No Pepper

[biittner77]

It isn't there as often as it used to be but several MLB stadiums used to have signs that said "No Pepper" or "No Pepper games".

 

Two weeks ago I went to see our local minor league team- The Shorebirds(Orioles Low A). The Hagerstown players were playing Pepper along the right field line. I've been watching baseball for 30 years and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone playing pepper.

 

Which got me thinking:

1 Why/ when was pepper banned?

2 Has anyone here ever played pepper?

3 What percentage of fans even know what pepper is?

[Springfield_CUBBY]

Where I come from Pepper is a game where you underhand a ball to a batter close by who takes a half swing. Players then practice fielding the ball.

 

My 9 yr old son just took a "pepper ball" right in the eye before his last game. Evil sport . . .

[Jon]

That's interesting.

 

In one of the books I read for by Baseball lit class (can't remember which), a character proposed putting on a pepper routine to entertain the fans. This was set in the early 20th century, I believe. I'm not sure how successful that would be, but I'd certainly be interested to hear why it was banned.

 

Oh, and I do recall playing pepper when I was in little league.

Edited July 7, 2005 by Jon

[Brian]

Isn't that how Gagne got injured in Spring Training, playing pepper?

[dalgreen]

It isn't there as often as it used to be but several MLB stadiums used to have signs that said "No Pepper" or "No Pepper games".

 

Two weeks ago I went to see our local minor league team- The Shorebirds(Orioles Low A). The Hagerstown players were playing Pepper along the right field line. I've been watching baseball for 30 years and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone playing pepper.

 

Which got me thinking:

1 Why/ when was pepper banned?

2 Has anyone here ever played pepper?

3 What percentage of fans even know what pepper is?

 

That would be a great question to e-mail Len and Bob tonight.

[JC]

From baseballtips.com:

 

pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators).

[imb]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

Of course, my dad liked to make stuff up all the time to screw with me, so who knows.

[dalgreen]

It isn't there as often as it used to be but several MLB stadiums used to have signs that said "No Pepper" or "No Pepper games".

 

Two weeks ago I went to see our local minor league team- The Shorebirds(Orioles Low A). The Hagerstown players were playing Pepper along the right field line. I've been watching baseball for 30 years and this is the first time I've ever seen anyone playing pepper.

 

Which got me thinking:

1 Why/ when was pepper banned?

2 Has anyone here ever played pepper?

3 What percentage of fans even know what pepper is?

 

That would be a great question to e-mail Len and Bob tonight.

 

Or a great question to ask JC.

[ZZ Thorn]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

[JC]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

Of course, my dad liked to make stuff up all the time to screw with me, so who knows.

 

When I was real young, I was told that "Pepper" was chanting, "Hey, batter batter, swing!" So it was unsportsmanlike to "play Pepper".

 

Stupid Wild Cat coaches...

[MustangMike]

mmmmm.....pepper

[imb]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

 

That's a pickle, havent you seen The Sandlot?

[BadKermit]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

That's pickle. That's why it's called "getting in a pickle."

[Chocolate Milk]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

 

That's pickle.

[BadKermit]

And that's a trifecta.

[BigbadB]

Interesting. We played what we called "pepper" as kids, but it was nothing like the above described situations. Our version basically involved 3 guys. Two with gloves and a third who would get between the guys with gloves and get a run down going. The objective for the runner was to get to one of the bases safely, while the two guys with gloves tossed it back and forth attempting to tag the runner out. Once the guy was tagged out, everyone switched places and started a new run down.

 

Maybe "pepper" is defined as different versions of practicing in game situations?

[imb]

Woohoo, i whipped you guys in the speed test.

[ZZ Thorn]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

 

That's a pickle, havent you seen The Sandlot?

 

Never heard of it. Pickle huh? That's certainly more apt, but we called it Pepper. Not saying we were right, but that's what we did. And those were the days... back when pickle was pepper.

[BigbadB]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

That's pickle. That's why it's called "getting in a pickle."

 

I never heard it called "pickle". We always called it "pepper".

[ZZ Thorn]

Interesting. We played what we called "pepper" as kids, but it was nothing like the above described situations. Our version basically involved 3 guys. Two with gloves and a third who would get between the guys with gloves and get a run down going. The objective for the runner was to get to one of the bases safely, while the two guys with gloves tossed it back and forth attempting to tag the runner out. Once the guy was tagged out, everyone switched places and started a new run down.

 

That's what I remember.

[goonys evil twin]

Do some people really not know what pepper is? I thought everybody who grew up with baseball knew that game.

 

There's different versions, but the typical game that I played involved 4-5 fielders/pitchers standings in a line or semi circle, facing a hitter. They'd toss the ball to the hitter who would have to hit it forward on the ground. If he hit it in the air he was out, and the guy who caught it was up. If he missed or hit foul, the next guy in line was up. It was a hand eye coordination thing and theoretically helped fielders react to balls and hitters follow the ball in.

 

I've heard it was banned for multiple reasons. One, guys tend to play it in the same area of the field, and they tear up the grass. Two, it's easy for injuries to happen both to the fielders who are only 8-10 feet from the batter, and fans or other passersby when a ball gets by the fielders. Three, people play it againt the fence a lot, and grounds crew don't like their stuff being beaten up.

[Springfield_CUBBY]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

 

I think that's called "Pickle" . . .

[goonys evil twin]

Interesting. We played what we called "pepper" as kids, but it was nothing like the above described situations. Our version basically involved 3 guys. Two with gloves and a third who would get between the guys with gloves and get a run down going. The objective for the runner was to get to one of the bases safely, while the two guys with gloves tossed it back and forth attempting to tag the runner out. Once the guy was tagged out, everyone switched places and started a new run down.

 

Maybe "pepper" is defined as different versions of practicing in game situations?

 

We called that "running bases", and others call that pickle. And it wasn't just 3 guys, it was 2 fielders and 1 or (more often than not) multiple baserunners. Great game.

[BigbadB]

Interesting. We played what we called "pepper" as kids, but it was nothing like the above described situations. Our version basically involved 3 guys. Two with gloves and a third who would get between the guys with gloves and get a run down going. The objective for the runner was to get to one of the bases safely, while the two guys with gloves tossed it back and forth attempting to tag the runner out. Once the guy was tagged out, everyone switched places and started a new run down.

 

That's what I remember.

 

Ughh. We agree on something. Is it too late to change my answer? :P

[Chocolate Milk]

When I was younger, my dad told me pepper was a game where everyone stood in circle, bent over, batting the ball back and forth bare-handed. He said it was banned because the ball would get away, and hit fans in the stands.

 

I've seen that, don't know what it's called.

 

I thought pepper was a game where you practice rundowns.

 

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but I think that is commonly refered to as "Pickle."