August 21, 1908
To settle a bet between two gentlemen, Washington Senators catcher Charles “Gabby” Street agreed to try to catch a baseball dropped from the Washington Monument. Gabby was attempting to replicate the feat achieved by Chicago Colts catcher Pops Schriver on August 24, 1894.
On the morning of August 21, 1908, Gabby set up a platform under the monument and got ready for the first ball to be dropped. I do not know how many chances they agreed to give Gabby, but I do know he was not able to catch the first 14 balls that were dropped from 555 feet above his head. He caught it on the 15th try.
Overall it was a very productive day for Gabby, who received $500 for the catch and went on to catch that afternoon as Walter “Big Train” Johnson and the Senators beat the Detroit Tigers, 3-1.
On August 24, 1910, Billy Sullivan of the Chicago White Sox duplicated the Monument catch. Later that day, the Senators beat the White Sox, 3-2.
