were safe.

[I highly recommend the book]