Topeka Kaws · Topeka, Kansas · 1913

Allowed 3 Hits

Topeka, July 1913. The short grass of Kansas is famous for its grasshoppers, and Doc Reynolds made it more famous with the hopper on the delivery he dished up to Wichita. Three hits, a 5 to 0 whitewash, and the Witches helpless before the big pitcher from the State League. Time of game: an hour and thirty-five minutes.

The Topeka State Journal of July 22, 1913 opened its game story with agriculture: “The short grass of Kansas is famous for its grasshoppers and Doc Reynolds made it more famous with the hopper on the delivery he dished up to Wichita in the opening game of the series.”

The hopper hopped. “ALLOWED 3 HITS,” says the headline, and the subheads pile on like extra base runners: “Doc Reynolds Gave Wichita Team Coat of Whitewash.” “Did Not Allow Safe Drive Until Eighth Inning.” “Given Faultless Support.” Reynolds “held them to a shutout while the Kaws piled up a total of five runs,” and “the Witches were helpless before the big pitcher from the State League.” Through seven innings only two Wichita men reached base at all, “and they got on by grace of free transportation,” which is 1913 for a walk.

The Kaws’ offense came from everywhere, including the mound. “Lanky Pitcher’s Safe Hit Scored First Run,” and right fielder Forsythe “got three safe hits in four times at bat,” including a first-inning triple on which he “died on the bag.” The box score confirms the efficiency of the whole affair: Wichita 0 runs on 3 hits, Topeka 5 on 8, “Umpire—Segrist. Time—1:35.”

An hour and thirty-five minutes. And if you’d wanted to see it coming, you only had to flip around the very same page, where an ad was selling tickets to this series, Tuesday and Wednesday, games at 3:30 o’clock. The Wichita club took its lumps in these pages more than once, including from an almost-mobbed umpire’s crew in 1920.