In the National League, [John T.] Brush tried to introduce reforms and to punish miscreants, partly from conviction and partly because he thought it made business sense. ... League attendance figures, stagnant on a per-club basis, worried him. At a league meeting in March 1898, Brush pushed through a resolution to “suppress obscene, indecent, and vulgar language on the ball field by players.” It passed unanimously, and then a shocking secret memorandum was delivered by hand to each of the twelve clubs and perhaps each league player—its obscenity made it undeliverable by ordinary mail without risk of federal prosecution—detailing precisely the language that had been complained of in the previous year.
That document was never seen until 2007, when an auction house discovered it in a box of papers belonging to a Baltimore collector. A copy was placed online and drew immediate widespread attention before fetching over $30,000 at auction. Following, the auction house describes the initial reaction to publication:
We posted the story of its discovery on the REA blog. Never, in our thirty-plus years, have we received so many responses, comments, and opinions about a single piece. And not just by baseball memorabilia collectors. This piece elicited responses from hundreds of sports fans, historians, students of popular culture, fans of the HBO Deadwood series, professional linguists, and college professors, all of whom were drawn to the piece because of its ironic and early use of off-color language. Newspapers called. Salon.com did a story. For a couple of days it was hard to get any work done around here. Amazingly, a number of the eminent scholars who read this document believe that it contains the earliest appearance in print of a few, now commonly used, obscene words and phrases. (For more information regarding this piece, we recommend visiting the REA blog to read our three separate entries, two of which [here and here] include links to additional articles and comments made by others relating to the document.)
Full text of the 1898 document is as follows:
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO PLAYERS.
In a contest between two leading clubs during the championship season of 1897, the stands being crowded with patrons of the game, a gentleman occupying a seat in the front row near the players' bench, asked one of the visiting players who was going to pitch for them. The player made no reply. He then asked a second time. The gentleman, his wife who sat with him, and others of both sexes, within hearing distance, were outraged upon hearing the player reply in a loud, brutal tone, "Oh, go fuck yourself."
On being remonstrated with by his fellow-players, who told him there were ladies present, he retorted he didn't give a damn, that they had no business there anyhow.
This shocking indecency was brought to the attention of the League at the Philadelphia meeting in November, 1897, and a committee was appointed to report upon this baseball crime, define and suggest for it a remedy.
In response to nearly one hundred communications addressed to umpires, managers and club officials, soliciting definite, positive and personal knowledge of obscene and indecent language upon the ball field, the committee received a deluge of information that was so appalling as to be almost beyond belief, showing conclusively and beyond contradiction that there was urgent need for legislative action on the part of the League.
That such brutal language as "You cock-sucking son of a bitch!" "You prick-eating bastard!" "You cunt-lapping dog!" "Kiss my ass, you son of a bitch!" "A dog must have fucked your mother when she made you!" "I fucked your mother, you sister, your wife!" "I'll make you suck my ass!" "You cock-sucker!" and many other revolting terms are used by a limited number of players to intimidate umpires and opposing players, and are promiscuously used upon the ball field, is vouched for by the almost unanimous assertion of those invited to speak, and who are competent to speak from personal knowledge. Whether it be the language quoted above, or some other indecent and infamous invention of depravity, the League is pledged to remove it from the ball field, whether it necessitates the removal of the offender for a day or for all time. Any indecent or obscene word, sentence, or expression, unfit for print or the human ear, whether mentioned in these instructions or not, is contemplated under the law and within its intent and meaning, and will be dealt with without fear or favor when the fact is established by conclusive proof.
By Order of the Committee.
[UNMAILABLE. Must be forwarded by Express]
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