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, 2nd baseman – 3, pitcher – 3, and 1st
baseman – 1). Six put outs were made by
outfielders. The other 4 put outs were
made by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd 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:
