# Do you know about baseball in the 1930's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300 "2007-12-26T18:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/1 "2007-12-26T18:15:26Z")
Then you may be able to help me understand a brief reference in the first Nero Wolfe book (by Rex Stout), published in 1934. Archie Goodwin mentions ‘ **Snyder leaping one handed to spear a hot liner** ’. I assume this is a fielder for one of the New York teams (the books are set in Manhatten) catching a ball driven hard along one side of the baseball field. Am I right? I’m pretty sure this is a real person, since another book mentions Texas Guinan, who was pretty interesting! ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/2 "2007-12-26T18:25:08Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Then you may be able to help me understand a brief reference in the first Nero Wolfe book (by Rex Stout), published in 1934. Archie Goodwin mentions ‘ **Snyder leaping one handed to spear a hot liner** ’. I assume this is a fielder for one of the New York teams (the books are set in Manhatten) catching a ball driven hard along one side of the baseball field. Am I right? I’m pretty sure this is a real person, since another book mentions Texas Guinan, who was pretty interesting! [/QUOTE] The only Snyder who played in that general time frame was Frank Snyder, who played for the New York Giants until 1926, but he was a catcher, so the description wouldn’t fit (Catchers don’t “spear liners”.) Your presumption is correct, but it looks like the player is fictional. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/3 "2007-12-26T18:28:43Z")
You’ve got the scenario right. Spear is sportswriter lingo for a quick one-handed catch, and a liner is a line drive, which is a hard-hit ball which doesn’t have much arc on it. The only Snyder I can find playing in New York in the era is [Frank](http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/snydefr01.shtml) , who retired after 1927. But he was mainly a catcher, who wouldn’t get to spear liners very often. Maybe it was spelled differently? Beaten by Lamar! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/4 "2007-12-26T18:35:00Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Archie Goodwin mentions ‘ **Snyder leaping one handed to spear a hot liner** ’. [/QUOTE] [hijack] I don’t know if you’re quoting from memory or directly from the book, but the phrasing is a bit odd to me. All the terminology is correct (and is still used today), but “leaping one-handed” creates a weird visual for me. 🙂 I think an announcer would be more likely to say “Snyder leaping and spearing a hot liner (one-handed).” As pointed out in the previous posts, the “one-handed” part isn’t even necessary as it is implied by the use of “spear,” but it seems misplaced regardless. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/5 "2007-12-26T18:35:00Z")
Couldn’t Snyder be a player from another team in NYC to play the Yankees? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/6 "2007-12-26T18:38:54Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Couldn’t Snyder be a player from another team in NYC to play the Yankees? [/QUOTE] I looked [here](http://www.baseball-reference.com/player_search.cgi?search=snyder&Search+for+Player.x=55&Search+for+Player.y=11) for anyone named Snyder, regardless of team. And don’t forget the Dodgers and the Giants. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/7 "2007-12-26T18:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Couldn’t Snyder be a player from another team in NYC to play the Yankees? [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, there weren’t any. > **[The Ballplayers: A Baseball Player Encyclopedia (Smithberg to Stanley)](https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player-s4.shtml)** > > The Ballplayers is a Baseball Player Encyclopedia and this page covers (Smithberg to Stanley). _I knew I should have refreshed…_ At least my link is different. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/8 "2007-12-26T18:50:28Z")
Ah, well, then, never mind. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/9 "2007-12-26T19:07:48Z")
He could have replaced an injured player at one of the other positions perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/10 "2007-12-26T19:23:46Z")
It is an odd phrase. Making a “one-handed” catch is not is that remarkable – there is a glove only on one hand, I’m sure almost all line drives are caught one-handed. It sounds to me like he heard the phrase “bare-handed catch” and then remembered it wrongly. As far as the player goes, maybe he was going all Nostramdamus on us and predicting the great Brooklyn outfielder Duke Snider, just getting his name wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/11 "2007-12-26T20:06:07Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] He could have replaced an injured player at one of the other positions perhaps. [/QUOTE] The Baseball Almanac indicates the only position he ever played with the Giants was catcher. In any case, it would be very unusual for a catcher to replace any other fielding position in the course of a game. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/12 "2007-12-26T20:29:35Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] It is an odd phrase. Making a “one-handed” catch is not is that remarkable – there is a glove only on one hand, I’m sure almost all line drives are caught one-handed. [/QUOTE] That’s true today, but with the smaller, less flexible gloves of the 1930’s ([see pics](http://keymancollectibles.com/baseballgloves.htm)), fielders attempted to catch balls with two hands when possible. In that era, a leap and a one-handed catch of a line drive hit over one’s head would be worthy of comment. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/13 "2007-12-26T21:22:07Z")
Also, the leaping part would be remarkable. It would mean the ball was over the player’s head and he jumped up to get it. That’s a pretty impressive play even today, especially on a hot liner, where you’re going on reflexes alone. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/14 "2007-12-26T22:16:05Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] The Baseball Almanac indicates the only position he ever played with the Giants was catcher. In any case, it would be very unusual for a catcher to replace any other fielding position in the course of a game. [/QUOTE] You are correct, sir. He played some first, second and short for other teams before he went to the Giants. I’m beginning to think that **Lamar** was correct, that it was a reference to a fictional player. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/15 "2007-12-26T22:24:08Z")
Here’s the original paragraph for context: > [@](#): > > As many times as I had been there, I never went in the plant-rooms without catching my breath. It was like other things I’ve noticed, for instance no matter how often you may have seen Snyder leap in the air and one-handed spear a hot liner like one streak of lightning stopping another one, when you see it again your heart stops. It was that way in the plant-rooms. I think it’s clear that Stout was just straining for a metaphor and that "Snyder’ was a name invented for the purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/16 "2007-12-26T22:27:26Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] Here’s the original paragraph for context: I think it’s clear that Stout was just straining for a metaphor and that "Snyder’ was a name invented for the purpose. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the actual quote. I think you and **Lamar Mundane** are correct. A random, made-up name. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/17 "2007-12-27T00:27:00Z")
Thanks to all who replied. 😃 Given that Texas Guinan (mentioned by Stout in a later book) **did** exist, I thought it was odd that he made this name up. Happy New Year! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/18 "2007-12-27T01:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Thanks to all who replied. 😃 [/QUOTE] Lucky you asked about baseball. It’s about all anybody _does_ know about from the '30s these days, except for movies and a broad outline of politics. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/19 "2007-12-27T02:08:17Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Lucky you asked about baseball. It’s about all anybody _does_ know about from the '30s these days, except for movies and a broad outline of politics. [/QUOTE] Speak for yourself, non-history-buff. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300/20 "2007-12-27T02:33:12Z")
You sure it was the 30s? I guess Rex Stout might have been writing that early. At any rate Hall of Famer Duke Snider played from 1947 to 1964, mostly with the Brooklyn (and then Los Angeles) Dodgers and was a star center fielder and slugger. I once saw him hit a ball that went over the 40 right field wall in Shibe Park right near the 465 foot sign. Mickey Mantle hit HRs over 500 feet, but this was close. And yes he could have made a one-handed spear leaping in the air. He wasn’t up to Willie Mays but he was a super center fielder. Could Rex Stout have got the spelling wrong? I just checked and it was Snider. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-about-baseball-in-the-1930s/431300.md?page=2)