second-guesser (1914), second-guessing (1921)

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

Baseball researcher Peter Morris has written an article on this subject:
        "Baseball _Guesser_ and _Second Guesser_: Antedating _OED_ For
        _Second Guesser_ (1937 To 1914) And Clarifying That The First "Guessers"
        In Baseball Were Not Umpires But Creative-Thinking Managers/Players'. ---
        in: _Comments on Etymology_, vol. 33, no. 7, April 2004, pp. 7-10.

        I'm forwarding Benjamin Zimmer's material below to Peter Morris to see if he
        has any comments about these newly spotted attestations (always
        helpful).

        Gerald Cohen
> ----------
> From:         American Dialect Society on behalf of Benjamin Zimmer
> Reply To:     bgzimmer at rci.rutgers.edu
> Sent:         Tuesday, December 14, 2004 10:59 PM
> To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject:           second-guesser (1914), second-guessing (1921)
>
> * second-guesser (OED2: 1937)
>
> -----------
> (Oshkosh,  Wisconsin) Daily Northwestern, January 3, 1914, p. 11 Remember, this is merely a second guess and not a criticism of Manager McGraw's leadership oi the Giants. The baseball world is full of second
> guessers, a lot of whom believe they know more about the game than any manager or player living.
>
> Atlanta Constitution, January 2, 1916, p. 2B
> (heading) Second Guessers Busy, But Manager Uses Judgment. Playing it over with the second guess is a favorite stunt in baseball. ...
> After the first game of the world's series, the second guessers had Manager Bill Carrigan as a topic for discussion. ...
> (heading) Second Guessers Would Remove Shore, But Carrigan Stands Pat.
> At this point in the game, those with the second guess insisted that Shore should have been removed. ...
> The breaks were against him, two fluky runs were scored, and the second guessers had something to talk about.
> -----------
>
>
> * second-guessing, vbl. n. (OED2: 1946)
>
> -----------
> Appleton (Wisconsin) Post Crescent, July 26, 1921, p. 8
> But the ring is one place where second guessing doesn't bring home the
> well-known bacon.
>
> Syracuse (NY) Herald, June 9, 1922, p. 24
> J.D.R. is right in his statement about second guessing but he forgets that
> second guessing is the natural born right of the baseball fan.
>
> New York Times, Oct 13, 1923, p. 11
> Many second-guessing critics criticized Miller for this alleged oversight,
> but it is questionable if it would have been wise to make the greatest
> hitter in the game bunt when both teams were scoreless and it was only the
> fourth inning.
>
> Syracuse (NY) Herald, Nov 20, 1924, p. 22
> (heading) Rockne Warns College Heads to Spurn Talk of Second Guess Men.
> But the other pest, the second-guesser, is not funny. ... Most of the
> second guessing is loose talk, and is to be taken as such.
> -----------
>
>
> * second-guess, v. (OED2: 1941)
>
> -----------
> Los Angeles Times, Aug 6, 1925, p. A6
> Club Coach Has Hard Job, You Tell 'Em.
> He is "second guessed" by the manager during a ball game.
>
> (Elyria,  Ohio) Chronicle Telegram, Oct 2, 1926, p. 9
> The boys may yet have to second-guess this one.
>
> Syracuse (NY) Herald, May 6, 1928, p. 10
> (heading) "B.B." Bradley Second Guessed Himself Twice.
>
> Decatur (Illinois) Daily Review, Sep 22, 1930, p. 4
> "I want to say right now that I have never second-guessed on any Cub
> player, nor have I ever had a thought of so doing," Hornsby said.
> -----------
>
>
> I'm not so sure about the etymology given for "second-guesser":
>
> [f. SECOND a. + GUESSER, poss. in slang sense > '> umpire (in baseball)> '> , the
> orig. meaning being > '> one who acts as if he is a second umpire> '> : cf. also
> prec.]
>
> Despite the fact that many of the early cites relate to baseball, none of them  suggest a connection to "guesser"="umpire".  More likely it grew out
> of the preexisting phrase "(the) second guess", which appeared in such set expressions as "(the) second guess is (the) best" (equivalent to "hindsight is 20/20")...
>
> ----------->
> Puck, Aug 13, 1902, p. 7
> That prelude to a presidential campaign, the overture of denial, is now to be distinctly heard. The list of gentlemen, who "politely but firmly decline  nomination," is gradually growing. The era of the second guess has yet to arrive.
>
> New York Times, Oct 12, 1912, p. 2
> Not criticising the leaders, because second guess always is best, but in
> both cases it looked as if a bunt was the play.
>
> Syracuse (NY) Herald, Oct 9, 1913, p. 16
> From now on we shall hear the Philadelphia custodians of the second guess
> saying Connie Mack pulled a boneheaded play in letting Plank bat.
>
> Lincoln (Nebraska) Daily News, Aug 20, 1915, p. 8
> The second guess is the best, but the squeeze bunt is one bird of a play
> and it certainly appealed to the disappointed bugs as the Tigers' one best
> bet in that tenth-inning crisis.
>
> New York Times, Jul 19, 1916, p. 10
> However, second guesses are always right.
> -----------
>
>
> -- Ben Zimmer
>
>
>