“He said that he was tired of seeing pitchers go up to the plate and look like an automatic out.” (Sub heading: “Tires of ‘Automatic Outs'”. (Refers to manager Bruno Betzel of te American Association Indianapolis Indians ordering extra batting practice for pitchers.) W. Blaine Patton, “Association Champs Tackle Buffalo Internationalsat Palmetto Today,” Indianapolis Star, March 19, 1929, p14
NOTE: This is the earliest use of the term as defined in the 2009 Dictionary as meaning a batter who is an easy out or the out that he made. There term was also used before (and after) this date to refer to various plays on which a batter or runner is automatically out according to the rules. These include” an infield fly; a runner hit by a batted ball; one runner passing another; two runners occupying the same base; and a dropped third strike with a runner on first and less than two out.
