1908 Baseball Game Ends in Tie So Players Could Catch Train Home

This sports story ran in The Daily Times, Beaver, PA, on April 26, 1908. A couple of things occurred to me while reading it. First, we probably don’t appreciate the independence afforded us by the automobile. There was a time when having a car was a luxury and most people depended upon public transportation. In this story the two ball clubs settle for a tie and skip extra innings “in order to get their last train home.” Second, what the heck is a “bingle”? At first I thought the writer meant “bungle,” especially when I noticed that the U and I on the QWERTY typewriter keys are right next to each other, but then I looked it up: “Noun 1. bingle - a base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base.”

East Liverpool, OH, April – 25 – Leaving the field in the ninth inning with the score 1 to 1 in order to get their last train home, the Beaver Falls Independent put up a good game at Rock Springs Park this afternoon. This was the first games the visitors had played together this season and their work was far above the usual run of independent clubs. Lawton, a new catcher for the locals, worked his first game and proved his worth as a pinch hitter. Twice were three men on bases, but the needed [sic] bingle from the local side was not forthcoming to get the winning run. Crast pitched himself out of several bad holes, while Fisher, for the Potters, in the short time he worked, struck out the majority of visitors who faced him, and did not allow a hit.

The locals got their lone tally in the first: Gaston, first up, walked and stole second. Beecher singled and stole second. Woodruff walked, filling the bases. Alcock flew out and Price flew to the middle, but Gaston scored the out. In the third Crast was safe on an error. Sheets got the best fielder’s choice and a single by Mullen scored Crast.

East Liverpool… 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 1
Beaver Falls ……0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 1
Stolen bases – Gaston, Beecher, Mullen, Sheets
Sacrifice Hits – Price, Kunkle
Struck out – By Nolly 4, by Fisher 3, by Craft 1
Base on balls – Off Nolly 1; off Craft 8
Hit by pitcher – Beecher, Heintz
Hits – Off Nolly 1 in 5 innings
Left on base – East Liverpool 8; Beaver Falls 5
Time – 1:40
Attendance – 500
Umpire - Quinlan