Vintage Base Ball

Words of the Week

ACE – In 1869, pitcher Asa Brainard won 56 out of 57 games for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first professional team. From then on, any pitcher with a dazzling string of wins was called an “Asa,” which later became “ace.” The first believed usage of the word, in print, was in the November 15, 1902, issue of The Sporting News.

BRANDER – A ball that is hit hard by the batter; one that dents or brands the ground. First usage in the September 16, 1869, issue of the New York Herald.

* Information gleaned from The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, ©1989, edited and compiled by Paul Dickson, published by William & Morrow.