Official 1898 baseball document filled with foul language

Robert Edward Auctions recently received several lots from the estate of baseball historian Al Kermisch. One of the items was a document from 1898 titled "Special Instructions To Players," about "revolting terms used by a limited number of players to intimidate umpires and opposing players." It's filled with quite a few colorful examples of such insults and exclamations and, according to the auction house, is the "most offensive official Major League baseball document that we have ever seen." They're not sure whether to auction it or not so, in the meantime, they've scanned the document and posted it to their blog. What a delight! Link (Thanks, Sean Ness!)

[#1 posted by jplkeekif , December 4, 2007 1:09 PM]

Wow, for some reason I never thought people used such "revolting terms" way back then. This is awesome!

[#2 posted by Bat Guano , December 4, 2007 1:17 PM]

Of course some used profane language back then, but I always thought that "Deadwood" was exaggerating... C@%#-suckers!

[#3 posted by Paul Coleman , December 4, 2007 1:41 PM]

I especially like that the document says:
[UNMAILABLE. Must be forwarded by express.]

Wonder if the postal service was subject to obscenity laws...probably.

[#4 posted by Umbriel , December 4, 2007 2:04 PM]

The Comstock Act apparently came into force in 1873, so it would indeed probably have been illegal to mail such material.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comstock_Law

For more 19th Century naughtiness, check out the Barrison Sisters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrison_Sisters

[#5 posted by Tits McGee , December 4, 2007 2:06 PM]

This delights me beyond all reason.

[#6 posted by Registrado , December 4, 2007 2:14 PM]

The end of the first paragraph reveals that Dick Cheney is quite a fan of old-timey baseball.

[#7 posted by agoodsandwich , December 4, 2007 2:18 PM]

this makes me unreasonably happy.

[#8 posted by Cazart , December 4, 2007 3:33 PM]

What!? Brian Sabean was alive in 1898?

[#9 posted by justin , December 4, 2007 3:53 PM]

This makes me feel like my late-night cuss-laden Halo matches on Xbox Live are part of a grand sporting tradition. Hurrah!

[#10 posted by Roger Strong , December 4, 2007 4:23 PM]

That sort of language is universal.

Q: How do you get eight old ladies to say "Sh*t!"?
A: Have a ninth say "Bingo!"

[#11 posted by klg19 , December 4, 2007 5:41 PM]

I'm reminded of the scene from "Bull Durham," where we learn that the one thing that will definitely get a player ejected from a game is calling the umpire a cocksucker.

[#12 posted by semiotix , December 4, 2007 7:26 PM]

This is going to completely change the way we do things at my Gentlemen's Society for the Re-Enactment of 19th-Century Fisticuffs, Rough-Housing, and Belligerent Disportment.