In the 1880's hitters were allowed to request a high or low pitch, and the umpire— there was only one for each game— could ask the spectators for help if he missed seeing a play.
Hample, Zack. Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. p128
Hample, Zack. Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. p128
