official at-bat (1901)

“Officially, he was at bat only four times, as his eye was so good yesterday that he drew a base on balls twice and made a sacrifice hit. The ‘official’ times at bat were judiciously spent on three clean singles and a fly to Hickman.” “Another Pitchers’ Battle,” St. Louis republic, July 15, 1901, p5

No earliest use given in 2009 Dickson Baseball Dictionary

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