Finding the Hidden Ball Trick

The dying art of the hidden-ball trick dates back to the early days of pro baseball, with seven successful executions documented in 1876 alone. This ruse occurs when a baseman conceals the ball instead of returning it to the pitcher. When the runner steps off the base, he is summarily tagged out with the hidden ball. The trick has been used some 264 times with success, a rarity roughly in the class of the no-hitter. The hidden-ball trick has produced many hilarious stories throughout the years, and even enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in 2013 when it was employed twice late in the season.
In Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick: The Colorful History of Baseball's Oldest Ruse, every known execution of the hidden-ball trick in the major leagues is documented, compiled from decades of research. This book recounts how the hidden-ball trick has completed triple plays, ended games, resulted in two arrests, cost a Hall of Famer a managing job, and even occurred in a World Series. Stories include how Fred Merkle gained revenge on Johnny Evers, how Gary Carter was caught to end a game-on his birthday-and how Lou Boudreau was nabbed the day after saying the play was obsolete.
In addition to a complete chronological listing of every documented ruse, Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick also includes descriptions of tricks that went awry and a list of unsubstantiated accounts. This unique compilation of baseball stories will be of interest to baseball scholars and fans alike.

Bill Deane was the Senior Research Associate at the National Baseball Hall of Fame from 1986 to 1994 and was managing editor of Total Baseball. He has authored eight books, including Baseball Myths: Debating, Debunking, and Disproving Tales from the Diamond (2012), and has written more than 200 book-chapters and articles about baseball. In 1989, Deane won the SABR-Macmillan Baseball Research Award for his SABR book, Award Voting.

Introduction
What is the Hidden-Ball Trick?
History of the Trick
Masters of the Trick ... and Their Victims
1876-89: The Early Tricks
1890-99: Gaiety in the '90s
1900-09: Coughlin Corner Tricks
1910-19: Ban Tries to Ban It
1920-29: A Decade Dominated by Babe Who?
1930-39: The Crow Flies High
1940-49: Pesky Holding the Ball
1950-59: Step off the Base a Minute, Will Ya?
1960-69: Stick Was Slick
1970-79: Elementary, My Dear Watson
1980-89: Happy Birthday, Kid!
1990-99: Master Matt
2000-Present: A Dying Art?
Tricks Gone Awry
Unsubstantiated Possibilities
Odds and Ends
Chronological Listing
Appendix A: Successful Executions of the Hidden Ball Trick
Appendix B: Unsubstantiated Possibilities
Bibliography
Notes
Index
About the Author