| Joshua Kaplan | |
| Fictional Character | |
| "Under Coogan's Bluff" Time-travel | |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct narrator |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Religion: | Unspecified, was of Jewish ancestry |
| Date of Birth: | 21st century |
| Occupation: | Professional baseball player |
| Sports Team: | Los Angeles Angels |
Joshua Kaplan played second base for the 2040 line-up of the Los Angeles Angels. After the Angels won the World Series, Kaplan and the team time-traveled back from 2040 to the New York of 1905 to play against the New York Giants.
Upon leaving the chamber and entering 1905 New York, Kaplan quickly found himself overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of the past. As the Angels were taken to their hotel by horse-drawn buses, Kaplan and Keyshawn Fredericks compared their own experiences with the past. Fredericks noticed the lack of other Black people on the streets and the racist remarks directed toward the Angels. They briefly compared their respective lineages; Fredericks realizing his ancestors were in the South of the country living as de facto slaves, while Kaplan suspected his ancestors were probably arriving in the U.S. to get away from pogroms.
Both knew of The Dakota as a landmark, though Kaplan knew it as the residence of John Lennon, and Fredericks was familiar with it from the novel Time and Again.
Kaplan was underwhelmed by the amenities of the Mount Morris Hotel, especially as all future technology was prohibited. After a satisfactory dinner, Kaplan and the team returned to their respective rooms. At some point in the night, a band began playing in the street in order to support the Giants.
Early the next morning, the team made their way to the Polo Grounds, the Giants' stadium. However, they also saw the crowds lining up on Coogan's Bluff to watch the game.
The Angels were at bat first, and Kaplan batted second. He had a difficult time adapting to Christy Mathewson's screwball pitches. Catcher Roger Bresnahan taunted Kaplan, using an ethnic slur against him. Kaplan insulted him back; he wouldn't have done so in his own time. Ultimately, Kaplan was able to hit the ball, but it was a dead ball, and he was out.
For the remainder of the game, the Angels proved to be more dominant. Kaplan made a few crucial plays, including helping Pong-ju Pak with a double-play. The Angels won, 3-0. McGraw proved a sore loser, refusing to congratulate the Angels. The teams left the field, and Kaplan looked forward to returning home to 2040.[1]
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