Evening Times-Republican · Marshalltown, Iowa · 1915

Batteries for today are, announces the umpire

A world's series photo feature on the men behind the plate: Burns and Cady posed over a packed Boston park, and a definition of the catcher as the man who receives the ball, provided the batter does not intercept it.

Page two of the same October 9, 1915 Evening Times-Republican that tracked the president’s hat gave its picture space to the world’s series. Two photos of catchers, Burns of the Phillies and Cady of the Red Sox, are posed like giants over a panorama of a packed Boston park, under a pair of headlines that stage the whole ritual: “Batteries for today are,” says umpire. “Who’s the catcher?” asks the crowd.

The caption writer then produces one of the great job descriptions in baseball. After the umpire’s announcement “the crowd at the world’s series game sits back to watch the pitcher wind up for the opening throw. Next to him in importance is the man who receives the ball, provided the batter does not intercept it.”

The rest is a quick tour of the backstops. Both clubs “are well provided,” though Philadelphia’s chances “were injured when Killifer, their star catcher, was injured and his playing in the big series made doubtful.” Burns is his good understudy, “Cady is considered the best bet of the Red Sox behind the plate, altho Manager Carrigan dons the mitts sometimes,” and Pat Moran of the Phillies was a catcher in his playing days too. The catching, at least, was in no doubt whatsoever.