Posts tagged baseball

John McGraw’s and Wilbert Robinson’s Former Baltimore Homes Damaged By Fire

Chances are most people who live in the 2700 block of St. Paul Street in Baltimore, Maryland, have no idea that the two houses on their block that caught on fire on February 7th were once owned by two future baseball Hall of Famers, John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson.

2700 Block of St. Paul Street in Baltimore, Maryland. Where Wilbert Robertson and John McGraw Once Lived

2700 Block of St. Paul Street in Baltimore, Maryland. Where Wilbert Robinson and John McGraw Once Lived

McGraw and Robinson lived next door to each other at 2738 (McGraw) and 2740 (Robinson) St. Paul Street.

2738 and 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Where Wilbert Robertson and John McGraw Once Lived

2738 and 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Where John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson Once Lived

Both McGraw and Robinson played for the world champion Baltimore Orioles of the 1890s, when the team was a National League affiliate.Both players also were partners in the Diamond Cafe, located just two miles south of their homes, at 519 Howard Street in Baltimore. The Diamond is considered one of the first sports bar in the country.

Baltimore Orioles, 1897, John McGraw at bottom left  (laying down) and Wilbert Robertson second row, third from right

Baltimore Orioles, 1897, John McGraw, at bottom left (laying down) and Wilbert Robinson, second row, third from right

Robertson bought his house at 2738 St. Paul Street in 1898. McGraw bought the adjoining house at 2740 that same year. Robinson lived in the house with his wife and children. McGraw lived next door with his first wife, the former Minnie Doyle, and McGraw’s brother Mike. See The Real McGraw, by Mrs. John J. McGraw (p 112), The houses were located only two blocks north and four blocks east of the Orioles home ballpark, Union Park.

Rear of Row Houses at 2740 and 2738 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Former Homes of Wilbert Robertson and John McGraw.

Rear of Row Houses at 2740 and 2738 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Former Homes of Wilbert Robinson and John McGraw.

On February 7, 2015, a fire broke out in one of the homes and quickly spread to the other. Five people, including two children were injured in the blaze, although none appeared to be life threatening. Robertson’s home at 2740 St. Paul Street sustained the bulk of the damage. All of its front windows have been boarded up and the city has condemned the property because of the damage.

Fire Damaged House at 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Former Home of Wilbert Robertson.

Fire Damaged House at 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Former Home of Wilbert Robinson.

2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Circa 2013

Before the FIre, 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Circa 2013

Hopefully both buildings can be saved and restored. Although neither house is listed on any historic register, they should be given their connection to two Baltimore’s greatest baseball players.

Fire Damage To 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Forrmer House of Wilbert Robertson

Fire Damage To 2740 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Forrmer House of Wilbert Robinson

Several other homes of former National League Orioles Hall of Famers still stand in Baltimore City. These include Joe Kelley’s former home at 530 East 22nd Street, which is located next to St. Ann’s Catholic Church, where John McGraw married his second wife Blanche Sindall, on January 8, 1902.

Former Home of Joe Kelley

530 E 22nd Street, Baltimore, Maryland (three story tan brick row house). Former Home of Hall of Famer Joe Kelley

A former boarding house where John McGraw and Hughie Jennings both lived also still stands, at 12 West 24th Street (just six blocks west of Union Park’s former site).

Former Boarding House at 12 West 24th Street , Baltimore, Maryland, Where John McGraw and Hughie Jennings Once Roomed

Former Boarding House at 12 West 24th Street , Baltimore, Maryland, Where John McGraw and Hughie Jennings Once Roomed

Another house where Jennings once lived also still stands, but just barely, at 529 East 23rd Street.

529 East 23rd Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Former Home of Hughie Jennings

529 East 23rd Street, Baltimore, Maryland, Former Home of Hughie Jennings

As Joni Mitchell once famously sang, “you don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone.”

Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Joe Kelley, and Hughie Jennings

Former Orioles and Baseball Hall of Famers Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Joe Kelley, and Hughie Jennings

The past, as seen through these buildings, is with us today. Like Al Kaline’s boyhood home, these buildings are an important part of Baltimore’s history. They should be preserved and their history celebrated. Unfortunately, the passage of time and a lack of vision have  a way of allowing structures like these to slip away.

Thanks to local Baltimore baseball historian Ken Mars for contacting me about the fire.

Baseball and Beer – Peabody Heights Brewery and Old Oriole Park

Peabody Heights Brewery has a rare opportunity to celebrate both Baltimore baseball history and Baltimore Beer. The brewery is located on the former site of  Old Oriole Park and Terrapin Park in the Peabody Heights section of Baltimore. The brewery opened a couple of years ago in the former Beverage Capital Corporation bottling plant at 401 E. 30th Street in Baltimore and plans now are underway to celebrate the former ballpark upon which the brewery is built.

Bernard McKenna, Richard O'Keefe, and J. Hollis Albert, III, Outside Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Bernard McKenna, Richard O’Keefe, and J. Hollis Albert, III, Outside Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Baseball and Beer in Baltimore go at least as far back as the early 1890s when Harry Von Der Horst, son of John Von Der Horst – the owner of Von Der Horst Brewery – was President of the American Association Baltimore Orioles. In 1892, Harry Von Der Horst’s Orioles joined the National League and just two years later brought Baltimore its first baseball World Championship. The National League Orioles played their home games at Union Park, which was located just four blocks south of what is now Peabody Heights Brewery. Harry Von Der Horst was something of an innovator, not only featuring Von Der Horst beer at Union Park, but also installing what perhaps was the first beer garden to be located in a Major League ballpark.

Richard O'Keefe Giving a Tour of Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Richard O’Keefe Giving a Tour of Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

When it comes to baseball and beer, Richard O’Keefe, the owner of Peabody Heights Brewery, and J. Hollis Albert, III, General Manager of the brewery, are innovators as well.

Bernard McKenna, Richard O'Keefe, and J. Hollis Albert, III, Marking the Former Location of Oriole Park Second Base, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Bernard McKenna, Richard O’Keefe, and J. Hollis Albert, III, Marking the Former Location of Oriole Park Second Base, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

In addition to building one of the finest breweries in Baltimore, O’Keefe and Albert have begun plans to pay homage to the baseball history that lies underneath its building.

J. Hollis Albert, III, and  Richard O'Keefe, at Former Location of Oriole Park Third Base, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

J. Hollis Albert, III, and Richard O’Keefe, at Former Location of Oriole Park Third Base, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

The two brewery officials have enlisted the help of others, including baseball historian Bernard McKenna (McKenna was responsible recently for locating the first known photograph of the Baltimore Black Sox’s home field  Maryland Park). On a rainy day last December, McKenna and yours truly met with O’Keefe and Albert to tour the facility and determine what portions of Old Oriole Park lies within the brewery grounds.

Beer Bottling Near the Former Infield of Old Oriole Park, Boxing Beer in the Former Outfield of Old Oriole Park, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Beer Bottling Near the Former Infield of Old Oriole Park, Boxing Beer in the Former Outfield of Old Oriole Park, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

We discovered that the former site of both second and third base lies within the brewery building, as well as a portion of right field, center field, and left field. The two story fermenting tanks sit near second base and stretch into what was once right field.

Beer Fermenting Tanks In Old Oriole Park's Former Right Field, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Beer Fermenting Tanks In Old Oriole Park’s Former Right Field, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

The brewery’s boxing area sits in what was once left and center field.

Boxing Beer in the Former Outfield of Old Oriole Park, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Boxing Beer in the Former Outfield of Old Oriole Park, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Brewmaster Ernie Igot’s mixing tanks sit in the former right field near the first base grandsstand.

Ernie Igot, Head Brewer, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Ernie Igot, Head Brewer, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Portions of Old Oriole Park remain on the site, including a concrete support wall that runs along an alley that parallels Greenmount Avenue.

Richard O'Keefe Walks the Eastern Perimeter of  Peabody Heights Brewery, Next to Old Oriole Park Concrete Support Wall

Richard O’Keefe Walks the Eastern Perimeter of Peabody Heights Brewery, Next to Old Oriole Park Concrete Support Wall

Also on the site is a section of the former left field brick fence.

Old Oriole Park Left Field Fence, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Old Oriole Park Left Field Fence as Seen Inside Brewery Compound, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Old Oriole Park Left Field Fence, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Old Oriole Park Left Field Fence as Seen From Street, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

The brewery’s loading docks located along the back of the building stretch from left field to center field.

Loading Dock Located in Old Oriole Park Left Field, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Loading Dock Located in Old Oriole Park Left Field, Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

The former site of Oriole Park’s home plate is located on the sidewalk that parallels Barclay Street, just south of Peabody Heights Brewery.

Former Location of Old Oriole Park Home Plate Just South of Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Former Location of Old Oriole Park Home Plate Just South of Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

With the former site of Old Oriole Park as a backdrop, O’Keefe and Albert are transforming one of Baltimore’s finest breweries into a place where fans of the game can not only take a tour of the brewery, but learn first hand the story of Old Oriole Park, Union Park, and three other professional baseball parks located within walking distance of Peabody Heights.

Richard O'Keefe, David Stinson, and J. Hollis Albert, III, Outside Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

Richard O’Keefe, David Stinson, and J. Hollis Albert, III, Outside Peabody Heights Brewery, Baltimore, Maryland

The past is all around, you just have to know where to look.

A San Francisco “Deadball Moment”

Thanks much to Terrell Baldwin for sharing with me his Deadball-inspired moment he had with his son on a recent trip to San Francisco.

Here is Terrell’s story, interspersed with a few photos he took:

“I wanted to share with you an experience that my son and I had in San Francisco, California yesterday afternoon.

After reading your book, DEADBALL, I have thought a lot about some ballparks that I enjoyed as a young boy. Some of them still exist and some of them have been demolished. My family and I always visit the SF area for Christmas. My in-laws live in Berkeley so we are always looking for an adventure.

Plaque Honoring Seal Stadium, San Francisco CA

We decided to explore the mission District and look for Seals Stadium. We got off the BART train and headed East toward the location of Seals Stadium. When we climbed the small hill, I knew we were at the right spot, we were standing in front of DOUBLE PLAY bar and I began to tell my son about Seals Stadium. Less than a minute into the conversation, a man leaning on nearby newspaper vending machine started telling us about the Park.

Sign from Double Play Bar & Grill, Across the Street from Former Site of Seals Stadium

After visiting with the older Man for about five minutes, he suggested we go read the plaque on the opposite corner. We then crossed the street to view the plaque. As we approached the plaque, I turned to wave to the old man, and acknowledge that we had reached the correct spot. When I turned to wave he was gone!

I could not see the old man anywhere! I felt as if I was experiencing a DEADBALL moment. We took several pictures from all angles then headed over to DOUBLE PLAY to enjoy lunch and see some of the pictures that we had heard about inside the bar.

We entered the bar and began to look around, the bartender began telling us about the pictures, I then mentioned that the guy outside had told us about and described most of the pictures. The bartender then told us, that hardly anyone in the area knows much about it. He was very surprised to hear about an older man telling us about Seals Stadium.

I am going with the belief that the old man was Lefty O’Doul. I thought you might enjoy hearing about our adventure. We had a great time.”

Former Site of Seals Stadium, San Francisco CA

Terrell, thanks for taking the time to share your “Deadball Moment.” Here’s hoping there are more such moments to come.

DBS

Vintage Coca Cola Santa’s Lost Ballpark Tour

Each year my family and I take our Chirstmas card photo at a major league ballpark. In celebration of the season, here are some photos of the prop we take with us on our trips – a vintage Coca Cola Santa doll – all taken  where baseball no longer is played or the stadium no longer exits.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  DBS

 

Shea Stadium, Flushing NY

 

Yankee Stadium, Bronx NY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

Pro Player Stadium, Miami FL

 

 

 

 

 

 

Busch Stadium, St. Louis MO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John McGraw and St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Baltimore

Three miles north of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, at the intersection of Greenmount Avenue and East 22nd Street, is St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church.

St. Ann's Catholic Church, Baltimore, Maryland

The church is forever tied to Baltimore baseball history as the place where former Oriole and baseball Hall of Famer John McGraw married his second wife, Blanche Sindall, on January 8, 1902.

Interior View of St. Ann's Church Where John McGraw Married Blanche Sindall

St. Ann’s plays a prominent role in two of the latter chapters of my book Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel. However, in the interest of not spoiling the the story line, I will leave it at that. For those of you who already have read my book, here is a look at the church described in Deadball.

The Gothic-revival church is constructed of grey stone and white marble.

Side View of St. Ann's Church

The church has two steeples, one soaring high above the church to the right of the front entrance and a second, of lesser height, behind and to the left of the entrance.

The Two Steeples of St. Ann's Church

A pointed stone archway made of alternating blocks of marble and stone frames a set of red painted doors decorated with ornate iron hinges. A simple, yet elegant rose window, framed by a similar stone archway centered above the entrance adds an understated flourish to the front of the church.

Front Entrance to St. Ann's Church

The white plastic lettering of the church’s marquee sign next to the sidewalk announces that the church is “Anchored In Faith.”

Marquee Sign, St. Ann's Church

The reference to “anchored” is a pun, for resting alongside the cornerstone to the right of the entrance way is a large, gold-painted, allegorical anchor once belonging to Captain William Kennedy.

Captain William Kennedy's Anchor

Commander of the Baltimore clipper ship “The Wanderer,” Kennedy prayed for safe return when caught in a storm off the coast of Vera Cruz. He promised to build a church should his prayers be answered. They were, and Kennedy kept his promise, providing the land and money to build St. Ann’s. The good Captain is buried beneath the main floor of the church, along with his wife, both of whom died in 1873, the year the church was built.

Final Resting Place of Captain William Kennedy and his Wife

Behind the church on East 22nd Street is the rectory.

St. Ann's Rectory - The Anchorage

Next door to the rectory is  a three story tan brick row house with a first floor stone. It is the former home of Oriole Hall of Famer Joe Kelley.

Former Home of Hall of Famer Joe Kelley

Joe Kelley and several of McGraw’s teammates were in attendance at his wedding that day, including Wilbert Robinson, Willie Keeler, Steve Brodie, and Hughie Jennings.

Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Joe Kelley, and Hughie Jennings

In her memoir The Real McGraw, Blanche McGraw noted that St. Ann’s was overflowing with people for the 6 pm wedding, which was conducted by St. Ann’s Pastor, Father Cornelius Thomas, who himself was a big baseball fan.

A “church of baseball” or at least a “church with a baseball connection,” St. Ann’s can be visited on the web at anchoredinfaith.com.

Frederick Keys, Rudy and Me, This Saturday!

For those of you looking for a way to spend the last official weekend of summer watching baseball, come out to the Frederick Keys on Saturday September 1st. Gates open at 5 pm.

I will be there selling and signing copies of my book Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel.

Also there signing autographs at Harry Grove Stadium will be Daniel Eugene Ruettiger – the inspiration behind the movie “Rudy.”

Should be a good night for baseball as the Keys are in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Keys are a minor league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

Captain Underpants Reality Check

There are events in one’s life that truly define a person, that offer a real measure of what  they have accomplished, and if properly embraced through retrospection, will challenge that person to strive for more. This past Sunday in Bowie, Maryland, I experienced just such a moment.

I knew in May when I signed the contract with the Bowie Baysox to sell copies of my book Deadball, that July 22nd, the date I was  to appear, would be “Summer Reading Night” at the stadium.  Subsequently, I learned that, in addition to a book swap, Scholastic Books would be giving away copies of one of their titles to children attending the game. However, it  wasn’t until a week before the date that I was informed Scholastics,  in addition to supplying books, would be sending to the game one of the true giants of the industry – Captain Underpants!

Upon reflection, I am certain it was fate that brought me to the Bowie Baysox on that Sunday in July, where I found myself  in the midst of a true, literary icon – he a figure beloved by millions of early readers, me a writer still trying to shake off  the not-ready-for-prime-time-label of “local author.”

“How would he act when I  met him? What should I say to him?” These and other questions went racing through my mind as I set up my table in the concourse along  the first base side of Prince Georges County Stadium. Just before the start of the game, I was invited onto the  field to throw out a ceremonial first pitch (I bounced it, dammit). “Where was  CU?” I wondered. Surely he would be asked  onto the  field and offered  the same honor.  But no, I was wrong.

After returning to my table, the game was soon underway. It was then that I saw him, lumbering down the concourse in my direction, each clopping step he took  growing louder as he approached. He stopped directly in front of my table, chased down by some tiny admirers. He was much bigger in real life, certainly larger than he appeared on the covers of  his books. Indeed, he seems to have grown quite a bit  in the 15 years since his debut in 1997.

A gaggle of children lined up to pose for a picture with him. He readily complied. I watched  him with a measure of awe and a measure of trepidation. Once the line of admirers dispersed, I had my chance.  I walked around to the front of my table and called out his  name. He turned toward me and I reached out my hand. As I embraced his grip, his pudgy fingers seemingly collapsed into a smaller hand, as if I were squeezing a balloon with a candy bar inside. “That’s odd,” I thought.

He spoke not a word and I found myself doing all the talking. “You’ve sold quite a lot of books,” I said. He simply nodded. “Would you mind if I took a picture with you?” He moved his stumped arm in front of him as if to say “be my guest.” “Would you mind holding a copy of my book?” He gave me a thumb-up, and I placed a copy of Deadball into his balloon-like hand. My daughter took the shot and, as the camera flash faded, so did my moment amongst literary greatness. After posing for a couple more pictures with his little admirers, he lumbered away, his handler in tow.

Local Author David Stinson With Literary Icon Captain Underpants

I can only hope to one day reach the literary heights CU has achieved, millions of adoring readers who recognize him instantaneously. It may be unrealistic for me to believe I too could attain such a pinnacle of success. But, with apologies to Stephen King, and to paraphrase Andy Dufresne, “get busy striving, or get busy dying.”

And thank you, Captain Underpants.

My Interview With Brett Hollander WBAL Radio

WBAL's Brett Hollander

My interview with Brett Hollander on WBAL radio was broadcast before the Orioles/Angels game a week ago Saturday.  Mr. Hollander is the host of WBAL’s Sportsline, which is broadcast weeknights from 6 to 9 pm on 1090 AM.  Brett also runs feature stories during the weekend before Orioles games, which is when my interview originally aired. The interview aired a second time during one of  his shows last week.

We covered a lot of ground – talking about Deadball, how I came up with story line for the novel, the history of baseball in Baltimore, the World Champion National League Orioles of the 1890s, and many of the famous lost Baltimore Ballparks such as Union Park, old Orioles Park (American League Park), and Memorial Stadium.

In case you missed it, here’s the link to the interview posted on WBAL.com:

My Interview With WBAL’s Brett Hollander

Man am I a fast talker!

Thanks for the opportunity, Brett!

Babe Ruth Field At The Old St. Mary’s Industrial School

One would think that, given how important Babe Ruth is to the sport of baseball, more would made of the fact that the baseball field where Ruth honed his skills as a child still remains to this day a baseball field in an area just west of downtown Baltimore.

The Infield at Babe Ruth Field, Baltimore, Maryland

Near the corner of South Canton Avenue and Route 1 just a half mile north of Interstate 95 is a ball field known as “Babe Ruth Field.”

Babe Ruth Field Scoreboard, Baltimore, Maryland

In 2007, as part of my research for Deadball, I visited the site, which at the time was still Cardinal Gibbons High School.  Formerly, the school had been the St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, an orphanage and reform school run by the Catholic Church.

Dugout at Babe Ruth Field, Baltimore, Maryland

In addition to the cinder block dugouts and the chainlink backstop, one major difference between the field that Ruth played on and the field as it exists today is the orientation of home plate, which in Ruth’s day, was located in what is now centerfield.

Center Field at Babe Ruth Field, Baltimore, Formerly Location of Home Plate

Babe Ruth spent the majority of his formative years as a ward of the school, his parents having signed him over to the Xaverian Brothers out of desperation when he was just eight or nine years old.

Babe Ruth At St. Mary's Industrial School For Boys (Huggins & Scott Auctions image)

Brother Matthias Bouttlier, the school’s disciplinarian,  helped harness Ruth’s natural abilities.

Home Plate at Babe Ruth Field, Baltimore, Maryland

In Deadball, the protagonist, Byron Bennett, then a member of the Cardinal Gibbons varsity baseball team, thinks he sees a game being played on the old St. Mary’s configuration of the field wherein George Herman Ruth hits a home run into the crowd of students sitting beyond right field.

Left Field at Babe Ruth Field, Formerly Right Field

With Cardinal Gibbons High School now closed and the facility no longer in use, the future of Babe Ruth Field is uncertain.  Hopefully the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which owns the field, will continue to preserve the historic ballpark so future generations can stand where the Babe once stood and play ball.

Deadball Arrives Five Years After Conception

Hello All:

The story told in Deadball first came into focus the winter of 2003, during a drive from Chicago’s Midway Airport to Rock Island, Illinois.  Working then for the Department of Justice, I was on my way to review Department of the Army documents for a case being litigated in the United States Court of Federal Claims. My traveling companion, agency counsel for the Army, was kind enough to listen to my concept for the book as we drove along I-88.

After leaving DOJ in October 2006 to be a stay-at-home dad (SAHD), I began work full time on the novel.  By the spring of 2007, I had a first draft, the ending of the book having come to me the previous fall while waiting in the parking lot for my youngest son to finish soccer practice.

By the spring of 2010, many drafts and rewrites later, Deadball was, I felt, ready to publish.  I was wrong, and for the next year, with the book continually crowning at about 9 cm, I labored to deliver the book for publication.

On November 23, 2011, Deadball arrived.  I hope you will buy a copy of the book and read it.  I encourage you to post a comment on this website, or a review on Amazon.com.

Please check back here for more blog postings.

DBS

 

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