Good evening. This is Dead Legends. The daily newsletter that lays down baseball history like Lenny Randle drag bunts.

Let’s dive in.

Today’s story is about a lawsuit that resulted in foul balls for everyone.

These days, catching a home run or a foul ball at a baseball game is a right of passage for every fan.

But in 1921, keeping a foul ball was grounds for getting arrested.

No joke.

This was a method of cost-cutting by the big league clubs, and they took it very seriously.

In 1905, a fan named Samuel Scott refused to fork over a ball he’d caught, prompting his arrest for larceny.

The Giants vowed to arrest “any person caught deliberately trying to steal a ball.”

In 1916, the Cubs were seen as big-time innovators for letting spectators keep balls as souvenirs.

They only changed their policy after a brawl broke out between fans and security over a foul ball.

It was a PR nightmare for Chicago, and the owner, Charles Weeghman, decided it’d be a much better look to let the fans have their way.

Other teams were not on board with that philosophy, and most clubs even hired staff to retrieve balls that went into the stands.

On May 16, 1921, a 31-year-old stock broker named Reuben Berman was at the Polo Grounds taking in a Giant’s game.

During the course of the game, a foul ball sailed into the stands and Berman snagged it.

The ushers demanded that he give the ball back, but Berman said “nah.”

He threw the ball backwards into the stands behind him, and it disappeared.

Security took Berman back to the team offices, and threatened to arrest him.

Ultimately, he was expelled from the ballpark and his ticket was refunded.

Berman wasn’t about to take that shit on the chin, though.

In August, Rueben and his lawyer served the Giants with a lawsuit.

They claimed the Giants had unlawfully detained, imprisoned, and threatened Berman.

He sought $20,000 for humiliation, suffering mental and bodily distress, and loss of reputation.

The case was tried and Berman was awarded $100 for his treatment at the Polo Grounds, but more importantly, the Giants changed their policy.

The Phillies took a bit longer to come around.

In 1923, they arrested an 11-year-old and forced him to spend a night in jail over a foul ball.

But now, the game has come full circle, because it appears MLB couldn’t give two shits about baseballs anymore.

We now live in a world where the average lifespan of a baseball in the MLB is seven pitches.

This year alone, over 250,000 baseballs were used just for the regular season.

SOMEWHERE IN DYERSVILLE

If you read last night’s email, you know the Dead Legends Gallery is live!

We’ve got a full selection of pieces inspired by legendary ballplayers, iconic movies, and memorable ballparks.

Personally, this limited edition pen sketch of Moonlight Graham is one of my favorites.

In case you don’t remember, he was the doctor that made an appearance in Field of Dreams.

Graham played one game in the big leagues, but never got an official AB, and went into the medical field after his playing career.

The duality of Moonlight was captured perfectly by S. Preston in this sketch.

If you wanna grab one of these, head over to the gallery and snatch one up while they’re still in stock.

And if this isn’t your cup of tea, we’ve got a whole lotta other options you’ll be excited about.

BASEBALL TRIVIA

Find the answer in the bottom of this email!

STRANGE NAMES

If you're just joining us, we play this game every day where we try to find the weirdest names throughout baseball history.

Why? Don't ask us, it's just something we like to do.

If you've been rocking with us for awhile now, you know what time it is.

Today's winner is:

Spider made his debut for the Dodgers on the same day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.

He was initially signed in ‘41, but he joined the service after Pearl Harbor.

When he came back in ‘47, Jorgensen was an every day player, but he didn’t play in the bigs for too long.

After that year, he injured his arm shooting a hunting rifle, and his baseball career quickly declined.

THE DEAD LEGENDS ARCHIVE

If you like this story, check out some of our past favorites:

• The Rap Song: Mets make a horrendous song

• The Scapegoat: How Steve Bartman became the most hated man in Chicago

• The Investment Fraud: Race horses, a Mexican baseball team, and a prison sentence

BASEBALL TRIVIA ANSWER: Don Larsen