haymaker (boxing) antedated (?) to 1899

[Joel S. Berson]

I am led to wonder whether there is any 
connection between "haymaker" and "rainmaker", in 
one or more of three arenas -- batted ball in 
baseball, and bringer-in of income.  At least one 
other connection -- rain makes hay.  :-)

Joel

At 8/17/2014 11:57 AM, Christopher Philippo wrote:
>On Aug 17, 2014, at 10:43 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU> wrote:
> > "He [Brady] knows that there is more money in 
> one fight in New York than th=
> > ere is in half dozen at Carson or some other 
> outlandish place where finish =
> > fights are possible. Besides, he's got the 
> best haymaker in the puglistic m=
> > eadow."
> >
> > Nov. 13, 1899 (Mon.), "The Old Sport's 
> Musings" in The Philadelphia Inquire=
> > r p. 6 col. 1 (America's Historic Newspapers)
>
>I would have thought much older for 
>haymaker=punch, if not necessarily 
>boxer=haymaker.  The Unions of Lansingburgh, a 
>baseball team created in 1860, were nicknamed 
>the “Haymakers” before 1867, possibly in 
>1866.  They had a reputation for being brawlers, 
>but a number of recent texts about them present 
>the nickname as big city slur on them being from 
>the Town of Lansingburgh (known actually for its 
>brush industry, not for being a farm 
>community).  Some do attribute it to their 
>punches.  Neither seem to present sources to 
>back their claims (at least on a cursory review 
>of them just now).  Over time it may have meant 
>both things with respect to the team, and it 
>looks like it might also have come to mean a hit in baseball:
>
>“When the news of the first innings was 
>received, showing a tally of 6 for the ‘Mowers’ 
>to 0 for the Mutuals, the faces of the crowd 
>perceptibly brightened, and it was felt that the 
>‘reconstructed’ nine meant business, and the 
>chances of their success looked decidedly 
>encouraging, and as inning after inning came in, 
>and the boys were seen to be steadily increasing 
>their lead, hope became certainty, and there 
>were plenty of ‘Haymakers’ to be found, the 
>batting of the Haymakers was very heavy, two and 
>three base hits being frequently made, and York secured a home run.”
>“The National Game; ‘Blood will Tell’—The 
>Haymakers Mow Down the Mutuals—The ‘Blue Above 
>the Green.’” Troy Daily Whig. May 26, 1871: 3 col 3.
>
>Chris Philippo
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