Judge, 1927-05-14 · page 13 of 36
Judge — May 14, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "High Hat" Baseball Satire This Judge magazine page satirizes Prohibition-era New York society through a mock baseball challenge. The cartoon depicts wealthy, top-hatted socialites claiming their amateur team surpasses the professional Yankees and Giants. The satire operates on multiple levels: the socialites boast about players who are actually prominent figures (Jimmy Walker was NYC's mayor; names like "Leon Errol" and "George Olsen" reference entertainers). The joke centers on their reliance on alcohol—they reference "highballs" and "ginnings" (playing on "innings"), suggesting their "training" involves drinking rather than athletic skill. The "High Hat" title itself mocks their pretension. The diamond-shaped layout with various caricatured figures positioned as players emphasizes how absurd it is that these privileged dilettantes believe they could compete professionally. The humor exploits Depression-era resentment toward wealthy elites flouting Prohibition while ordinary citizens faced legal penalties.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HIGH The baseball season is on! .. . and the Yanks and the nts had better look to their laurels! . . We've got a team that will ake the Big Leaguers look like a bunch of kids in a back lot— that is, if they will play accord- ing to our rules! on But, of course, they'll be afraid to mect us... what chance would Ruth or Hornsby have inst our Home Rum Kings! . . . im- agu agine the immediate collapse of a. te ARier : Tie FANG" ARE AVL WHITEMAN - their morale when Jimmy Walker threw out the first highball! Why they couldn't last two ginnings! Why, none of their players would even be able to pass first ORE TUCKER> base, let alone, second or third. Our men are trained. They take ’em or leave ‘em alone! ... And when it comes to batting! Why amazi our batting both leagues! average is hereby chal- Any wishing to get in touch with us may find us at Manhattan or Bronx Park. oh current issue of the World’s Wittiest Weekly that a “constant” reader accuses me of imitating O. O. MecIntyre’s style. (Continued on page 26) lenge team T note in comicbooks.com