Low and Inside: A Book of Baseball Anecdotes, Oddities, and Curiosities

An excerpt from Low and InsideTHE OLDTOWN TEAM of the Northern Maine League was playing at Millinocket one August afternoon in 1902 when Horace Newenham executed his fielding play which places him on the roll of baseball immortals-at least in Maine. Our account of Horace's feat comes from the Portland Press.
The Millinocket River flowed past the ball field where the game was being played. Horace Newenham was playing right field when Barrington, the heaviest hitter on the Millinocket team, belted a terrific drive. Horace was outward bound with the crack of the bat and heard the crowd roar as the ball came out of the clouds and went kerplosh into the middle of the river.
Barrington, the hitter, also saw where his long hit had gone and took his time on the base paths.
Meanwhile Horace arrived at the riverbank. Seeing the ball drifting on the surface in midstream, Horace didn't hesitate. He leaped into the water, swam out, seized the ball, and-the Portland newspaper says he did this-put it in his mouth.
Barrington had slowed to a walk by this time, feeling quite pleased with himself, and was on his way from second to third when Horace emerged from the water, snatched the ball out of his own teeth, and heaved it hard. It was a fine throw, and arrived in the hands of the third baseman just ahead of the ambling Barrington, who was promptly tagged out.