haymaker (boxing) antedated (?) to 1899

[sclements at NEO.RR.COM]

Even if Stephen's find isn't a haymaker=punch, the "punch" use can be found using Genealogy Bank in 1900.

11 September 1900-- _The Denver Evening Post_ 7/1

Only an accidental "haymaker" from McCoy's right could have won the fight for the kid.

Sam Clements

---- "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET> wrote: 
> 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
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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