Friday, July 10, 1914 Baltimore vs. Newark – Game 33

Baltimore 0 Newark 8 – Babe Ruth Starting Left Fielder – 0 for 3 at bat sacrifice bunt

               In his last game as an Oriole, Babe Ruth started in left field batting sixth in the lineup.  He was hitless in three at bats, striking out once, walking once and he also had a sacrifice bunt (the first of his professional career).  The game was scoreless through five, but the Indians scored 8 runs in the last four innings for an 8-0 victory, dropping the Orioles season record to 48-27.

               After the game, Babe Ruth accompanied by Eagan and Shore took the train to Boston.  On Saturday, July 11, 1914, he started his first major league game pitching for the Boston Red Sox versus the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park.  His first major league stay was only for two games, as he was sent down to the minors in August.  Now playing for the Providence Grays he defeated the Orioles twice as Providence took the International League pennant.   

               The Orioles won nearly two-thirds of the games they played with Ruth on the team.  After he and many of Dunn’s star players were sold, the team lost nearly two thirds of their games in the second half of the season falling below .500 as the season came to a close.

After the International League season ended, Ruth returned to the Red Sox for the last few games of their season.  In 1915, Babe Ruth made the Red Sox major league roster and was a starting pitcher.  He never played again in the minors, except for exhibition games.

Thursday, July 9, 1914 Baltimore vs. Newark – Game 32

Baltimore 5 Newark 7 – Babe Ruth Starting Left Fielder – 1 for 4 at bat doubled and scored

               On the day that it was announced that Jack Dunn sold Babe Ruth to the Boston Red Sox with Eagan and Shore, he started the game as the Orioles left fielder batting sixth.  He batted one for four, with a double and scored a run in a 7-5 losing effort.  The Orioles season record fell to 48-26. 

Monday, July 6, 1914 Baltimore vs. Providence – Game 31

            With the Orioles leading the Grays 4-3 in the seventh inning, Babe Ruth was sent in to relieve pitcher Cottrell who had loaded the bases with one out.  The tying run scored on a sacrifice fly, but Babe was able to get out of the inning.  The Orioles came back with two runs in their half of the seventh.  Babe kept the Grays scoreless in the next two innings earning a victory.  He did not give up a hit in 2 2/3 innings, and struck out 1, walked 1 and threw 1 wild pitch.  His victory gave him a 13-6 record, with the Orioles earning a 48-24 record for the season – the team’s high water mark.   

                Babe would only play two more games as a position player, as Jack Dunn began selling off his star players, and the Orioles lost their next three games.

Saturday, July 4, 1914 Baltimore vs. Providence (First Game of Double Header) – Game 30

Baltimore 4 Providence 3 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 1 for 4 at bat doubled scored

               In the first game of a Fourth of July double header, Babe Ruth pitched a 4-3 complete game victory.  He gave up 6 hits, struck out 7, walked 1, hit one batsman, and threw one wild pitch.  After giving up two runs in the first inning, he settled down while the Orioles took a 4-2 lead scoring one run each in 4 separate innings.  Babe gave up a run in the seventh, but retired the Grays in the last two innings to preserve the victory, giving him a 12-6 record and the Orioles a 47-22 record for the year.  He also hit a double in the game.  It was the Orioles fifth win in a row.  After the game, Babe asked Dunn for the rest of the day off – but not to rest.  Instead he went back to his alma mater, St. Mary’s Industrial School, to pitch in an afternoon game there.  This would turn out to be Babe’s last pitching start as an Oriole.

Saturday, June 27, 1914 Baltimore vs. Buffalo (Double Header) – Game 28 & 29

Baltimore 4 Buffalo 3 – Babe Ruth Pinch Hitter – 0 for 1 at bat

            With the Orioles down 3-1 in the eighth inning of the first game of a double header against Buffalo, Ruth pinch hit for pitcher Danforth but made an out.   However, the Orioles scored 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth for a walk off victory.  

Baltimore 10 Buffalo 5 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 1 for 4 at bat

               Babe was the starting pitcher in the second game of the double header.  Although he had a rough first inning giving up three runs, he shut out the Bison in the next seven innings.  In the meantime, the Orioles closed the gap by scoring one run in both the first and second innings.  In the fifth, they jumped to the lead with five runs and scored three more insurance runs, bringing a 10-3 lead into the ninth inning.  Babe gave up two more runs in the ninth, but finished the game with a 10-5 victory.  He was also one for three at bat and stole a base.  The win gave him an 11-6 record with the Orioles achieving a 44-22 record for the season.

Thursday, June 25, 1914 Baltimore vs. Toronto – Game 27

Baltimore 13 Toronto 8 – Babe Ruth Relief Pitcher – 5 Innings – No Decision – 0 for 1 at bat Scored

                

              Starting Orioles pitcher Danforth, couldn’t get anyone out in the first inning giving up 6 runs on 6 hits and a walk.  Relieved by Davidson, the Maple Leafs added a seventh run before the Orioles had their turn at the plate.  But the Orioles came back with three runs in the first, three runs in the second and three runs in the third to take a 9-7 lead.  With two men on and no out in the fifth inning, Babe Ruth relieved Davidson.  Babe gave up one run, making the score 9-8, but held the lead after that.  The Orioles scored four more in the fifth to close out the scoring with a 13-8 victory.  Babe Ruth faced 14 batters, gave up 1 run on 3 hits with 4 strike outs and 3 walks.  Since he came in while the Orioles were leading, he should not be credited with a victory.  The win gave the Orioles a season record of 42-21.

Tuesday, June 23, 1914 Baltimore vs. Toronto – Game 26

Baltimore 3 Toronto 0 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 0 for 3 at bat

                Babe came back from his worst outing of the season to throw a 3-0 complete game shut out against the Maple Leafs.  He only gave up 5 hits, struck out a season high 8 batters, walked two and hit one batter.  The Orioles scattered three runs on nine hits for the victory.  Babe’s record improved to 10-6, with the Orioles season record 40-20.

Wednesday, June 17, 1914 (First Game of Double Header) Baltimore vs. Rochester – Game 25

Baltimore 0 Rochester 6 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Relieved in 2^nd Inning – Losing Pitcher

                After a scoreless first inning, Babe was rocked in the second inning giving up 5 runs to the Hustlers on the way to a 6-0 Orioles loss.  He was relieved after 1 1/3 innings after giving up 7 hits with one strike out and one walk.  The loss gave him a 9-6 record for the year.  This was the third straight loss for the Orioles at the hands of Rochester coming after the Orioles 13 straight victories.  Their season record fell to 36-18. 

                For unknown reasons, Babe is called Frank Ruth in the Baltimore Sun article.  

                After this poor start, Ruth did not make an appearance in another game until June 23rd.  He did not play in five games between these two starts.

Saturday, June 13, 1914 Baltimore vs. Newark – Game 24

Baltimore 3 Newark 2 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 0 for 2 at bat

               Babe pitched his third straight complete game victory with a 3-2 win over the Newark Indians.  He only gave up 6 hits, struck out 5, walked 4 and hit one batsman.  He had a shut out going into the seventh inning and a 3-0 lead, but gave up a run in both the seventh and eighth innings before slamming the door in the ninth for the win.  The win improved his record to 9-5, and the Orioles season record to 35-15, the twelfth straight victory for the Orioles.

Wednesday, June 10, 1914 Baltimore vs. Jersey City – Game 23

Baltimore 4 Jersey City 2 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 0 for 4 at bat

            Babe Ruth kept the Orioles nine game winning streak alive with a 4-2 complete game victory against Jersey City.  He gave up two runs on eight hits.  He also struck out 4, walked 4 and threw a wild pitch.   The win improved his record to 8-5, and the Orioles season record of 32-15.

     Note:  The quality of the copy of the Baltimore Sun is extremely poor for some dates in June 1914.  The statement above reads:  Verbout outpitched Babe Ruth, although the latter held his opponents at bay after the second round ... Babe Ruth was [unknown word] up pretty lively in the first two sessions.  Four hits, one a triple, netted the visitors two runs.  Babe settled down at this stage and held the Skeeters to four hits during the remaining seven innings.

Sunday, June 7, 1914 Baltimore vs. Jersey City (Second Game of Double Header) – Game 22

Baltimore 4 Jersey City 1 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 1 for 4 at bat

            The Orioles had won four games in a row, including the first game of a double header, when Babe Ruth started the afternoon game against the Skeeters.  Babe gave up 1 run on four hits, striking out 5, walking 5, and hitting one batter in a 4-1 complete game victory.  The win improved his record to 7-5 and the Orioles season record to 28-15.

Thursday, June 4, 1914 Baltimore at Providence - Game 21

Baltimore 1 Providence 2 7 Innings – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Loss – 0 for 2 at bat

                Babe Ruth started the home series for the Orioles against the Grays and gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, but the Orioles could only manage a single run.  The game ended in a 2-1 defeat when the game was called due to darkness after the seventh inning.  Babe struck out seven, walked two, threw one wild pitch and balked once during the defeat.  The loss lowered his record to 6-5 and the Orioles season record to 23-15.  It was the last loss the Orioles would experience in the next 13 games.

Monday, June 1, 1914 Baltimore at Jersey City – Game 20

Baltimore 9 Jersey City 6 – Starting Pitcher – Taken out in 8^th Inning – No Decision – 1 for 4 at bat

            Having pitched less than two innings the previous day, Dunn started Babe against the Jersey City Skeeters.  Going into the seventh inning, the Orioles led 3-0.  Babe gave up a run in the seventh, but the Orioles came back in the eighth to take a 6-1 lead.  However, Babe did not make it out of the eighth inning giving up three more runs.  Jersey City tied the game 6-6, after Ruth left the game.  But the Birds came back scoring three more runs in the ninth inning for a 9-6 victory, and a season record of 21-14.  Since the Orioles took the lead, after he left the game, Ruth was not credited for the win.

           Babe did not play in the last two games against Jersey City which the Orioles won.  However, during the grueling 24 game road trip in all seven other cities of the International League, Babe had played in 14 games.  He was the starting pitcher in 8 games, once a relief pitcher, started in the outfield in 2 games and pinch hit in three games.  Between May 20^th and June 1^st, he played in eleven of the twelve games and appeared in both games of three double headers during the stretch.

            Did Dunn overuse his rookie pitcher on the road?  While Babe completed all three of his starts during the Orioles initial 13 game home series, during the road trip he only finished half of the 8 games he started.  In the first home series, Babe gave up only 5 runs in 29 innings pitched.  His road record was 25 runs in 59 1/3 innings pitched.  He also started two games as a lead off right fielder during the road trip and pinch hit in three games allowing him little rest.  During the first home series, he only pinch hit twice and never played the field for an entire game.

            When the Orioles returned to Baltimore on June 4^th, to begin a thirty game home stand, Babe was primarily used as a starting pitcher.  He was sufficiently rested between starts returning good results.

Sunday, May 31, 1914 Baltimore at Providence – Game 19

Baltimore 2 Providence 7 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Taken Out in 2^nd Inning – Losing Pitcher

               Babe was the starting pitcher the next day and had his worst outing on the mound.  He was taken out in the second inning after giving up 3 runs to the Providence Grays on 5 hits.  He gave up five straight hits – four singles and a double, as the Orioles lost 7-2.  With the loss, his pitching record for the season was now 6-4, and the Orioles had a season record of 20-14.

Saturday, May 30, 1914 Baltimore at Providence (Double Header) – Game 17 & 18

Baltimore 3 Providence 4 – Babe Ruth Pinch Hitter – 0 for 1 at bat

Baltimore 3 Providence 1 – Babe Ruth Starting Right Fielder – 2 for 5 at bat Tripled 1 RBI and Scored

               With the Orioles down 4-1 in the first game of a double header, Babe Ruth pinch hit for pitcher Danforth in the seventh inning.  He made an out.  The Orioles came back to score two runs in the eighth inning, but fell to Providence 4-3.

               In the second game of the double header, Babe started the game as the lead off right fielder.  He was 2 for 5, with a triple knocking in one run.  He also scored a run in a 3-1 Orioles victory.  He had no tries as a fielder.  Splitting the double header, the Orioles season record was 20-13.

Thursday, May 28, 1914 Baltimore at Providence – Game 16

Baltimore 7 Providence 4 – Babe Ruth Relief Pitcher – 6 2/3 innings – 1 for 4 at bat Tripled

                The Orioles took a five run lead in the first inning, but pitcher Danforth, gave up a run in the second and two more in the third.  Babe Ruth came in as a relief pitcher and held the Grays to one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings to preserve the Orioles 7-4 victory.  He struck out two, walked four and hit one batter.  He also started a double play in the field and tripled in the ninth inning knocking in the last Orioles run.  Since Danforth only pitched 2 1/3 innings, he could not be credited with a victory even though the Orioles led when he left the game.  Ruth should be credited with a victory, increasing his record to 6-3 and the Orioles overall record to 19-12 for the season.

Sunday, May 24, 1914 Baltimore at Newark (Double Header) – Game 14 & 15

Baltimore 9 Newark 4 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Taken out in 4^th Inning – 1 for 1 at bat

Baltimore 1 Newark 0 11 Innings – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 1 for 4 at bat

            After pinch hitting and playing the field in yesterday’s doubleheader, Babe Ruth started both games of a doubleheader against the Newark Indians.  In the first game, Babe gave up a run in the first inning.  In the third inning, the Orioles came back with 8 runs to take a big lead, however, Ruth gave up two more in the third.  The Orioles scored one back in the fourth for a 9-3 lead.  Babe was only able to get one man out in the fourth, giving up another run and was pulled from the game.  That ended the scoring for the day, with the Orioles winning 9-4.  Babe got a single in his only at bat.  Since he only pitched 3 1/3 innings, he could not be credited with a victory.

               Having only pitched three and one-third innings to start the double header, Dunn started Ruth in the second game, as well.  Ruth responded with a 1-0, 11 inning complete game shutout.  He gave up 5 hits, striking out one and walking three.  He also hit safely once in four at bats.  Babe increased his record to 5-3.  The two victories gave the Orioles an 18-11 record for the season.

Saturday, May 23, 1914 Baltimore at Rochester (Double Header) – Game 12 & 13

Baltimore 2 Rochester 4 – Babe Ruth Pinch Hitter – 0 for 1 at bat Struck Out

Baltimore 0 Rochester 1 – Babe Ruth Starting Right Fielder – 1 for 4 at bat

            With the Orioles down, 4-2 in the ninth inning in the first game, Babe Ruth pinch hit for the pitcher Russell, and struck out.  The Orioles did not score and lost the game.

               In the second game, Babe started in right field leading off.  This was his first appearance as a position player rather than a pitcher or a pinch hitter.  He had one single in four at bats – it was only one of two base hits for the Orioles in a 1-0 loss.  Babe had one put out as a fielder.  

               Losing both games of the double header, the Orioles overall season record fell to    16-11.

Thursday, May 21, 1914 Baltimore at Rochester – Game 11

Baltimore 8 Buffalo 6 – Babe Ruth Pinch Hitter – 0 for 1 at bat (Fielder’s Choice) Scored

With the Orioles down 6-5 in the eight inning and runners on second and third with one out, Babe pinch hit for the pitcher Danforth.  Babe grounded to the short stop, but the fielder threw home in an attempt to prevent a run from scoring.  The Oriole runner from third was safe at home – tying the game.  Babe was not credited with a hit.   The next batter, Capron, hit the ball back to the pitcher who threw the runner out at the plate for the second out.  The next two batters singled knocking in Ruth and Capron for an 8-6 lead which held for an Orioles victory.  The Birds were now 16-9 for the season and tied with Buffalo for first place.

Wednesday, May 20, 1914 Baltimore at Rochester – Game 10

Baltimore 8 Rochester 7 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Taken out in 3^rd Inning – 0 for 1 at bat

          For the first time in his professional career, Babe did not complete a game that he started as a pitcher.  Babe had a 3-0 lead going into the third inning, but could only manage to get one batter out in the inning and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits, before being relieved.  The Rochester Hustlers went on to score 5 runs in the inning.  But, the Orioles came back to win the game 8-7.  Babe did not factor in the decision.  His record remained 4-3.  Overall, the Orioles were 15-9 for the season.

Saturday, May 16, 1914 Baltimore at Montreal – Game 9

Baltimore 2 Montreal 5 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Loss – 0 for 4 at bat

                Although Babe pitched another complete game against the Montreal Royals, he gave up 5 runs on 10 hits (including 2 doubles) in a 5-2 loss.  He struck out three and walked three.  The Orioles could only muster 2 runs on 6 hits.  Babe went hitless at four at bats.  The loss left Babe with a 4-3 record.  Overall, the Orioles were 12-9 for the season.

Monday, May 11, 1914 Baltimore at Toronto – Game 8

Baltimore 1 Toronto 2 10 Innings – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher - Complete Game Loss – 0 for 3 at bat

                In regulation play, Babe Ruth held Toronto to only one run, but the Orioles were only able to score one run as well.  Both runs came in the second inning.  After that, no one scored in the next seven innings.  Finally, the Maple Leafs scored with one out in the tenth in a walk off victory.  It was Babe’s second 2-1 complete game loss of the season.   Babe gave up 7 hits, struck out four, walked two and hit one batter.  He went hitless in his three at bats.  His record was now 4-2 and the Orioles season record was 10-8 having lost three games in a row.

Thursday, May 7, 1914 Baltimore at Buffalo – Game 7

Baltimore 5 Buffalo 3 11 Innings – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher - Complete Game Victory – 1 for 4 at bat

                In the Orioles first road game of the season, Babe Ruth pitched an 11 inning complete game 5-3 victory in Buffalo.  He gave up 3 runs on 9 hits, struck out 2 and walked 6 men.  He had one hit at four at bats.  The Orioles had a 3-1 lead going into the ninth inning, but Babe gave up two runs allowing the Bisons to tie the game.  The Orioles came back in the eleventh scoring twice, and Babe was able to retire Toronto in the bottom half of the eleventh to preserve his fourth victory of the season.  The Orioles season record was 9-5.

Saturday, May 2, 1914 Baltimore vs. Toronto (First Game) – Game 6

Baltimore 8 Toronto 3 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory – 1 for 4 at bat Tripled

                Following his successful relief performance the day before, Babe Ruth was the starting pitcher in the first game of a double header against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  In his third start, Babe threw another complete game, giving up three runs on five base hits (all singles and one double).  While he struck out seven, he also walked seven batters.  His chief nemesis was Toronto’s lead off, second baseman, Fitzpatrick who was responsible for three of his team’s five hits, scoring twice and walking once.  With the Orioles behind, 2-0 in the second inning, Babe tripled knocking in two runs to tie the game.  The Orioles took the lead in the fourth inning, but the game was tied 3-3 when Toronto scored again in the fifth.  Babe did not give up another run in the final four innings, while the Orioles scored 3 in the sixth and 2 in the seventh for an 8-3 win.  It was Babe’s third win and third complete game, giving him a 3-1 record for the season and the Orioles a season record of 7-4.

Friday, May 1, 1914 Baltimore vs. Montreal – Game 5

Baltimore 5 Montreal 4 11 Innings – Babe Ruth Relief Pitcher – Winning Pitcher – 1 for 1 at bat 1 RBI

                Babe Ruth came in as a relief pitcher for the Orioles in the tenth inning in a game that was tied 4-4 after nine.  Ruth faced six Royal batters, gave up one base hit and struck out one batter.  In the bottom of the eleventh inning with Eagan on first base and no outs, Ruth doubled to knock in the winning run for a walk off Orioles victory, helping himself to his second win of the year.  With the victory, the Orioles season record was 6-4.

Monday, April 27, 1914 Baltimore vs. Rochester (Double Header) – Game 3 & 4

Baltimore 2 Rochester 3 – Babe Ruth Pinch Hitter – 0 for 1 at bat

Although the Baltimore Sun stated that Babe Ruth was to pitch in the opening game of the double header, he started for the Orioles in the second game. However, he saw action in the first game as a pinch hitter.

In the first game of a double header against Rochester, the Orioles were behind 3-2. In the eighth inning, Babe pinch hit for the pitcher, Danforth, but struck out. No runs were scored in the last two innings ending in an Orioles loss to the Hustlers 3-2 bringing their season record to 3-2.

Baltimore 1 Rochester 2 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Loss – 0 for 3 at bat

Babe started the second game of the double header. He threw a complete game giving up only 2 runs on five hits and striking out 6. Unfortunately, the Orioles were only able to score one run, on a home run by right fielder Daniels, resulting in a 2-1 loss for the Orioles and Babe’s first loss of the season. Babe walked two men and did not give up any extra base hits. He was 0 for 3 at bat with a strike out. The loss gave the Orioles a 3-3 record for the season.

Thursday, April 23, 1914 Baltimore vs. Buffalo – Game 2

Baltimore 3 Buffalo 5 – Babe Ruth Pinch Hitter – 1 for 1 at bat Tripled and Scored 1 RBI

                The day after his first pitching start, Jack Dunn sent in Babe Ruth to pinch hit for the Orioles pitcher Jarman, in the eighth inning.  The Orioles were behind Buffalo 4-0 at the time with a man on base.  Babe tripled to knock in a run, and he also scored putting the Orioles within 2 runs of the Bisons going into the ninth.  But Buffalo scored another run in the ninth, and the Orioles could only get one run back in their last at bat – losing their first game of the year 5-3.

Babe's 33 Games as an Oriole - Wednesday, April 22, 1914 Baltimore vs. Buffalo – Game 1

Introduction

            101 years ago today, Babe Ruth played his first regular season professional baseball game in Baltimore.  Since the 2015 calendar is exactly the same as the 1914 calendar, it is possible to now post Babe's 1914 performance on the same day it took place in 1914.

          Two months after Babe Ruth was released from Saint Mary’s Industrial School, the nineteen year old southpaw was playing regular season professional baseball games for the Minor League Baltimore Orioles.  He had done well in spring training and even faced competition from some Major League teams in exhibition games.  But in April 1914, the games would count and all baseball would see if this unknown rookie had the talent and discipline to make it in professional baseball.

         The circumstances of his introduction to professional baseball were complicated by the fact that a second professional baseball team was playing in Baltimore that spring.  The Baltimore Terrapins of the new Federal League had set up shop and built a brand new ballpark directly across the street from the Oriole’s ballpark.  The Federal League claimed it was a third major league and competed in many major league cities.  A surviving relic of the Federal League is Wrigley Field in Chicago – originally built for that city’s Federal League franchise.

          Baltimore’s Federal League team drew much larger crowds than the minor league Orioles, despite the fact that under the leadership of Jack Dunn, the Orioles had a strong team and was in first place going into July.  Because of Baltimore’s infatuation with a supposed new major league franchise, the greatest ball player Baltimore ever produced did not receive the attention he deserved.

         In all, Babe Ruth played in 33 games as a Baltimore Oriole.  While not overwhelming, his record in those 33 games showed he was talented with great ability as a pitcher (as well as a batsman).  For a raw rookie, he showed a keen acumen for the game.  There were some glimpses of his power at bat, but clearly he concentrated his efforts as a pitcher, perhaps to the detriment of his hitting.  The record of those 33 games is also reflective of an era in baseball when pitchers were expected to throw complete games, and in the case of Babe Ruth, to also pinch hit, play the field or even serve as a relief pitcher in games where he was not the starting pitcher.

Baltimore 6 Buffalo 0 – Babe Ruth Starting Pitcher – Complete Game Victory, 2 for 4 at bat

          Babe Ruth started the second game of Baltimore Orioles season (The Orioles having won the home opener 7-0 the day before).  He pitched a complete game 6-0 shutout of the Buffalo Bisons.  Babe gave up six hits, only one was an extra base hit (a double), struck out 4 and walked 4 and hit one batter.  He also threw one wild pitch.  Eleven Bison players were left on base (from the six hits, four walks and hit batsman – there were no double plays by the Orioles).  The box score indicates that 13 balls were hit on the ground to infielders (Assists by shortstop – 6, 2^nd baseman – 3, pitcher – 3, and 1^st baseman – 1).  Six put outs were made by outfielders.  The other 4 put outs were made by the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd baseman and shortstop. 

          The Orioles scored 3 runs each in the first and third innings.  Babe Ruth also hit two singles at 4 at bats.  The game took 1 hour 54 minutes to play.  Approximately 200 fans showed up to see Babe’s first regular season professional game and his first win as a pitcher.

Article below is from the Baltimore Sun April 23, 1914, page 11:

Billie Holiday and the Babe

Today, April 7, 2015 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Billie Holiday.

So what does that have to do with Babe Ruth?

Well, a few sources state that when Billie Holiday died in 1959, a benefactor wanted to pay for her burial near Babe Ruth - something that never happened since her grave is in the Bronx and Babe is buried at Hawthorne, New York.  That is about the only connection that I could find between the two.

But, I bring up Billie Holiday at this time, because like Babe Ruth - her supposed autobiography, "Lady Sings the Blues," is rife with errors about her early life in Baltimore.

The book begins with this line, "Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids when they got married. He was eighteen, she was sixteen, and I was three."  An admission of birth out of wedlock was shocking in the 1950s.  The first page goes on to state that, "Mom was thirteen that Wednesday, April 7, 1915 in Baltimore when I was born."

The problem with these quotes is that they are all false.  Billie's parents never got married.  She was not born in Baltimore, but in Philadelphia.  Also, according to a new biography by John Szwed, her mother was 19 and her father was 17, when Billie was born.

So when Babe Ruth's Own Book of Baseball states,  "My earliest recollections center about the dirty, traffic-crowded streets of Baltimore's riverfront," and his autobiography (as told to Bob Considine) states, "I spent most the first seven years of my life living over my father's saloon at 426 West Camden Street, Baltimore," it ain't necessarily so.

Virtually nobody refers to Baltimore's harbor or waterfront, as a riverfront.  Although Baltimore is located on the Patapsco River, it doesn't have the look or feel of a traditional river, but an extension of the Chesapeake Bay.  Baltimore natives don't refer to our waterfront as a riverfront, a clue that Babe Ruth probably had little to do with details about his youth in his "Own Book of Baseball."  

As will be seen in this blog, Babe Ruth did not live over his father's saloon on Camden Street until he was six years old, so he couldn't have spent most of the fist seven years of his life there.  

So-called autobiographies of celebrities, especially when they are as told to someone or written with someone else must be taken with a grain of salt.  While they may provide some useful information, they should not be taken as gospel.  Such is the case with both Billie and the Babe.