Does "hurler" predate 1906?

[Gerald Cohen]

My thanx to Wayne McElreavy and Skip McAfee for their replies to my
forwarded query from Sam Clements concerning the earliest dating of
"hurler" (pitcher). I now share the two replies below. Dickson's
baseball dictionary gives 1908, but Sam Clements found an example
from 1906. Sam, if you could share your 1906 antedating with us, I'm
sure this would be much appreciated.

    Meanwhile, the two responses I received are reproduced below my signoff.

Gerald Cohen
P.S. for ads-l: Skip McAfee is Paul Dickson's assistant in preparing
new editions of his very useful baseball dictionary.


>From: "Wayne McElreavy" <mac at cyberportal.net>
>To: <gcohen at umr.edu>
>Subject: Re: [19cBB] Does "hurler" predate 1906?
>Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 23:20:13 -0500
>
>
>Here is a citation of hurler describing a hitter:
>
>LA Times, May 28, 1905. p. III2 "home-run hurlers"



>From: Skip McAfee <xerxes7 at earthlink.net>
>Subject: The Term "Hurler"
>
>Gerald:
>
>The earliest citation we have for "hurler" for the 3rd ed. of the
>Dickson Baseball Dictionary is April 5, 1907 (Chicago Tribune).
>
>However, Sports Illustrated (June 27, 1994), in an article on
>vintage base ball, wrote that a pitcher, circa 1858, was known as a
>"hurler".  The SABR Halsey Hall Chapter's vintage base ball team,
>the Quicksteps, following 1858 rules, notes that the pitcher is
>"called the 'hurler'."  Maybe one of the 19th Century SABR guys can
>point to an 1858 document that includes the term "hurler".
>
>What is your 1906 source?
>
>Skip McAfee
>xerxes7 at earthlink.net