Baseball's "Shoot" & "Sacrifice" (1880, 1883, 1892)

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   The April 2003 COMMENTS ON ETYMOLOGY has an article on "shoot" and another on "sacrifice."  Gerald Cohen may re-post this.  The first two articles (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN and NEW YORK TIMES) below are the same, taken from the PHILADELPHIA PRESS of 20 August 1883.



(AMERICAN PERIODICAL SERIES database)
Scientific American (1845-1908), New York; Sep 8, 1883; Vol. Vol. XLIX., Iss. 0 2. The Science of Ball Pitching.; pg. 153, 1 pgs
("That idea, by the way, is still prevalent, and there are many people who believe in an 'up' curve and an 'out' curve, a zig-zag and a 'double' curve, and 'shoots' and 'jumps,' and fast and slow balls to match. ... 'Drop' balls, or balls which apparently shoot or curve downward, are all deceptive work, and are thrown from the highest start th rules allow. ... Good, straight pitching, thorough command over the ball, a good out 'curve,' and a good in 'shoot' are what the great pitchers are working with to-day and I, for my part, don't believe in anything else.")


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS database)
THE CURVE BALL.; WHY THE BATTERY HAS GROWN SUPERIOR TO THE SKILLED POUNDERS.; New York Times (1857-Current file), New York, N.Y.; Aug 22, 1883; pg. 3, 1 pgs

TARGET, TURF AND FIELD.; SCORES OF THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL RIFLE MATCH. Bicycling Around the Circle -- Base Ball -- Oxford and Cambridge at Cricket -- Yesterday's Races at Chicago and Brighton Beach.; The Washington Post (1877-1954), Washington, D.C.; Jun 30, 1880; pg. 1, 1 pgs
("He is a fine pitcher, has any amount of curve, a fine down shoot ball and good command of it.")


(BROOKLYN EAGLE database)
   1 May 1892, BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE, pg. 4:
_A BASE BALL DICTIONARY_
_Technical Terms of the Diamond Explained for the Uninitiated._
...the San Francisco _News Letter_...
(...)  The glossary contains all the important base ball words and slang...
Assist...
Base on Balls...
Battery...
Batted In...
Batted the Streeze--Struck out.
Balk...
Beat Out...
Block (or blocked ball)...
Box, the--The pitcher's position.
Bunt...
Called Balls...
Caught Napping...
Caught at the Plate...
Caught Between Bases...
Chase the Leather, or the SPhere--To run after the ball when batted to the field.
Come Home...
Corker...
COaching...
Curves...
Cut the Plate in Two...
Daisy Cutter...
Dead Ball...
Diamond...
Dirty Ball...
Drive, a...
Drop Ball...
Double...
Double Up, Double Play...
Earned Run...
Error...
Fair Ball...
Fair Ground...
Fan--An enthusiast who talks base ball incessantly.
Flew Out...
Field...
Force...
Foul Ball...
Foul Strike...
Fill the Bases...
Foul Tip...
Fumble...
Fly...
Garden, the--The entire field.
Hit...
Hit by Pitcher...
Hot One...
Infield...
Illegal Delivery...
Inning...
Juggle...
Lead Off...
Left (Died) on Base...
Muff...
Outfield...
Passed Ball...
Plate...
Pop Fly...
Rap Out...
Retired...
Retire the Side...
Run Down...
Sacrifice--To hit the ball so that the batsman himself is retired, but a base runner is advanced a base.  (See Hit.)
Steal a Base...
SLide...
Stick...
Stick Work...
Strike Out...
Single...
Shoot--The delivery of the ball to the batsman by the pitcher so that it flies up, down or to either side, when near the plate, from a straight course, according to the desire and ability of the pitcher.
Stolen Base...
Shut Out (Chicago)...
Twirler...
Time at Bat...
Triple Play...
Wild Pitch...
Yard--The field.
Yellow Ball--Poor playing.