There was no more famous Baltimore Oriole than Babe Ruth. The 19 year-old got his start with Jack Dunn’s Birds, and between Dunn and catcher Ben Egan, Ruth quickly developed into the hottest pitcher in the minor leagues. However, competition from the Federal League led Jack Dunn to sell his greatest find, causing a lifetime of resentment and the reason why he would hold on to so many of his stars long past the time they should have gone to the major leagues. […]
Back in art school, I had a painting professor who used a peculiar phrase to describe the little details that make a painting standout: “moments.” In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite “moments” in the 1921 Orioles series. […]
There was no more famous Baltimore Oriole than Babe Ruth. The 19 year-old got his start with Jack Dunn’s Birds, and between Dunn and catcher Ben Egan, Ruth quickly developed into the hottest pitcher in the minor leagues. However, competition from the Federal League led Jack Dunn to sell his greatest find, causing a lifetime of resentment and the reason why he would hold on to so many of his stars long past the time they should have gone to the major leagues. […]
Of the thirteen members of the 1921 Orioles that made it to the majors, perhaps none was as unlikely to have done so as Lefty Matthews. Dogged by lack of control over his pitches, Matthews was given several chances by the Orioles before he was released to the low minors. Somehow Lefty. Caught a break, becoming one of only some 16,000 ballplayers who could claim they made it to The Show. […]
With a starting rotation of Ogden-Grove-Thomas-Bentley and Harry Frank in the bullpen, there was not much use for another rookie right-hander. However, Rufe Clarke just so happened to have been a former first baseman and an all-around talented ballplayer – an attribute that came in handy in the summer of ’21. […]
Every successful team boasts at least one jack-of-all-trades utility man – a guy who a manager can feel comfortable penciling in to play multiple positions when one of the regulars was hurt, in a slump of just need a day off. Back in the 1920s, a good utility man was often the difference between the pennant and a second-place finish. Wade Lefler was the 1921 Orioles’ ultimate utility player. […]
Jimmy Lyston had been around the Baltimore Orioles for many years, at times a bat boy and later moving up to peanut vendor and finally part of the groundskeeping crew. When Orioles owner-manager Jack Dunn saw the peppery 18 year-old groundskeeper fielding balls during batting practice, he signed him to a contract for the 1921 season. […]
I was marveling at the staggering records the Baltimore pitching staff racked up during 1919-1925: Grove had seasons of 25, 18, 27 and 26 wins, Jack Ogden had his 31 in ’21, Tommy Thomas won 32 in another, then of course there was Jack Bentley with his .412, Triple Crown season while also leading the league in pitching winning percentage – and then I saw the name Harry Frank. […]
Of all the players on the 1921 Orioles, Jack Bentley was the undisputed favorite. All but forgotten today, back in the early 1920s Baltimore Bentley was a flapper-era rock star. […]
Built along the lines of a football player and the exact opposite of the skinny Lefty Grove, Tommy Thomas was the 1921 Orioles third starter. In his first season with Baltimore, Thomas would win 24 games for the pennant-bound Birds. […]