The tools of ignorance

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on September 04, 2004

In Reply to: The tools of ignorance posted by ESC on September 03, 2004

: : I learned last night that this is baseball slang for the catcher's gear (mask, pads, etc). Anyway, I was so taken with it that I wanted to share.

: : I also learned "a can of corn", meaning a pop fly that is so easy to catch the outfield doesn't even need to move from his position to catch it. I'm not sure why it's "a can of *corn*" per se but I like it.

: : :)

: : Camelita

: "Tools of ignorance" is new to me. We discussed "can of corn" at one point:

: This expression is used in American baseball to indicate a ball that's hit and easily caught in the outfield. A c"Can't miss" catch is called a can of corn. I've heard it comes from old general stores that would stack canned foods high against the wall behind the cash register. When retrieving a can for a customer, the shopkeeper would softly lob the can so it could be easily caught. Corn is used instead of another food because the outfield is sometimes called the "cornfield". I don't know if I believe this explanation of origin. Any ideas?

: Yes to all of the above ... except ... it's a ball hit softly, not high, right at you. Very easy to catch.

From members.tripod.com/ bb_catchers/catchers/equip.htm

"Catchers are expected to take their lumps without grumbling. But the early efforts of catchers to protect themselves met with a lot of flak. A typical reaction came from the crowd at the Polo Grounds when baseball's New York Giants opened the 1907 season against the Philadelphia Phillies. As the Giants took the field, star catcher Roger Bresnahan looked more like a goaltender than a backstop when he squatted behind the plate in a pair of thickly upholstered shin guards.

It was the first time a catcher had dared to don the protective gear in open view and the crowd's reaction came as quick as a foul tip and just as nasty.

"Spectators howled with delight when a foul tip in the fifth inning rapped the protectors sharply," reported The New York Times. Bresnahan, more concerned about his livelihood than remarks about his manliness, ignored the insults from fans and foes.

Bresnahan's shin guards were the final pieces of the catcher's armor, following the glove, mask and chest protector. This kit was lovingly dubbed "the tools of ignorance" by Herold "Muddy" Ruel, a lawyer turned backstop who caught for greats like Walter Johnson with the Washington Senators in the 1920s. Ruel probably would have stayed a mouthpiece if he'd caught in the late 1860s. The first piece of protection for catchers, a rubber mouth protector, dates to that era, purloined perhaps from the sport of bareknuckles boxing. "