C.O.C.A. Times

THE CAILLE BASEBALL
by Johnny Duckworth
T
he Caille Baseball ma-
The machine has a 5 way
chine could be consid-
coin entry which the operator
ered the "Mona Lisa" of all
can set up to play with pennies
the baseball machines, and it
or nickels by only changing
is highly sought after by col-
out the coin entry and instruc-
lectors today. This ornate cast
tion card. The payouts ranged
iron machine landed on the
from 5 cents for a "single"
end of the bar in 1910 and
or "double", 10 cents for a
was ready to swallow up some
"triple", 20 cents for a "home
hard earned money. Baseball
run", and 30 cents for a "game
was the most popular game
won". You wouldn't want the
of the day and many com-
reel to land on a "foul ball"
panies would use this game
or "out" as they were instant
to promote anything which
losers. The payouts came on
could make them a little more
the right side of the machine
money. For example; tobacco
with a token rolling out of a
companies even jumped into
slot and with the ring of a bell
the game and put small base-
inside. The tokens were iden-
ball cards in their tobacco to
tified by the amount won, and
get the edge. One of those tobacco cards, the 1909 they were made with materials such as brass, cop-
Honus Wagner, sold in 2007 for an astounding per, and aluminum.
$2.35 million.
The machines would later be picked up and re-
The Caille Baseball is the spitting image of the vamped by The Silver King Novelty Company of
earlier Caille Tiger with just a few cosmetic chang- Indianapolis and The Industry Novelty Company
es. Caille used the same castings which they had of Chicago. They were both known to recast their
used on the Tiger machine, but changed the name name in the front baseball and promote the ma-
on the front casting from "Tiger" to "Play Ball". chine as if it was their own. We have all heard of
Some of the early baseball machines will still have the O. D. Jennings Company and Ode D. Jennings
the "Tiger" name present and the marquee is cut was the president of The Industry Novelty Com-
out in the rear. If you take the baseball casting off pany. He would later change the name to the 0. D.
the front you will still find the tigers head hiding Jennings & Company in 1920 which we know so
behind it on all the baseball models. They also well.
updated the reel strip and instruction card to the
All of these early cast iron machines are very
baseball theme. Caille pictured the tigers head on
the highest payout symbol "game won" and this special with collectors today. We can only imagine
was no surprise as their hometown team was the where the machines would have been located and
the patrons who played them.
Detroit Tigers.
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