[dropcap]N[/dropcap]olan Ryan was one out away from pitching his second no-hitter in as many months on Jul. 15, 1973 when the Detroit Tigers’ Norm Cash strolled to the plate carrying a table leg instead of a baseball bat.

The umpire was not amused.  “You can’t use that up here,” he gruffly informed the prankster.

“Why not?” the wisecracking Texan drawled.  “I won’t hit him anyway.”

Retrieving a piece of regulation timber from the dugout, Cash ...