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Belair Road And North Avenue – The First Intersection Of Beer and Baseball in Baltimore

By David Stinson on November 22, 2015

The hardscrabble intersection of Belair Road and North Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, has no marker noting the importance of the area to the history of Baltimore baseball, or to the history of Baltimore beer, for that matter. However, Eagle Brewery and Malt House, which once stood in the northwest quadrant of that intersection, has deep baseball roots.

Detail from E. Sachse, & Co.’s Bird’s Eye View of the City of Baltimore, 1869. (Library of Congress) (courtesy Ken Mars)

Built on the former site of Richardson’s Oil Cloth Mill, the brewery was started by John Henry Von Der Horst in 1866 as part of the J. H. Von Der Horst Brewing Company. In 1880, John Von Der Horst gave his son, Henry R. “Harry” Von Der Horst, an interest in the brewery and renamed the company J. H. Von Der Horst & Son Brewing Company. With profits from the Eagle Brewery, Harry Von Der Horst in the early 1880s purchased a franchise in the American Association, a new major league hoping to rival the National League.

Baltimore Orioles American Association Scorecard 1884 (courtesy of Ted Patterson)

Unlike the National League, however, the American Association permitted its franchises to sell beer at their home games. Harry Von Der Horst installed a beer garden in his ballpark and encouraged fans to remain even after the game had ended to consume more beer. Although the American Association Orioles (they were the first professional Baltimore baseball team known as the Orioles) never placed higher than third during their decade in existence, the sale of beer at the games proved quite profitable.

Baltimore Orioles American Association Scorecard 1884 (courtesy of Ted Patterson)

In 1892, with the demise of the American Association, Harry Von Der Horst’s Orioles entered the newly-expanded National League, and just two years later, in 1894, brought Baltimore its first ever professional baseball championship.

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

Baltimore Orioles in 1897 (Manager Ned Hanlon pictured in suit)

Eagle Brewery and Malt House was bounded by Belair Road and Vonderhorst Lane (now Homestead Street) to the East, Sinclair Street to the North, Patterson Park Avenue to the west, and North Avenue to the South.

Maryland Map Circa 1892 (courtesy of Ken Mars)

Maryland Map Circa 1892 (Johns Hopkins University) (Courtesy of Ken Mars)

By the 1880s, Eagle Brewery was one of the largest in the city. According to the book Baltimore: Its Past and Present, A Souvenir Of The 27th Convention of the United States Brewer’s Association (A. Von Degen, 1887), the main brewery building was erected in 1880, was five stories high, and included three large steel boilers.

Von Der horst Brewery Circa 1880s (courtesy of Ken Mars)

Eagle Brewery also had its own six-story malt house which produced 100,000 bushels of malt each year, and a five story ice house which provided refrigeration through the use of two DeLaVergne steam-driven ammonia compressors. The brewery’s annual production was 40,000 barrels.

Von Der Horst Brewery Circa 1890s

The two drawings above depicts the brewery as it looked fronting Belair Road, just south of what is now Homestead Street (formerly Vonderhorst Lane). The picture below shows that plot of land as it appears today, at the intersection of Belair Road and Homestead Street. The street address is 1920 Belair Road (formerly 10 Belair Avenue Extended).

Former Site of Eagle Brewery and Malt House, Baltimore, Maryland

Former Site of Eagle Brewery and Malt House, at intersection of Belair Road and Homestead Street, Baltimore, Maryland

There are no buildings from the Von Der Horst brewery at the site today. A portable building located at the former entrance to the brewery on Belair Street is owned by Power House World Ministries, which also owns several other buildings across from the site on Belair Road.

Power House World Ministries Building on Belair Road, Baltimore, Maryland, Across the street from the former site of Eagle Brewery.

On the day I visited the site with Ken Mars, a Baltimore baseball historian, the head of that church, Bishop James A. Winslow, Jr., was whacking weeds on the property. Bishop Winslow hopes to acquire other properties on the block to help fulfill his noble mission of serving those who “are less fortunate and have been beaten down by life.”

Bishop James A. Winslow, Jr. and Baseball Historian Ken Mars.

Behind the former entrance to the brewery on Belair Road is the Allender Bus Company, located at 2301 Sinclair Lane.

Allender Bus Company, 2301 Sinclair Lane, Baltimore, Maryland, Former Site of Eagle Brewery

The Allender Bus Company sits on the portion of the property that once included the five story brewery building and the six story malt house.

Allender Bus Company, 2301 Sinclair Lane, Baltimore, Maryland, Former Site of Eagle Brewery

The tract of land that fronts Belair Road sits at a higher elevation than the tract where Allender Bus Company is located. At about this spot once sat the five-story ice house, which had deep vaults located several stories below ground. One can only wonder what an excavation of this area might reveal.

Former Site of Eagle Brewery, between Belair Road and Sinclair Lane

Running parallel to Homestead Street is the former Goetze Meat Plant. A Baltimore landmark that remains to this day is the large, metal Goetze sign that sits along Sinclair Lane, just south of the railroad tracks.

Geotze Meat Plant and Sign, Baltimore, Maryland

Homestead Street today is really nothing more than an alley, now closed off and impervious to vehicular traffic.

Homestead Lane (Formerly Vonderhorst Lane), Baltimore, Maryland

Homestead Street (Formerly Vonderhorst Lane), Baltimore, Maryland

In 1929, during the height of prohibition, the Baltimore City Council voted to change the name of the street from Vonderhorst Lane to Homestead Lane because local residents did not like the road, or the surrounding area, being linked to the former brewery.

Homestead Lane and Belair Road, Baltimore, Maryland

However, perhaps as a homage to the former landmark, the city changed only a portion of the street and left a one block stretch of Vonderhorst Lane east of Belair Road on the map and at the site.

Vonderhorst Lane and Belair Road, Baltimore, Maryland

Across the street from the former brewery on Belair Road is a sign for Vonderhorst Lane, which marks a right of way which now is nothing more than an alley.

Vonderhorst Lane, Baltimore, Maryland

The eastern end of Vonderhorst Lane terminates at Baltimore Cemetery, which perhaps is appropriate because Baltimore Cemetery is the final resting place for the Von Der Horst family.

Eastern Terminus of Vonderhorst Lane, Baltimore, Maryland

In 1894, John Von Der Horst died and was interred in a mausoleum near the entrance to Baltimore Cemetery.

Von Der Horst Mausoleum, Baltimore Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland

Also interred in the family vault is John’s wife Johanna, and his son John H. Von Der Horst, Jr., and his wife Mary.

The Von Der Horst Vault, Baltimore Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland

After his father’s death in 1894, Harry Von Der Horst inherited a large portion of the brewery and formed Von Der Horst Brewing Company. In 1898, Harry Von Der Horst moved to New York, where he was part owner of the Brooklyn Superbras (which included several former Oriole players, including manager Ned Hanlon). In 1899, Von Der Horst Brewing Company became part of the Maryland Brewing Company, a consolidation of 16 or 17 Baltimore breweries. Harry Von Der Horst retained a share of that company, but eventually sold his shares to the Gottlieb-Bauernschmidt-Strauss Brewing Company. By 1904, Gottlieb-Bauernschmidt-Strauss had ceased making beer at the Eagle Brewery site and leased the former Von Der Horst property to Wilson Distilling Company.

Wilson Distilling Company Whiskey Label

Harry Von Der Horst died in New York in 1905, and is interred in the Von Der Horst vault along with his wife Emma, and his daughters Charlotte and Louise.

Von Der Horst Cress on the Door to the Family Mausoleum

As for the former brewery site, during prohibition, the property was used to make alcohol products not intended for human consumption, although stories in the Baltimore Sun talk of bootlegging raids on the premises. In the 1930s, a car dealership, Backus Chevrolet, opened at the site, and in 1938, H.J. Weissner converted the dealership to a used car lot. In the 1980s a Church’s Fried Chicken restaurant was located at the site.

Former Site of Entrance to Eagle Brewery and Malt House, Belair Road, Baltimore, Maryland

Former Site of Eagle Brewery and Malt House, and Wilson Distilling Company, Belair Road, Baltimore, Maryland

During his time as a baseball executive in Baltimore, Harry Von Der Horst brought the city three baseball championships, in 1894, 1895, and 1896. He also owned and/or helped construct three ballparks to house his teams. The first was Oriole Park (Oriole Park I), known as Huntington Avenue Grounds and American Association Park), at the southeast corner of what is now East 25th Street and Barclay Street. The American Association Orioles played there from 1883 to 1889. The second was Oriole Park II, located at the southwest corner of what is now Greenmount Avenue and East 29th Street, where the American Association Orioles played from 1890 to 1891. The third was Oriole Park III, also known as Union Park and the Baltimore Baseball and Exhibition Grounds, where American Association Orioles played in 1891. The National League Orioles played at Union Park up through the 1899 season.

Baltimore Skyline As Seen From Von Der Horst Mausoleum in Baltimore Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore Cemetery sits on one of the highest spots in the City of Baltimore, approximately three miles northeast of Camden Yards, the home of the current Baltimore Orioles. Although the neighborhood has changed dramatically since Harry Von Der Horst’s death, it seems fitting that the city skyline is readily visible from the front steps of the final resting place of the man who first brought together Baltimore baseball and beer.

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged 10 Belair Avenue Extended, 1920 Belair Road, Allender Bus Company, American Association, American Association Baltimore Orioles, Backus Chevrolet, Baltimore, Baltimore Cemetery, Baltimore Orioles, Belair Road and North Avenue, Bishop James A. Winslow Jr., Brooklyn Superbras, DeLaVergne Engines, Eagle Brewery and Malt House, Goetze Meat Plant, Gottlieb-Bauernschmidt-Strauss Brewing Company, H.J. Weissner, Harry Von Der Horst, Henry R. Von Der Horst, Homestead Street, J. H. Von Der Horst Brewing Company, John H. Von Der Horst, John Henry Von Der Horst, Ken Mars, Maryland, Maryland Brewing Company, National League, Ned Hanlon, Oriole Park I, Oriole Park II, Oriole Park III, Power House World Ministries, Sinclair Street, Union Park, Von Der Horst Mausoleum, vonderhorst, Vonderhorst Lane, Wilson Distilling Company. | 6 Comments

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

By David Stinson on February 28, 2015

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 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged 12 West 24th Street, 2738 St. Paul Street, 2740 St. Paul Street, 529 East 23rd Street, 530 East 22nd Street, Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Blanche McGraw, Hughie Jennings, Joe Kelley, John McGraw, Ken Mars, Minnie McGraw, National League Baltimore Orioles, Union Park, Wilbert Robertson.

Baseball and Beer – Peabody Heights Brewery and Old Oriole Park

By David Stinson on February 11, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged American Association, Baltimore, baseball, Bernard McKenna, Beverage Capital Corporation, David Stinson, Ernie Igot, Harry Von Der Horst, J. Hollis Albert III, John Von Der Horst, Old Oriole Park, Old Oriole Park Bohemian, Old Oriole Park Bohemian Lager, Peabody Heights Brewery, Richard O'Keefe, Terrapin Park, Union Park, Von Der Horst Brewery. | 3 Comments

A Room With A View Overlooking Baltimore’s Union Park

By David Stinson on April 4, 2014

It was March 31, 1894, and the National League Baltimore Orioles soon would begin their 1894 campaign, which ultimately brought Baltimore it’s first baseball championship. The Orioles opened at home that year on April 19th with a game against the New York Giants.

A mere 120 years later, on March 31st – Baseball’s Opening Day 2014 – that Championship Season was celebrated by St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center at the former site of Union Park, where the National League Orioles once played.

St. Ambrose’s Green Room

St. Ambrose, whose offices are located at 321 East 25th Street, held an open house celebrating the reopening of its “Green Room.” Named after one of its founders, the Green Room is located in the basement of the building and provides community space for the furthering of St. Ambrose’s worthy mission.

The building at 321 East 25th Street has great historical significance to our National Pastime as it was once located adjacent to Union Park’s grandstand and its parking lot was once part of the actual playing field.

The back of the building can be seen in the 1897 photograph below – it is the house with the distinctive pitched roof just to the right of Union Park’s grandstand.

Union Park Grandstand (detail from The Winning Team, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

Here is that building today:

321 East 25th Street, Baltimore

I had the pleasure of attending St. Ambrose’s open house as a guest speaker. After the event , I took a tour of the building, heading to the third floor for a panoramic view of Union Park’s former playing field as seen through the two windows located just below the tip of the roof.

Interior of 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore

Interior of 321 East 25th Street, Baltimore, Third Floor

For nine seasons, from 1891 to 1899, the view through those windows was one of the finest in all of baseball, providing witness to the feats of some of the game’s greatest ballplayers, including Orioles Hall of Famers Dan Brouthers, Hughie Jennings, Wilbert Robinson, Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Ned Hanlon and Joe Kelley. Indeed, on that spot, the Orioles won three consecutive National League pennants, from 1894 to 1896.

Site of Union Park's Former Playing Field, as seen from 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore

Site of Union Park’s Former Playing Field, as seen from 321 East 25th Street, Baltimore

Today that field is a parking lot, surrounded by row houses and brick garages. But 120 years ago, it was the center of baseball in Baltimore. St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center is proud of its connection to Baltimore baseball history and there is talk of honoring Union Park and the old Baltimore Orioles with a wiffle ball game to be played in the parking lot where Union Park’s infield once sat. Should those plans come to fruition, I will post information on this site.

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged 1890s Orioles, 321 East 25th Street, Baltimore, Dan Brouthers, Hughie Jennings, Joe Kelley, John McGraw, National League Orioles, Ned Hanlon, Orioles, St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Union Park, Wilbert Robinson, Willie Keeler.

Celebrating New Beginnings at Union Park’s Former Site

By David Stinson on March 28, 2014

East 25th Street, Baltimore, former site of Union Park

The mission of St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center is to create and maintain equal housing opportunities for low-and moderate-income people in and around the City of Baltimore. A 501(c)(3) non profit organization, St. Ambrose’s main offices are located at 317 E 25th Street, adjacent to the former site of Union Park, once the home of the World Champion 1890’s Baltimore Orioles.

To celebrate the renovation of their historic structure, St. Ambrose is holding an open house on Monday March 31st in conjunction with the Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day. St. Ambrose also will celebrate the baseball history that surrounds the historic structure in which it resides. St. Ambroses’ offices are housed in the distinctive red brick building that appears just to left center of the above photograph. St. Ambroses’ offices also can be seen in the the photograph below, with the building’s distinctive pitched roof appearing just to the right of the third base grand stand.

Union Park, Baltimore, Home of the National League Orioles, circa 1897 (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

I am honored to be a guest at the open house this Monday, where I will talk about the history of the Union Park and give perhaps a few mini tours of the site, explaining where the ballpark once sat. I also will have available for sale and signing copies of my book Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel.

Before heading to the Orioles game Monday, or to pregame festivities at Pickles Pub, stop by the former site of Union Park, where the 1894 Baltimore Orioles brought home Baltimore’s first baseball championship, 120 years ago this year, and 60 years before the current-day Orioles arrived in Baltimore in 1954.

For more information about St. Ambrose and the open house, visit the St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center website. I certainly hope to see you there

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged 1894 pennant, Baltimore Orioles, Deadball A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, Opening Day, St. Ambrose, St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Union Park.

The 1890’s National League Baltimore Orioles As Seen Through The Sporting Life

By David Stinson on June 14, 2013

Union Park and the National League Baltimore Orioles of the 1890’s play a prominent role in my book Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, and it is not often that I come across artifacts from the team or that era. When I do, they typically are way out of my price range. But as luck would have it, I was able to purchase at auction recently four copies of the Sporting Life that feature the 1890’s National League Baltimore Orioles on the front cover, as well as a page out of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper featuring a preview of the Orioles and the New York Giants in the Temple Cup.

The Leslie’s newspaper page is extraordinary for it’s pictorial history of early baseball star including Orioles Hall of Famers Dan Brouthers, Hughie Jennings, Wilbert Robinson, Willie Keeler, John McGraw, Ned Hanlon, plus several New York Giants who appear in the team photo including John Ward, Amos Rusie, and Roger Connor.

1894 Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper

The Orioles won the National League pennant in 1894, the first year of a dynasty that would last almost until the team’s demise at the end of the century. The Orioles won three consecutive pennants from 1894-1896. This is reflected in the October 3, 1896, Sporting Life below depicting a Baltimore Oriole player standing next to Uncle Sam on top of the world with the inscription “the world is mine.”

October 3, 1896 Sporting Life

The 1897 season saw a turn of fortune for the Orioles, who lost the pennant to the Boston Beaneaters by two games that year (they came in second behind the Boston Beaneaters in 1898 as well). The May 18, 1897, Sporting Life foreshadows the Orioles fall from the top of the world that season, with a depiction of Uncle Sam presenting a Baltimore baseball player a letter that reads, “Uncle Sam – Some of the other clubs want the pennant this year. Respectfully yours: Uncle Nick.” The caption at the bottom of the page states: “Uncle Sam – Well son, what are you going to do about it.”

May 18, 1897 Sporting Life

The 1899 season would be the last for the National League Baltimore Orioles. The July 15, 1899, Sporting Life depicts Orioles Player/Manager John McGraw, who is said in the caption to be “The brilliant player and capable manager of Baltimore.” Although McGraw would remain in Baltimore as player/manager of the American League Orioles in their inaugural 1901 season and part of the 1902 season, McGraw would move to New York to manage the Giants towards the end of the 1902 season. It was in New York where McGraw achieved his most notable fame, where he is recognized as one of the greatest managers of all time.

July 15, 1899 Sporting Life Featuring John McGraw

On February 24, 1900, when the Sporting Life below was issued, Willie Keeler was still identified as an outfielder for Baltimore, however, by then he had been playing for the Brooklyn Superbas since 1899, alongside fellow former Orioles Joe Kelley, Aleck Smith, and Hughie Jennings. Additional former Orioles Harry Howell, Frank Kitson, Joe McGinnity, Jerry Nops, Gene DeMontreville, and Jimmy Sheckard joined Brooklyn after the 1899 season.

February 24, 1900 Sporting Life Featuring Willie Keeler

Of course it helped that the former owner of the National League Baltimore franchise, Harry Von Der Horst, also owned the Brooklyn franchise, back in the days of syndicate baseball. The Superbas would win the pennant in 1899 and 1900 thanks in part to the contribution of the old Orioles, including former Orioles Manager Ned Hanlon who joined the Superbas at the helm in 1899.

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged Aleck Smith, Amos Rusie, Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Superbas, Dan Brouthers, Deadball, Deadball A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, Frank Kitson, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Gene DeMontreville, Harry Howell, Hughie Jennings, Jerry Nops, Jimmy Sheckard, Joe McGinnity, John McGraw, John Ward, National League Baltimore Orioles, Ned Hanlon, New York Giants, Roger Connor., Temple Cup, The Sporting Life, Uncle Sam, Union Park, Wilbert Robinson, Willie Keeler. | 1 Comment

Touring the Lost Ballparks of Baltimore With Author Burt Solomon

By David Stinson on March 14, 2013

Burt Solomon and Terry Hartzell Touring the Former Site of Union Park

As a die-hard Baltimore Orioles fan and amateur historian, one of my all-time favorite books is Burt Solomon’s Where They Ain’t, The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball, ranking right up there with James Bready’s Baseball in Baltimore, The First Hundred Years. Thanks to Terry Hartzell, a fan of both Burt’s book and my book Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, I had the opportunity to take both Burt and Terry on one of my Lost Ballparks of Baltimore Tours. Our first stop was the former site of Union Park at the corner of East 25th Street and Guilford Avenue, followed by a walking tour up Barclay Street to East 29th Street and the former site of American League Park, which is now a McDonald’s.

Burt Solomon and David Stinson Standing in Front of Memorial Stadium's Former Infield, Now a Youth Baseball Park Courtesy of the Ripken Foundation.

Next we walked across East 29th Street to the former site of Terrapin Park/old Oriole Park, where we confirmed that the 16 original row houses that sat behind what was once right-center field all remain at the site. After walking back to the car, we drove less than a mile from Union Park to the former site of Memorial Stadium, where pieces of brick and concrete from the stadium still can be found amongst the dirt, exposed by the weather.

After bidding adieu to Burt, Terry and I continued on to New Cathedral Cemetery, where four Hall of Fame Orioles are interred (John McGraw, Joe Kelley, Ned Hanlon, and Wilbert Robinson). Our final stop for the day was the former site of St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, where a young Babe Ruth was raised as a ward of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The historic baseball site includes the field where Babe Ruth learned to play the game, a building from St. Mary’s dating back to Ruth’s time at the school (the former Industrial Arts Building), and the former St. Mary’s Chapel, which was converted into a school building prior to Cardinal Gibbons High School arriving there in 1962.

I hope to conduct another Lost Ballparks of Baltimore Tour some time this spring. If you are interested in coming along, just send me a comment to this post.

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged Babe Ruth, Baseball In Baltimore The FIrst Hundred Years, Burt Solomon, Deadball, Deadball A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, James Bready, Joe Kelley, John McGraw, Memorial Stadium, Ned Hanlon, New Cathedral Cemetery, Oriole Park, St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, Terrapin Park, Terry Hartzell, Union Park, Where They Ain't The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball, Wilbert Robinson. | 20 Comments

Touring The Lost Ballparks of Baltimore

By David Stinson on December 6, 2012

Looking for a baseball fix this off-season? Can’t get enough of the Baltimore Orioles? Read on.

While conducting research for my book Deadball, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel I became quite familiar with the lost ballpark sites of Baltimore, including Union Park, home of the 1890’s world champion National League Baltimore Orioles, and American League Park, home of the 1901-02 American League Baltimore Orioles and the 1903-1914 International League Orioles – including Babe Ruth (a previous ballpark known as Oriole Park once sat at the same location as American League Park and was where the American Association Baltimore Orioles played from 1890 until May 1891). Union Park and American League Park were located just four blocks apart, Union Park at the southwest corner of East 25th Street and Guilford Avenue, and American League Park at the southwest corner of East 29th Street and Greenmount Avenue.

Baltimore's Union Park

In addition to Union Park and American League Park, two other ballparks were once located nearby. Terrapin Park (also known as Oriole Park), home of the 1914-15 Federal League Terrapins, the International League Orioles, and the 1938-1944 Negro American League Baltimore Elite Giants, was located directly across the street from American League Park at the northwest corner of East 29th Street and Greenmount. Memorial Stadium (and its earlier incarnation known as Municipal Stadium) home of the International League Orioles (1944-1953) and the “new” American League Orioles (1954-1991) was located .7 miles north and east of American League Park on 33rd Street.

Over the past few years, I occasionally have given tours of the old ballpark sites to die-hard Orioles fans and history buffs. This fall, I continued that tradition. In October, Bruce Brown, a friend and fellow SABR member toured the sites of Union Park, American League Park, and Terrapin Park.

Bruce Brown Standing in the Approximate Location of American League Park's Home Plate

And most recently, this past November, I made the same trek to Baltimore with friend and fellow author Austin Gisriel (Safe at Home, A Season in the Valley). Austin and I also toured the former site of Memorial Stadium, which Austin chronicled on the SABR blog Seamheads (see Seamheads.com).

Author Austin Gisriel at the Former Site of Union Park. The Building in the Background Once Sat Just To the Right of Union Park's Third Base Side Grandstand (see above picture of Union Park)

If you are interested in a tour of these sites, let me know. Just send me a comment to this posting (you may need to click on the title to this post – “Touring The Lost Ballparks of Baltimore” and scroll to the bottom of the page for the reply option) or send me a note on my facebook page – David B. Stinson. If there is enough interest, I’ll arrange a tour. With winter soon upon us, a tour of Baltimore’s lost ballpark sites could provide that much needed off-season baseball fix. In the meantime, below are four entries from my companion blog deadballbaseball.com with pictures and information about these lost ballpark sites. Enjoy!

Union Park

American League Park

Terrapin Park/Oriole Park

Memorial Stadium

Go O’s!

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged American League Park, Austin Gisriel, Babe Ruth, Baltimore Elite Giants, Baltimore Federal League, Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Terrapins, Bruce Brown, Deadball, Deadballbaseball.com, International League Orioles, Memorial Stadium, Municipal Stadium, Oriole Park, seamheads.com, Terrapin Park, Union Park. | 6 Comments

My Interview With Brett Hollander WBAL Radio

By David Stinson on July 18, 2012

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!

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged 1090 AM, 1890s Orioles, A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, American League Park, Baltimore baseball, Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Brett Hollander, David B. Stinson, Deadball, Memorial Stadium, National League Baltimore Orioles, Old Oriole Park, sportsline, stinson, Union Park, WBAL.

The Stone Tavern – Baltimore Little Tavern No. 4

By David Stinson on February 1, 2012

Part of my writing process for developing the story line in Deadball involved several trips to Baltimore, seeking inspiration. On my first trip I discovered the Stone Tavern Restaurant, located two blocks east of the former site of Union Park at the corner of East 25th Street and Greenmount Avenue in the Harwood section of Baltimore.

The Stone Tavern Restaurant in Baltimore circa 2007

Given its close proximity to Union Park and what I believed was its former life as a Little Tavern shop, the Stone Tavern Restaurant was a perfect time piece to include in the book.

The Stone Tavern Restaurant Baltimore circa 2011

According to Dinerhunter.com, the Stone Tavern was once Little Tavern Baltimore No. 4. It opened in 1931 and promptly closed a year later.

Stone Tavern Restaurant Lunch Counter circa 2008

In Chapter Two of Deadball, Byron Bennett stops by the Stone Tavern for a cup of coffee after having visited the former site of Union Park. Once inside he meets Mac, a kindred spirit who, like Byron, believes he can see the past.

Stone Tavern Restaurant Booth Seating

In Deadball, I exercise creative license and describe the Stone Tavern as being covered in Formstone, “that plaster-based, counterfeit rock unique to East Coast cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia.” As is apparent from the photograph below, the Stone Tavern’s facade is, well, real stone.

The Stone Tavern - Covered In . . . Stone

The Stone Tavern Restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch. From experience, I can tell you it’s the kind of place you’ll want to wash your hands before and after you eat. Although the restaurant no longer offers “Buy ’em by the bag” hamburgers, I highly recommend the tuna salad on rye. So on your next visit to Union Park, be sure to stop by the Stone Tavern. You never know who you might meet there.

This entry is filed under DBS Blog and tagged A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, Baltimore, Deadball, dinerhunter.com, East 25th Street, Formstone, Greenmount Avenue, Harwood, Little Tavern, Stone Tavern Restaurant, Union Park.

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