play pepper

[Garson O'Toole]

victor steinbok wrote
>
> I've been trying to put together a long post on this, particularly on
> the 1914 bit. But it's taking more time than I expected.

I look forward to seeing the post.  I do think it is unlikely that
term "pepper game" in the context of a robbery (mentioned on the other
thread) is connected to the baseball usage.

Here is an idea for how the term "pepper game" may have arisen in baseball.

The word pepper can be associated with repeatedly hitting the ball.
For example, "pepper the ball" in the citation below means achieving a
series of hits.

Cite: 1910 March 3, Giant Regulars Trim the Yaps, Page 10, New London,
Connecticut. (Google News archive)

Chief Meyers continued as catcher, and this bunch of misfits began to
pepper the ball. They tied the score in the seventh inning and then
won out.


In the following cite "peppering" refers to a series of hits. Possibly
"pepper game" emerged from the sense associated with these types of
uses.

Cite: 1910 July 09, New York Times, Yankees Pile Up Thirteen Tallies,
Page 9, New York. (ProQuest)

The Yankees  gave  the Chicago White Sox a ferocious flaying on the
Hilltop yesterday, peppering Jim Scott and "Young Cy " Young with
savage drives, slamming the ball against the  fence  and galloping
around the  bases so often that they were ready to from exhaustion.


OED has a first cite in 1914 for "pepper game". Here is baseball great
Satchel Paige playing a pepper game in 1913.

Cite: 1913 August 13, Lewiston Evening Journal,  Satchel Paige Termed
World's Greatest Chucker, Page 6, Lewiston, Maine. (Google News
archive)

The Negro ace is never quiet when he is around the diamond. Long
before the game started he was out tossing a ball around and then he
engaged in a "pepper game" for at least half-an-hour, instigating the
thing and remaining out there long after the others had had their
fill.

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