Germany Schaefer Steals First

A story in Lawrence Ritter's The Glory of Their Times has Germany Schaefer stealing first against Cleveland in 1908, told years later by teammate Davy Jones. The details do not survive contact with the newspapers. Historians treat that version as folklore.

The documented one is August 4, 1911, Washington against the White Sox, the score tied in the bottom of the ninth. Clyde Milan was on third and Schaefer on first. Schaefer stole second, hoping catcher Fred Payne would throw and let Milan come home. Payne held the ball. On the next pitch Schaefer took off back toward first. Umpire Tommy Connolly let it stand. There was no rule against running the bases in reverse.

White Sox manager Hugh Duffy came out to argue. While he did, Schaefer broke for second again, was caught in a rundown, and Milan was thrown out trying to score. Connolly said afterward that Schaefer had a perfect right to go from second back to first. In 1920, after Schaefer's death, the rules changed: a runner who reverses direction to confuse the defense, or to make a travesty of the game, is out.