They don't make em like this anymore...

[mefogus]

... official MLB documents were a little, errrr, bluer back before the turn of the century. Check out a league-wide memo released around in 1898.

Disclaimer: You may not want to read this in mixed company, in front of children, if you are easily offended, or at work.

Special Instructions to Players

-m

[bobmc]

Awesome 'fogus! And I thought I invented CLD! It reminds me of things we said on the playground to each other - mostly in jest - years ago but not before the turn of the previous century! If Zinedine Zidane had been sitting in the stands and heard such language, he would have jumped into the dugout and head butted the offender!

[scOtt]

Wow. That would be shocking today. Back then... words fail me how off-kilter that was. Not being sexist... BUT WITH WOMEN PRESENT! In the post-Victorian world, that is just jaw-dropping.

And yes, women were rare (and obviously unwelcome) at games then, but if they were present, you'd think even the hardest player would show a little decorum.

EDIT: And since that doc mentioned Baltimore... I'm thinking it might have been John McGraw himself making those comments. One of the meanest SOBs to ever play the game.