Grand Slam (1929); Ballpark Figure (1965); Old College Try (1919); Shoestring & Basket Catches

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GRAND SLAM

   Paul Dickson's BASEBALL DICTIONARY cites Barry Popik on this.  Popik's wrong.

   27 May 1929, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 31:
   The game's most remarkable feature was the stark fact that each manager, in his turn, picked a pinch-hitter who delivered a home run with the bases filled.  One pinch- hitter thus producing what is known in baseball as a grand slam is enough to make a ball game momentous. (...)

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BALLPARK FIGURE

   Paul Dickson gives "in the ballpark" from 1962 and "ballpark figure" from 1968.

   9 December 1965, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 1:
   A report that the initial development and production order would be for about 200 aircraft was accepted in qualified quarters as an "accurate ballpark figure"--jargon for a reasonable guess.

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OLD COLLEGE TRY

    I also looked at "college try."  The following was written by future baseball Hall-of-Famer Christy Mathewson, so it's clearly an antedate we want.  Paul Dickson has 1927.

   19 October 1919, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. S5:
   Frisch was taking a long hold on his club and the old college try at the ball.

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SHOESTRING CATCH

   Dickson has 1912.

   13 May 1911, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 14:
   Both teams did some briliant fielding stunts.  A shoestring catch by Sheckard of Becker's drive to left centre in the fourth, which he turned into a double play, was the headliner, and Johnny Kling contributed a wonderful catch against the stands on Wilson's foul in the eighth inning.

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BASKET CATCH

   Dickson gives no date, but Rabbit Maranville's name is mentioned.

   17 August 1924, pg. 25:
   Maranville here missed one of his celebrated basket catches of a pop fly by Kelly...

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BALTIMORE CHOP

   "Charmed," to be sure.  Paul Dickson has 1910.

   20 July 1909, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 5:
   Then Raymond grabbed Konetchy's Baltimore chop and made a play for Phelps, who had reached third on the battery error.