The Longest Fly Ball

March 13, 1915 - It was on this day during spring training in Daytona Beach, Florida, that Brooklyn Dodgers' manager Wilbert Robinson waited in the outfield for a baseball to be dropped from an airplane.

The plane was flown by famous aviatrix Ruth Law, but she forgot to bring along a baseball and dropped a grapefruit instead. From an altitude of 525 feet she let the fruit fall.

Robinson got his glove on it, but the hot grapefruit splattered all over him. Knocked to the ground and covered with the meaty pulp, Robinson thought he was drenched in his own blood. He cried for help and as his team ran to his aid they quickly realized what had happened.

Uproarious laughter ensued.

Now you know why teams that do their spring training in Florida are called the Grapefruit League.