Pea Ridge Day

Henry Clyde Day (August 26, 1899 – March 21, 1934) was a champion Arkansas hog-caller and right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who committed suicide after an unsuccessful operation to repair his throwing arm.

The "Hog-Calling Pitcher" right|Hog-calling pitcher, Pea Ridge Day, circa 1921 Born in Center, Missouri, Day grew up in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, which gave him his nickname. He was a colorful player who was known as the "hog calling pitcher" for his habit of making Arkansas hog calls while on the pitcher's mound – sounds that one newspaper described as "piercing yells." Also known for his screwball pitch and his eccentric personality, Day was described in his obituary as "a care-free, fun-loving figure who gave the game one of its most widely known characters." While playing for the Blues, Day was teammates with pitcher Max Thomas who went 18–11 that year and became friends with Day. Five years later, Day would visit Thomas in Kansas City, and Thomas would try unsuccessfully to save Pea Ridge's life.

Facing Babe Ruth In 1931, Day got a second shot at the big leagues, playing in 22 games with the Brooklyn Robins—now known as the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 2–2 with a career-low 4.55 ERA for the Robins. He played in his final major league game in September 1931 and spent the 1932 and 1933 seasons with minor league stints in Minneapolis and Baltimore.

Hall-of-Fame catcher Al López caught for Day in 1931. In an Associated Press interview, Lopez recounted a story about a 1931 exhibition game against the New York Yankees. "The fans had been reading about him being a champion hog caller, so they all started calling 'Yip, yip yeeee!' He strikes out the first hitter, puts the ball and glove down and lets out this call. He strikes out the next batter and does it again. Babe Ruth was on deck, and he gets a big kick out of it. He's laughing at this guy. Then he has Ruth with two strikes. It gets real quiet. The fans are hoping he'll strike out Ruth so he can yell again. On the third pitch, Ruth hits one a mile over the fence. Henry Clyde Day never did his hog call again." but by 1933, Day's pitching arm was shot, and he was released by Baltimore in August 1933. Day reportedly "brooded almost continually" over the end of his pitching career. Thomas tried to stop Day but was pushed aside. His funeral in Pea Ridge was attended by more than 500 people.

Day was buried at the Pea Ridge Cemetery in Pea Ridge, Arkansas.