THE PEPPER GAME

A major attraction for all House of David teams was the Pepper Game. The Pepper Game originated around 1922, when Doc Tally and Dutch Faust started playing a game called "High/Low" between innings of games when the House of David played. The game evolved into the Pepper Game around 1926, when John Tucker joined the group. When Dutch Faust left to play minor league baseball, George Anderson joined the exhibition. When the colony divided, each group kept a Pepper Team. Even imitators utilized the spectacle.

The Pepper Game was usually performed in the middle of the fifth inning, with the three performers lined up approximately two feet apart. A fourth player acted as a batter and hit to the group. Each player had a repertoire of moved they performed. Perhaps a behind-the-back toss, a fake throw to one of the others, or a roll of the ball down their arms.