“Esper held the Reds down until the fifth inning, when Reilly beat out a scratch hit.” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 28, 1891, p3
Previous earliest use (Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd edition, 2009):
1892 (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 1, p. 4).
Earliest uses of baseball terms
“Esper held the Reds down until the fifth inning, when Reilly beat out a scratch hit.” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 28, 1891, p3
Previous earliest use (Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd edition, 2009):
1892 (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 1, p. 4).
