But he never reached 21.
I could be wrong but in the early days of baseball, you WERE called out if you kept intentionally hitting fouls.
Think about how many rules have changed over the years.
At one time, umpires sat behind home plate in a rocking chair.
A batter could call for a high pitch or a low pitch.
Catchers were considered "sissies" if they wore gloves.
Designated hitters? Get out of here.
Even old timers would have NEVER allowed that.
Hell, they would have been upset by the concept of a "relief pitcher".
“Catchers were considered “sissies” if they wore gloves.”
I’m pretty sure catchers always wore a glove.
One could not catch even a 73mph curve without a glove.