Americana & the U.S.

When I interviewed John Hollison in 1966, I had no idea in one game John pitched in 1892, one hit, a home run by Buck Ewing of Cincinati Red Stockings, would be the origin of classic baseball phrase “knocked the cover off the ball!”

At the end of my 1966 interview with John Hollison, he had psychologically transformed from a 96-year-old man to a 22-year-old boy. I reenvisioned that young ballplayer, as he excitedly described how Buck Ewing (fifth highest batting average in professional baseball in 1892 season while playing for the CIncinati Red Stockings) “… hammered my spitball, but I thought he’d just gotten under it, popped it up as I looked up, reached out and caught what I thought was the ball… but was only the cover of that ball which was on its way without cover over the center field fence of our Chicago Colt’s South Side Park! The ball was retrieved by fellow ballplayer and was with a laugh given to me in our dugout by Cap Anson, Colts’ playing manager. I’ve kept this coverless ball for 74 years, which I want you to have Jim for your collection.” It was many years later, a baseball historian informed John the ball was the historic origin of the famous baseball phrase “knocked the cover off the ball!”