middle relief (1955),-antedating 1952

[Sam Clements]

NYTimes, 24 April, 1952.  p. 41  (using Proquest)

<<Besides his first homer, Wilhelm came out of the contest with his first
major league pitching victory.  Credit for the triumph went to the rookie
knuckle-baller for his five-and-one-third-inning middle relief stint,
durning which he allowed six hits and two runs.>>

SC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Benjamin Zimmer" <bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 11:00 PM
Subject: middle relief (1955), middle reliever (1961)


> middle relief (OED3 draft entry has 1980):
>
>    Wisconsin Rapids (Wisconsin) Daily Tribune, March 26, 1955, p. 6
>    "Lane's relief work has been the most encouraging feature of
>    our training season to date," said Manager Birdie Tebbets.
>    "When training opened I figured Lane to be my middle relief
>    pitcher. But on the strength of what he's done to date, I'd
>    say at this time that he is going to be my No. 1 man."
>
>    Coshocton (Ohio) Tribune, August 17, 1955, p. 9
>    Feller, quite naturally, doesn't relish his current role as
>    early and middle relief pitcher, the lowest rung on the
>    pitching staff.
>
> middle reliever (OED3 draft entry has 1981):
>
>    New York Times, April 7, 1961, p. 35
>    "One addition likely will be Jim Coates, who could be a starter
>    now. But for the present I think he'll help us more as a middle
>    reliever."
>
>    New York Times, May 30, 1961, p. 11
>    "So maybe a couple of weeks in the bullpen as middle reliever
>    will help straighten him out."
>
>    (Zanesville,  Ohio) Times Recorder, November 19, 1961, p. 4D
>    "If one fails, Houk brings up a middle reliever to start. You are
>    classified as a starter or a reliever and it's a competitive thing.
>    "With Casey, everybody was everything. You never knew how to
>    condition yourself. Starters should run a lot. Middle relievers
>    run not quite so much."
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>