Photo of the Day Monday March 24, 2014 Bringing out the heavy artillery.....You tell the story

mchenrycards · Mar 24, 2014

Today's photo of the day is just begging to have a story told for it. The "slug" on the back of this wire photo is in Spanish (I think) so I cannot make heads or tails out of it so I will leave the story up to you guys. I can tell you This was apparently at Shibe Park in Philadelphia and the catcher is Ian Brokaw (these are the only words I can understand from the slug on the back of the photo).

So have at it guys. I have post a photo of the information that is on the back if you think it will help.

I hope you enjoy today's photo of the day.

Ashburn Alley · Mar 24, 2014

dano7 · Mar 24, 2014

Wish I could make out what the rest of the WARNING said in the outfield.
DANNY

gracecollector · Mar 24, 2014

It was billed as the "Catch of Death" in the newspapers of the day. Bill Taylor, as Ashburn Alley points out, was introduced as the stuntman Ian Brokaw. It was reported that the 75 mm artillary gun was loaded with a "light charge," but the baseball still flew "twice as fast as a Feller fastball" and knocked back the catcher several feet, who caught it 110 ft. from the end of the barrel and managed to hold on. In setting up the stunt, the first trial used a larger charge, and the ball whizzed by Taylors head and left a hole in the scoreboard - wonder if that's the second photo?!

Check out this view:

http://books.google.com/books?id=JX...wAw#v=onepage&q=shibe park ian brokaw&f=false

gracecollector · Mar 24, 2014

dano7 said:
Wish I could make out what the rest of the WARNING said in the outfield.
DANNY

I can make out all but one word - thought it would be "objects" but doesn't look right:

WARNING
PERSONS THROWING BOTTLES
OR OTHER (?) WILL BE
ARRESTED and PROSECUTED

EDIT: Found it, the missing word is MISSILES. The warning sign was placed there in 1941 when the new scoreboard - biggest in baseball - was added by Connie Mack.

dano7 · Mar 24, 2014

gracecollector said:
I can make out all but one word - thought it would be "objects" but doesn't look right:

WARNING
PERSONS THROWING BOTTLES
OR OTHER (?) WILL BE
ARRESTED and PROSECUTED

EDIT: Found it, the missing word is MISSILES. The warning sign was placed there in 1941 when the new scoreboard - biggest in baseball - was added by Connie Mack.

Thanks! I thought it might have something to do with the stunt itself, and I guess that it could actually apply!
DANNY

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Photo of the Day Monday March 24, 2014 Bringing out the heavy artillery.....You tell the story

mchenrycards

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