5/9/1898 – St. Louis was playing in Cincinnati, and it manager Tim Hurst’s lineup given to home plate ump Charles Cushman had Russ Hall batting seventh and Jack Crooks eighth. However, the lineup in the dugout had the two reversed. In the second, Crooks came up out of order and walked. Hall then batted and sacrificed. Under the current rule, and the rule in place then was the same according to our research, the correct batter would have been the number nine hitter once Crooks walk was allowed to stand. The Reds protested after Hall’s sacrifice, and Cushman was apparently confused about the rule. He called Hall out even though he was already out on the sacrifice, not the ninth spot hitter, Jim Hughey. More amazingly, rather than sending Crooks back to first, he had him bat again, and this time he struck out.

5/22/1898 – The Chicago Orphans (now Cubs) were hosting Washington when in the bottom of third with two outs Bill Dahlen stole second with Jimmy Ryan at bat. However, Ryan interfered with the throw to second be jumping in front of the plate. The umpire, Tommy Connolly called interference and apparently ruled Dahlen out. (The Chicago Tribune story says Connolly, the only umpire due to the other one assigned refusing to work on Sundays, had his back to the plate as he ran to call the play at second and could not see Ryan’s interference.) Ryan came up to lead off the fourth and singled. Washington objected by pointing out the Ryan should have been called out for interference and was batting out of order. Connolly agreed and called Ryan out although he should have called out Sam Mertes, the batter after Ryan in the order. All of that got the crowd upset, and eventually Connolly ejected Dahlen who rushed out to complain.