Memorabilia
A ballpark give-away during the Bill Dyer era of the IL Orioles.
| This page is dedicated to placing with us your favorite
memories from the 1903-1953 International League Oriole era.
Just click here
to go to our response page and tell us your favorite story, joke,
personal contact, thumbnail sketch or memory about those great IL Oriole
years. We, in turn, will publish them to this website on the page
below.
Many thanks, all of you, for your wonderful contributions to
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Oriole Memories |
IL Oriole Player:
Alfred Barillari
Al
Barillari played in the minors from 1944-1956, most notably with the Baltimore Orioles and was later also a
minor league manager. As a player, Barillari began as a pitcher and won
15 games for the Orioles one year. By 1948, though, he had moved to
playing the field full-time. He also spent time as a Cleveland Indians scout. Away
from the diamond, Barillari was also an NBA referee for a time. Tom Foster |
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My Grandfather was Clyde (Bucky) Crouse. He was a good man on the
field and off. He really loved the game. We were very proud
of him. I have a picture of him with his MVP trophy and myself. I
was only one year old and was as big as it. He has made all of his
family baseball fans.
We all love the game. I still yell the loudest for the Orioles. I think it 's a great thing you have done for the old players. Thanks again |
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My father invented the first pitching machine, dubbed "Iron
Mike" by some clubs and "Overhand Joe" by others. First
tryout was for Orioles in Memorial Stadium, 1945. Am e-mailing you separately a photo of me with pitchers Alex Ronay and Johnny Podgajny, circa 1945. You are making a wonderful contribution to the history of the Birds. Tom Foster Parkville, MD |
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The listings bring back many memories of old Oriole Park and the
"new" Memorial Stadium. I remember attending when Memorial Stadium was dedicated and Perry Como sang: "Bless this House" and "If every one would light just one little candle." I remember "The Baltimore Failwell" when an opposing pitcher was knocked [taken] out everyone would wave their handkerchief. I remember Bobo Newsome's Knothole Gang I remember a pitcher named Al Barelari (sp?). When the fans wanted him in the game they would chant "Roll Out the Barrel." So many memories of that great period of Baltimore's history. Gary Ceska Exton, PA |
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My father's uncle, Eugene ("Judy") Costello, was recruited out
of Wheeling, WV and reported pitched for the International League
Orioles. I would appreciate any information you can provide on the career of "Judy" Costello. The few family stories passed down include statements that "Judy" was kicked out of baseball for beating up fans that heckled him. His nick-name growing up, including his ID on a Wheeling, WV team picture, was "Shine" Costello. My research on him resulted in several references to "Shine" -- and I have reports from Wheeling residents that knew him that "Judy" always seemed to have a black eye -- a "shiner" -- and that is how he got his nick-name. "Uncle Judy" was a volatile man to his death. Losing the first game of Scrabble he ever played, on the last possible play of tiles by my father, "Uncle Judy" over-turned his own dining room china closet, breaking many dishes, and stormed up-stairs. "Uncle Judy" was assisted in gaining a position as a guard at the Baltimore City Jail and worked there until his retirement. Family stories mention that Jack Dunn was instrumental in securing the guard job after the baseball career ended. My father was never told of his father or anything of the Wheeling "past". The Costellos were a strange family. Baseball was their "ticket" out of Wheeling. Any talk of their "past" was always hush-hush, and only fragments of information were ever over-heard. For instance, from over-hearing "Wheeling" mentioned from time to time, my father took his first two weeks home, after serving in WWII, and went to Wheeling to see what he could find. He walked throughout town and, on the Wednesday of his 2nd week in town, my father walked into a hardware store -- and the clerk behind the counter was the spitting imagine of my father. That was in 1946. Eugene "Judy" Costello, my grandmother, and two other siblings, had "disappeared" completely from Wheeling, with my then 2 year old father and his older brother, in 1919. My grandfather then got to meet his son (my father) and learn "what happened" 27 years after the disappearance. Others in Wheeling had no idea where the Costellos went until I did research in the early 2000's. "Shine" Costello, Eugene "Judy" Costello, his brother, his two sisters, left together. (My grandfather told me that he came home from work one day to find his wife and his two kids simply gone -- and his his wife's whole family was also gone. No one knew where any of the clan had gone.) Any information you can provide on Eugene "Judy" Costello will be greatly appreciated. I am attempting to "fill-in the blanks" in the history of my father's side of our family for future generations. Since baseball, and the early Baltimore Orioles, was a major factor in the family history, I would love to learn, as Paul Harvey would say, "The rest of the story" concerning the Baltimore baseball career of Eugene "Judy" Costello. David A. Smith |
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A Compliment: I LOVE my Dad's picture, Jimmy Lyston. He
would be so proud. The entire website is splendid, very classy.
Nancy Keenan |
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I am 84 years old and I remember the Orioles of the '37-'40 Oriole teams
well. My parents ran a boarding house and we were privileged to
board a number of the Orioles during those years including Murray
"Red" Howell,"Smokey Joe" Martin, Ken Trikle, Elmer
Burkart, Jim Reninger and a few others whose names I cannot
remember.
I remember as a teenager going to the old Oriole Park on Greenmount with the players, being in the clubhouse with them and even shagging some fly balls during practices. I was in heaven. Then I went off to college in 1941, later into Army and lost track of the Orioles till they moved to 33rd Street. Elmer Burkart was ticket manager for the new American League Orioles. He was a good friend of my parents and was one of the pall bearers at my father's funeral. I have lost track of the Orioles but still root for them although I have been far away from Baltimore since 1943. James R. Glessner, MD |
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My introduction to baseball came in 1949 when listening to Bill Dyer call a game from Ottawa. The thought never crossed my mind that he was in a studio reading from a teletype as he made the game seem so real with his "walk around his little red chair." My first game, in person, was in 1950 and I became a real fan of the game. In 1952, a neighbor of ours was in charge of the ushers at the stadium and every Sunday, I and his son left our homes at 10:00 am in order to get to the game. Every Sunday meant that a double-header would be played with the second game being a 7 inning affair. I recall the coin put out by Gunther Beer with the teams schedule emblazoned upon it. At that time of day, Jack Dunn the IVth could be seen wandering about the stadium looking at his players work out, while always being ready to speak to fans.
We became a farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1951 and when
they played their yearly exhibition game, players like Del Ennis,
Richie Ashburn, Jim Konstanty, Curt Simmons and Robin Roberts were all
there. They were friendly and ready to sign autographs. The stadium
was not completed and the players had their dressing room in a
concrete building where they frequently spoke with fans in between
games of a twin bill. Unlike today, scorecards were sold and had a
gray and white cover with a biography of one of the Orioles. Also
included were two lucky numbers for prizes and the scorecard,
with pencil for scoring included, sold for 10 cents. The fans who were
there because of their love for the game and were not there to be
critical.
The scoreboard was small and it was the job of the Public Address
Announcer to keep people informed as to scores in the Major Leagues.
In 1953, Nick Cullop managed the team into the Little World Series
against the Columbus Jets. The Orioles won the Sunday game in the
Series and that was their only win. The air was electric and matched
what we have seen today. Perhaps because fans could identify with
salaries, a bond was formed with players on the team. Players like
Butch Woyt, Al Cihoki, Bobby Young, Ted Kazanski, Mike Goliat, Karl
Drews, Paul Stuffel and Kenny Trinkle helped make the team what it
was. As time progressed, I came to realize that there were only 400
Major League Players then, as contrasted with the 750 that are under
contact today. It is accurate to say that a goodly number of these
players would have been in the Majors had 30 teams existed then.
Baseball was fun then and was truly accessible to the fans. It created
many fans for the sport that grows because of the teams that
were a part of the International League. The baseballs were well-used
and scuffed to the point that a player today would laugh at. The sport
was truly fun then and those days may never return.
The web site is great. Keep up the good work.
Samuel Levin
Pikesville, Maryland
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Some of my earliest memories of baseball is visiting my cousin Dick
Porter and seeing the photographs, signed baseballs and bats of his
years with the Orioles. He batted .364 in 1924, .336 in 1925, .321 in
1926, .376 in 1927 and .350 in 1928 before being sold to the Cleveland
Indians.
He is not to be forgotten in Orioles history. Thank you for this site. Wayne P. Watson |
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Probably my most vivid memories of the International Orioles come from
the early 50's. Although my parents were avid fans and took me to many
International League games when I was 5 or 6, the most I can remember of
those games were the splinters I would get from the wooden benches at
Municipal/Memorial Stadium.
As I reached little League age I became more of a fan myself. My favorite player at that time was Roy Weatherly whom I recall hit 5 homeruns in a doubleheader one evening. I believe that the second games in double headers were only 7 innings. I also remember "Nippy" Jones (I believe the brother of Puddin'Head Jones of the Phillies). I remember Ted Kazanski who had a great start one season only to be called up by the Phillies. I remember catcher Al Lakeman an all-or-nothing slugger, Russ Kern, a reliable 3rd baseman, Marvin Rackley, Al Cihocki, and a few others. I was twelve when the Major League Orioles opened in 1954, so I had to say goodbye to our Phillies associates and learn to love the new team in town while my former favorite team, the Cleveland Indians, with Al Rosen, Bobby Avila, Larry Doby, Luke Easter, Vic Wertz, Jim Hegan and of course, Wynn, Lemon, Garcia, and Feller went on to have the finest season at that time. Doug Walters |
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My late uncle, Fred Keller, was signed to the Orioles when he was just
17 years old in 1944. He left a wonderful journal of his memories. He
was drafted into the Army to play ball and when he left the Army in
1947, the Orioles sent him to play in the Colonial League.
He has a funny story about a game he attended in 1943 that went 18 innings 0-0. There really is too much for me to copy here, but as a retired English teacher I tell you, its good stuff. We would be happy to have his memories be a part of a documentary. It would mean a lot to his twin sister too. She is 80 and in poor health. Sharon Donovan |
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I remember the year 1947. We lived in the 1200 block of north Patterson
Park Avenue. I use to ride my bike with the gang out to 33rd Street
Municipal Stadium. The workouts started around 5pm so we arrived early
to seek out work or just chase fly balls. If you got a ball this was
your ticket for the night game in the bleachers.
Johnny Sexton |
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No movie or article about the minor league Orioles will be complete
without mention of Bill Dyer. It was in 1944 when Dyer, with his
"little red chair," broadcast Oriole games and it was his enthusiasm
that produced the crowds that went to old Memorial Stadium to watch the
Little World Series, a phenomenon that helped Baltimore to get a major
league team.
From 1945 to 1948, I watched Dyer do his magic. It was during this period that I worked for Bill as his "statistician." Bill came to Baltimore from Philadelphia and he persuaded his sponsor--Gunther's Brewery--to bring another Philadelphian--Chuck Thompson--to Baltimore. Bill was a man of all seasons and for a time was general manager of the pro basketball Bullets. He also produced stage shows at the old Hippodrome Theater. When Bill left Baltimore, he went off to California. That's when I lost track of him, although there is a group in Philly that may know of his whereabouts. Just type the name Bill Dyer and you can get their web-site. Before I got the job with Bill, I frequented Oriole games on Saturdays as a member of the "Knothole Gang." With a membership card--issued at area parks-- you could get a bleacher seat for 50 cents. I could add a lot more, if you care to meet with me. I'm 78, a former sports writer and restaurant critic (also with The Guide), and makeup editor with the Baltimore Evening Sun. Good luck with the project. Joe D'Adamo, Sr. |
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I remember going to the "Little World Series" in 1944 to see
our heroes defeat the Louisville Colonels. The old stadium was a
horseshoe shape with the offices, etc. across the open end. The
seats at that time only went partway down each leg of the shoe and the
rest was grass. The game that I went to had all the seats
(benches) filled and people were sitting on the grass down both sides of
the shoe. I understood that there were over 50,000 fans at that game. A cousin of mine, Charles Lauenstein, pitched for the Orioles about 1943 and, as I remember, fairly successfully, but he couldn't stand the traveling and got homesick and left the team. Charles came home and pitched for the Martin Bombers in the industrial league. My Howie Moss story is from that time. Howie was playing for the Bainbridge naval training station team and they came to Middle River to play the Bombers. He knew my cousin and a few of the other players. The Bombers pitcher for the game was a left-hander named Ford (I can't remember his first name) and he was a rather strong pitcher. I was talking with Ford and my cousin when Howie walked up and they started kidding about how the game was going to turn out. Howie made some comment about hitting and Ford told him, "Howie, I'm pitching today and you aren't going to get a hit. I'll pitch you low and outside every time." That is just the way it happened and I remember looking back over time, the Cleveland Indians called Howie up to the majors several times and he shortly returned to the Orioles where he was very successful. He couldn't hit a major-league curve ball but in the International League he was a success. Also, in the horseshoe stadium, the left field stands were at a sharp angel to the left field foul line and, if memory serves correctly, the stands were only 267 feet away down the line and just legal for a baseball layout. Another writer mentioned Eddie Robinson's long homer. I believe it only took one long bounce before going through the arch at the end of the stadium which was 612 feet from home plate. Bill Dyer was probably the only announcer I've ever heard that could make an exciting game from a 'ticker tape'. Those were wonderful years. I have autographed team pictures from the 1945 and 1946 teams. Ted Josenhans Kingsville, Md |
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I am 46 years old and was not around to be familiar with any of these
teams, however, an old friend of my mother recently gave me a signed
game ball form the 1944 season. After reading some of the entries here I
can make out a few of the names. Tommy Thomas, Franklin Skaff, Howie
Moss, etc. I have always wanted to have someone authenticate these
signatures.
It has an inscription that says 1944 Championship Baltimore Orioles, but I can't tell who may have written it. It also has; "To Pete Brian" ??? Anyway, if you are interested in taking a look at it let me know. Mike Cimino |
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I have been an avid fan since the early '60s and recall going to many
games with my Dad as he worked the police detail. I managed to collect
and save such classic items as a Frank Robinson bat that he handed to me
after cracking it during batting practice. I have since made it a
project to collect all Baltimore baseball cards issued. I am only
missing one from 1957 and a couple in the '60s and am now focused on the
tobacco cards. I am also working on a collection of photos from the
early history of Baltimore baseball. I would be interested in hearing
from anyone that has photos to share or sell and will be anxious to see
your final product. Thanks so much - it's a great site! Jerry Landsman |
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My father pitched for the Orioles (1943). His name was Sterling Ecker
(They called him "NICK") when he pitched for the O's.). We
have a group picture of the O's at that time. I thought the league was
called the Piedmont League? Is that correct?
My mother is 90 years old and I would love for her to meet Cal Ripken, Jr. and some of her favorites. She has never missed an O's game on TV in all the years I've been around, but she never has been to the ball park. Do you have an address for CAL? I certainly would thank you. Thanks so much Mildred M. Pomraning |
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Hi!! What a wonderful site! My grandfather, or how I refer
to him, my Pop-Pop, was a player in the IL Orioles. His name was William
Martin Groves, usually referred to as Martin Groves. My mother has
told me he was a pitcher, but I don't know a lot of the information.
I know he was born in 1920, served in WWII, but I don't know exactly the
years he played. If you have any information, could you possibly let me
know or point me in the right direction to try and find more about my
Pop-Pop? I would appreciate it so much.
Thank you for everything! Cindy Evans |
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Today I read in Jim Henneman's column (Press Box) about your
documentary on the old international Orioles. The only memorabilia
I have is a charred photo of the Orioles 1944 manager, Tommy Thomas,
that my mom recovered from the ruins of Oriole Park in July of 1944.
I think it was the official team photo of Thomas.
My mom was an avid Oriole fan, and often took me to the park. When I was in first grade (1938), she would pull me out of school for a "doctor's appointment," and we would hop on the #1 streetcar at Fayette & Gilmore Streets and head to the park. My love of hot dogs and baseball was born early! After the park burned down and most of the ruins had been removed, she took me there for a scavenger hunt. Hundreds of people were searching for souvenirs. The only artifact we found was the photo, but we did get to meet and shake hands with Theodore R. McKeldin, who was there politicking. The photo is still in pretty much the same condition as we found it.
If you would be interested in seeing a scanned image, give me your email
address and I'll send it to you. I would certainly give my
permission to you to make a good copy of it and use it in the
documentary, if it should suit you. |
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As a youngster growing up after World War II, I truly became a baseball
nut. All day long...baseball, baseball, and more baseball as I reenacted
crucial plays and pretended to duplicate the athletes' feats.
Radio was my source of entertainment and the Orioles were my passion.
Boy, could they play, so I thought at the time.
Now, 60 years later, I reconfirm my feelings about these special professionals players like Howie Moss (outfield), Sherm Lollar (catcher), Eddie Pelligrini (shortstop), and Paul Stuffel, (pitcher). Of course, we can not forget Manager, Frankie Skaff, a motivational leader. Talent everywhere-on the base path, outfield, and on the mound. However, n some seasons the club did not play well, finishing toward the bottom of the standings. I would attend a few games during a season but the radio was my constant companion as broadcasters Bill Dyer, and later, Chuck Thompson brought listeners into a game and made them a part of the crowd. Because of traveling costs involved in away games a wire service was installed in the studio leaving Bill and Chuck to improvise, still giving their audience a good performance, to say the least. By just seeing my heroes, eating hotdogs and drinking Cokes or
following via the radio was very memorable for a kid who loved baseball
and who loved the Orioles. |
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I was only 11, but I remember being being upset when it was announced
the Browns were coming to Baltimore. After all, I'd just been to
Memorial Stadium to see the Birds play the Montreal Royals and the
Rochester Red Wings. Now I had been following the World Series
since 1950, Yankees-Phillies, but there was something about those
Orioles that just grabbed my heart. Those slugging outfielders -
Roy Weatherly, Marvin Rickert, Marvin Rackley, and fleet Eddie Mayo . .
. it seems like the first three all had 30 or more homeruns, what seemed
to me to be unbelievable totals. Of course I also remember Al
Cyhocki, Bobby Young, Russ Kern, Babe Barna, and two catchers, Clyde
Klutz (I thought it was Clutch) and Joe Lonnett, whom Chuck Thompson, I
believe, nicknamed "Mighty Low". I also remember Karl
Drew, who either had been or would play for the Phillies, and Ted
Kazanski, who couldn't have been more than six or seven years older than
I, and whose baseball card I would later treasure above all others.
From other teams I remember Junior Gilliam, Lou Ortiz, Harry "The
Hat" Walker (my father explained how he got that name with the
Cardinals), and most hated of all, Tommy Lasorda, whom I don't believe
the Orioles could ever beat. He was one of those pitchers who just
dominated AAA players, and for some reason, perhaps those great Dodger
pitching staffs, could never quite make it in the majors. By the
way , I suspect his time and success in the International League would
make him a great source of information for your documentary. I haven't thought of this in probably 50 years, but let's see if I can name the other five teams in the league: Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Bisons, Syracuse Chiefs, Springfield Indians, and Ottawa "?". Not too bad! What I remember more than anything else was listening to games on my radio when I was supposed to be asleep. The quality of all the announcers must have been superlative. I truly learned the game just listening, and then going and imitating on the sandlot. I envisioned and deduced many of the game's intricacies from the pictures that were articulated. The games were as clear in my head as any I later saw on TV. Interestingly, two advertisements and part of their lyrics still sing loud and clear in my memories: "American Beer, American Beer" and "Atlantic keeps your car on the go, the go, the go; Atlantic keeps your car on the go". In 1954 I played in the opening game of the Roland Park Little League's inaugural season. Some of us had our pictures taken for the Sun paper. I was furious because some of the kids were taken with Clint Courtney, and I was pictured with Merwyn Jacobson, who at the time meant nothing to me. He was instrumental in the founding of the league, which I think was Baltimore's (Maryland's?) first, and had I known his Oriole background, would have been thrilled. One more small item . . . I too have a dream about writing/editing a completely unique piece of baseball literature. What I need is a few "How to's". My parents still live in Baltimore, and I will be returning this fall for my 45th Gilman reunion. Would it be possible to get together so I can do a little brain-picking, not to mention a little Oriole chatting and reminiscing. I'm thrilled to learn what you are attempting. I hope you reach your dreams! Baltimore is, and will be, proud! John Gerhardt |
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I just want to take the time to compliment you guys on this wonderful
idea and project. Too often people who have had a major impact in a prior era, are forgotten in this one. I think it is very commendable how you guys are once again shining the light on these wonderful past ball players and great city of ours. I am very excited and looking forward to the release of the movie. Bridget Swink Baltimore, MD |
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I lived in Some
of my favorite players were shortstop Bob Repass, second baseman, Bobby
Young and outfielder Howie Moss. Howie
hit a lot of the balls that we all scrambled for out
beyond the left field fence. After I went into
the service and went overseas, my wife Helen Meyers Hartman went to work
at Myrl
Hartman, |
| [Excerpted from a letter from
William Clift]
Bill Dyer was the Orioles radio announcer [during the pre-1954 era]. For away-games, he received the action via teletype, from which he re-created the atmosphere [for his listeners]. Already knowing the result, Bill would "walk" around his chair for good luck, and "presto" the Orioles would rally. When a night game would run late, Bill would tell the adults to leave the room and give the final score to the kids so they could go to bed. William Clift - Baltimore, MD |
| [I] also remember bill dyer waving the
little red chair outside broadcast booth.
Robert Gassaway - Pasadena, MD |
| Here's my perhaps cloudy memory of a
game sometime around 1946. Shortstop Blackie Lapointe made something
like six errors, but then won the game with a homer in the ninth inning.
No doubt Howie Moss, Johnny Podgajny and other memorable players were
there. Who needed major league baseball?
Talbott Huey - East Lansing MI |
| My father, Gordon Mueller, played for
the old Orioles in, I believe, '47 and '50-51, though I may have the
years wrong. He was a pitcher, primarily relief before relief was a
specialty. He now resides at Mercy Ridge Retirement Complex in
Cockeysville. I am always amazed at how often residents there come up to him and recall specific games that they saw him pitch 60 years before. It was a different age, and minor league ball was as popular as it has ever been. People will even recall his games when he played at City High School! I believe that you would find fertile territory at Mercy Ridge, not only from my Dad but the many people who live there who I am sure offer a treasure trove of information and stories. I am sure my Dad would be very pleased to talk to you should you wish to give him a call and ask him for some Oriole stories involving him and fellow players. Congratulations on a wonderful effort. Mark Mueller - Bel Air, MD |
| As a little kid, I couldn't understand
why George ( Pooch) Puccinelli wasn't in the big leagues. He was a great
slugger in old Oriole Park. My Uncle Leon, who had to be a real
expert, because he printed the O's programs, said: "He can't hit a
curve ball!" This puzzled me. Don't they throw curves
in the Int'l. League? Apparently, my Uncle was right. Pooch had several
trips to the bigs and even had a year with the Phillies, where he hit 11
homers.
Woody Abernathy was another hero of mine. He hit lots of homers in Oriole Park, but alas he went 0-for-8 in the bigs. I have many more memories, but one I won't forget is the following: I was trying to sneak into the house after partying real late with my teen age friends, when I saw a glow in the eastern sky. I laughingly told one of my pals, "I bet Oriole Park is burning down!" Guess what? That's exactly what was happening! I have more memories, if you care to contact me re: Buzz Arlett, Red Embree, Cliff Melton, Zeke Bonura, gambling, etc. Bob Steinberg - Baltimore, MD |
| The candle is burning mighty low, but I
think there are still a fair number of us to whom the voice of Bill
Dyer, and the players he was speaking of, still resonates. I discovered
baseball and the O's in the magical year of 1944 when they won the
pennant because wartime restrictions had them playing a different number
of games than their nearest pursuers, the Newark Bears. I was at one of
the "Little World Series," games against Louisville when we
outdrew the "Big World Series," being held in St. Louis. I lived near Park Circle from where I would take the #22 bus down to the stadium. I remember Eddie Robinson hitting a ball about 550' down the right field line where there was no fence. Howitzer Howie, Fireman Johnny, Red Embree, Sherm Lollar, Freddy Pheifer, Kenny Braun, et al, and my favorite, Joe Mellendick, remain vivid to me still. That was one great year for Baltimore baseball. Sig Seidenman - Owings Mills, MD |
| My uncle Joe Mellendick played center
field for the International League Orioles in the late 40's. He
was a very graceful player who, even though people said he was a great
defensive player, could hit! He homered 3 times in one game and
the 4th was just fair (but called foul). My dad, his younger
brother, told me the story. He was an All-American Football player
at Georgetown and is in the Hall of Fame. He was drafted by the
Washington Redskins as well.
Rick Mellendick - Jarrettsville, MD |
| I'm 69 & my memories include Bill
Dyer & his "little red chair," Howitzer Howie Moss &
the shortstop circa 1950 who made six (count 'em 6) errors in one home
game, then homered in the bottom of the ninth to win the game. Ted
Kazanski comes to mind, but probably only because the was the most
publicized bust of that era.
Dick Watson - Jonesboro, GA |
| Like many of my friends, Memorial
Stadium was like my personal living room. Tell me the section, the row,
or the seat and I knew the view. I attended 50 or so Oriole games
each year and never missed a Colt game. My first visit was with my Dad. I think it was 1953 and they were still building the upper deck when he took me to see the International League Orioles. Sherman Lollar was the catcher. Dad became a fixture on WBAL for many years and we went to so many events at Memorial Stadium together...but I always remember my first time sitting in that new huge new stadium watching the International League O's. Oriole memories?...1966, the whole year...from homers by the Robinsons to start the year to the finale. I was working for The Rouse company at the time and an executive, Scott Ditch, said he would give me a ticket to game 4 if I drove them to the game and dropped them off so they could avoid parking. No sweat.. parking was a snap and my ticket was about ten rows behind the third base dugout. I sat right next to Claude Osteen's parents and they took me to meet him after the game. Pretty cool stuff. Bill Shriver - Silver Spring, MD |
| I remember Frank Skaff popping lazy fly
balls into the short left field (well under 300 feet) at Memorial
Stadium and Eddie Robinson hitting a ball to the fenceless right field
that rolled all the way to the administration building. Alex Ronay gave
the ball to my uncle who gave it to me. My father invented the pitching machine known as "Iron Mike" and I remember Johnny Podgajny firing balls from an early version of it (that worked on compressed air) into the stands at groundskeepers during our "audition." Tom Foster - Parkville, MD |
| I remember the Orioles of the late 40's
and early 50's. My dad was always telling me of the "Ole Oriole
Park" and we used to drive over to 29th St and he would
reminisce. I attended many games at the oval at 33rd St. My favorites were Roy Weatherly in right field, Cal Abrams, and of course Ted Kazanski, who later went up to become one of the Phillies "whiz kids" as we were the minor league affiliate of the major league Phillies. I loved that "old" ballpark at 33rd St. My friends and I attended the opening day in '53/'54. We were only 11 years old, but in those days we thought nothing of taking 2 buses from Pimlico to the park. I remember arriving and the commotion and excitement I will never forget. We were interviewed by the TV crews, before we took our place in the dead center field bleachers. What a view that was, a full stadium with the traditional opening day bunting. An excited crowd and a Bob Turley win, unforgettable! I was also the first fan to reach the upper deck at Memorial Stadium. It was a Navy/ Cornell football game in the fall of '53. There were only 2 upper deck sections on each side of the stadium "completed." I attended with a neighborhood friend of mine, whose dad was a career Navy man. The game began at 1 or 2, but we took the buses cross town and arrived around 11am. In order to get to our sky seats, we had to take the ramps to the upper deck, which were completely unfinished. The only construction between us and the parking lot "way below" was a couple of 2x4's. It took us forever to actually make it to the entrance ramps into the upper deck seating. When we finally did, we were the only spectators. It was like being on top of the world. We adventurously made it up to the top rows and the view was like from an airplane. I don't think I ever really willingly ever returned to the upper deck again, ever. But the memories of my early days before the upper deck, before the Major Leagues, was always a thrill inside me, whenever we attended baseball and football games at Memorial Stadium. To this day the best thrills in traveling is visiting the various stadiums, preferably when they are empty, and just realizing the excitement and wonderful memories generated there. Michael Ricklen - Owings Mills, MD |
| I have a question: My
Grandfather, Henry Christopher Kessler, supposedly signed with the
Orioles but never played for them--The story goes that he cut off his
thumb in a factory accident just after signing. He played for
Western Electric and also supposedly played against Jimmie Foxx while
Mr. Foxx was in the minors (perhaps Mr. Foxx's last game in the minors).
He was born in 1901 and would have been signed during this time period.
What's the chance of finding any records related to his signing?
Any tips on how I could go about proving whether he actually was signed?
It would simply be neat having information about him.
Thomas Kessler - Severna Park, MD |
| Al Cihocki, Roy Weatherly, Russ Kerns.
Just to name a few of the international league Orioles. Somewhere at
home I have individual pictures of these players.
Ron Duncan - North Ft. Myers, FL |
| My mother went to Eastern High School
and would tell me about being in school with the Orioles playing a game
across the street. My favorite player from that era was catcher
Sherm Lollar.
Jim Griffith - Gold Canyon, AZ |
| I grew up in Baltimore listening to the
Baltimore Orioles International League baseball. I can even
remember such people as Bill Dyer and his little red chair, to get an
Orioles' rally going. I also remember the old delayed broadcasts
of the out of town game, with the sound effects and fake crowd
noises.
I can remember names like Howie Moss, Al Cihocki, and Carl Drews. I remember when the stadium on 33rd Street had the administration buildings actually on 33rd street. I remember waiting out side of the dressing rooms to get autographs. I did have several, but over the years, they got lost. One autograph I got was from a catcher named Al Unser. And there was a player with a name I will never forget: Soup Campbell. The International League Orioles were my fist love with baseball. My Dad took me to many games. It was great to go to games on the Fourth of July, and stay for the fireworks show afterwards. I lived in Waverly, and we had ways back then of sneaking into the ball games. We also had a friend, who used to work the east gate, and would let us in, if we brought him cigars. The International League Orioles were a real joy in my growing up. Rick Ciamarra - Baltimore, MD |
| I guess I qualify as an old fan of the
International League Orioles. I vividly remember the magical season of
1944. Oriole Park, which I had frequently visited with my father, burned
down. The action shifted to a made-over Municipal Stadium. The left
field stands seemed to loom directly behind third base. The right field
limits seemed to be a mile away. If the main gate was open, the ball
could easily roll into the traffic on 33rd Street.
I remember outfielders, such as Montreal’s Red Durrett, playing sideways in order to get a jump on any ball hit in that vicinity. The fans really took to the new ballpark. Spurred on by the unforgettable radio voice of Bill Dyer, the Orioles set minor league attendance records that year. It was a great year on the field as well with the Birds capping off a pennant winning season with a Little World Series victory over Nick Cullop’s Louisville Colonels of the American Association. Being a war year the quality of players probably wasn’t the best, but the guys we cheered for were okay with us. Guys like Bob Latshaw, Blas Monaco, Stan Benjamin, Frankie Skaff and of course Howitzer Howie Moss. My dad and I made occasional trips to Washington, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and New York to see the big boys play, but there was nothing like living and dying with our Orioles. I guess I was a real fan from about 1942 through 1950 when I went into the service. Although my dad kept me up to date on the fortunes of our Birds, it wasn’t like being there. Many names crowd my memory that I enjoyed watching and cheering. I cheered on guys like Joe Mellendick, “Fireman” John Podgajny, Bob Nieman, Sherm Lollar, Bob Repass, Felix Mackiewicz, Stan West, Hal Kleine, Steve Gromek, Ed Klieman and I could go on and on. To us they were all all-stars. Thanks for stirring up some great memories of my boyhood and quality
time well spent with my dad. |
| I remember watching an International
League Oriole game back in the late ‘50s. They were playing the
Montreal Royals, who had a first baseman, who was built like a
basketball player; tall, athletic, with wavy blond hair, too. There was
a close call on a play at first and the Royals’ first basemen, got all
upset and started screaming and yelling and his face turned all different kinds of colors. He was throwing a fit! I had never witnessed such an outburst before! I was about 11 or 12 years of age at the time. I was living in Locust Point then. I can’t remember if the umpire tossed the Royal player out of the game or not, but I will never forget that player’s name. It was Chuck Connors, who later went on to play for the major league LA Dodgers and to star on TV as the “Rifleman.” Bill Hughes - Baltimore, MD |
| A light went on when I read Schmuck's
article in today's Sun. I dug out of the cedar chest team pictures
of the 1950 O's: The 51 O's, 52 O's and the 53 O's, the last
International League team. The '53 O's lost the Little World Series I
believe to Lousville. 1953 O's: The '53 O's had a 3-1 lead
over Rochester in the playoffs and blew it. Some of the players I followed were Al (Yogi) Cihocki, Russ Kerns, Babe Barna, Karl Drews and of course Bobby Young who became the first player to sign a contract with the Major League Orioles. It was always great to watch International League ball and the young players. My friends and I would play scout and guess which players would make to the Majors. Rochester loaded up for the Cardinals and Montreal held back a lot of good players from the Dodgers. One made it big, Jackie Robinson. So did his successor, Junior Gilliam. Willie Mays didn't do too bad in Newark. AAA baseball was good. Rochester had a player/manager who once led the National League in hitting, Harry (the hat) Walker. I better stop, but what great memories. Bernie Brown - Havre de Grace, MD |
| At 65 years old, I'm probably one of
your youngest responders. My most vivid memories are from the last IL
season the Birds played -1953. Born and raised in Hampden, it was easy
to walk to the stadium on 33rd St.
I can still recite most of the line-up from that year. Basically, it is as follows: Marty Tabachek-C; Jack Mayo or Jack Graham-1B; "Putsy" Caballero-2B; Ted Kazanski and later, Damon Philips-SS; Russ Kerns-3B; Stan Jok-LF; Marvin Rackley-CF; Roy "Stormy" Weatherly-RF, other players were Jack Lohrke-Inf., Jerry Scala-OF, Clyde Klutz-C, Jack Sanford-P. One unforgettable character was "Whitey" Diskin, Equipment Manager, clubhouse man, etc. Somehow, one of my friends had made acquaintance with Whitey, and if we could spot him, he would let us through the team gate for free. That last season was sort of bittersweet for us as Lou Perini, owner of the Boston Braves had almost completed a deal to bring the Braves to Baltimore for the '53 season. Alas, he changed his mind and went to Milwaukee. Since the radio deal to carry Braves' games had been completed with WLMD in Laurel, MD, I became a Braves fan for one season. Brent Crawford - Baltimore, MD |
| I discovered your project and email
address in Peter Schmuck's column today in The Sun. My father grew up on
Abell Avenue, two blocks from old Oriole Park, in the 1930s and '40s,
and was a huge minor league Oriole fan. He was a member of the Knothole
Gang, and used to chase down balls that came out of the park because the
ushers would exchange admission to the park for a returned ball.
Among other things, he remembers: being in the crowd the night the park burned to the ground, attending the deciding game of the Little World Series in 1944 at Municipal Stadium. I'm not sure that this is accurate, but he always said that that series drew more in attendance than the World Series that year between the Browns and the Cardinals. [He remembers] spring training in the snow at Gilman. He may also have a scrapbook of clippings from that era. Gil Stange - Baltimore, MD |
| I am 69 years old and remember that the
International League Orioles was the team I followed and went to watch
at "Municipal Stadium". My dad took me to the Little
World Series game between Louisville Colonels and the O's, and I recall
that it was a sellout.
Some of my favorite players were Clyde Klutz ( followed his catching years in the majors), Bobby Young, Sherm Lollar, Eddie Robinson, Howie Moss, and second baseman Al Cihocki. On one occasion, kids were allowed to shag fly balls on the field with some of the players and I actually participated in that experience on a Saturday morning. I followed the league activities and those players who made it in the majors. These boyhood memories during the 1940s and 1950s are more special to me than the years we have had a major league team. Roland Knapp - Nottingham, MD |
| Are you interested in the memories of a
10-year-old back in 1941? I lived just several blocks from the old
Oriole ballpark that sat on the corner of Greenmount Ave. and 29th St.
and became quite a fan. The '44 team that won the Little World
Series against the Milwaukee champs from the American Ass'n. (Brewers,
maybe?) captured the hearts of many Baltimoreans, thanks in no small
measure to the cheerleading of radio announcer Bill Dyer. Thanks
to the fire that destroyed the old park, they played in Memorial
Stadium, a football field with bench seats that offered generous
servings of splinters.
In the spring of '41, we moved to N. Calvert St., just a hop, skip,
and jump from the old wooden park in which the Orioles played. I
quickly became a fan and -- in spite of reasons to align myself
elsewhere -- still am today. Dietrich von Schwerdtner - Chambersburg, PA |
| I have a few memories that I can share
with you. I was a member of the Knot Hole Gang back in the 40's. I
remember a number of players: Pitcher Clyde Small, catcher Joe
Becker, Sammy Bell, Bob Lemon (3rd baseman before he was a pitcher),
Pitcher Joe Kerkowski (not sure of the spelling) Eddie Robinson,1st
Baseman, George Staller, right fielder, Howie Moss, left fielder, I
guess some more names will come to mind after I send this. My father was a Detective Lt. with the Balto. Police Dept. and was friends with several of these players. They use to come to our home for dinner as they loved my mother's fried chicken. The kids (my age) would wait in the back yard for the players to finish supper as the players would come outside and talk with us about baseball and sometimes play catch with us. Tommy Thomas was the manager and Eddie Weiner was the trainer way back then. I am 75 yrs. old and had many pictures that just got lost or vanished as I have moved across country and back and forth several times in my business. Should I find any I will be happy to send them to you. John Hettchen, Jr. - Westminster, MD |
| The 1943-1944 season. My friends and I
were teenagers. Every night was Ladies Night so for thirty-five cents we
could get in to the grandstand and later in the game with the help of
some kind ushers even down in the reserved seats.
I have so many wonderful memories I don't know where to start, I think the most fun we had was standing outside the clubhouse every night getting the same players autograph over and over. We would hang around 'til the players changed from their uniforms then walk down Greenmount Ave with them. Can you imagine that today? None of them had cars in those days and they were so kind to put up with us silly kids who were in awe of them. Our favorite players were Sherm Loller, Frankie Skaff, Georgie Hooks and Kenny Braun, to mention a few. I would really like to know what happened to Kenny Braun. Baseball is still an important part of my life, but nothing can compare to those days. Lorraine O'Connor - Ellicott City, MD |
| I loved the old International League
Orioles. I especially remember Tommy Thomas, George Puccinelli,
Frank (Beauty) McGowan, Woody Abernathy and most of all, Ab Wright.
I kept a scrapbook of Ab Wright and remember running home from school
crying my eyes out because he had been traded. I've often wondered
what became of him.
Beverly Kohn Levin - Bradenton, FL |
| Do you have a copy of this out of print
book for your research? "The Home Team - The Long and Happy History of Baseball in Baltimore" If you don't it is better than anything available on the shelves these days. It was published multiple times (final edition in 1975). It has the most pictures I have seen of the International League Orioles. It also includes a photo of Memorial Stadium without it's upper deck. (after the transfer from Municipal Stadium). If you don't happen to have it, I'd be willing to loan it out or scan some pictures. Ed Stylc - Nottingham, MD |
| I've been a Birds fan since 1942 (age
10) when I sat in the right field bleachers with the Knot Hole gang and
heckled Howie Moss. In 1944, when the old stadium was adapted for baseball, there was no wall or fence in right field, only the stone and concrete Admin. Building. I was at one game when a fly ball went over the right fielder's head and rolled through an arch in that building. By the time the fielder retrieved the ball and threw it back, the batter was heading home. Next year there was a fence. Bill Dyer was an artist when it came to announcing the games from the
ticker. In 1950, the Orioles were in a losing streak. Bill
blamed it on the person that had stolen his "Little Red Chair."
One night while he was describing a game, he said, "There's a
commotion in the stands - somebody is running up the stairs to my booth.
He's carrying a chair! The chair's red. Could it be? Yes!
He's pushing the chair through the window and he's running away.
Yes, fans we have our chair back." So he waved the chair and
the Orioles rallied. Stanton Dubow - Ocean View, DE |
|
I will attempt to send you a copy of a letter I wrote to a local paper
in answer to a question they asked about a picture they published of a
1908 Pikesville baseball team, without any names of the players. One
of the players was my father, which generated my letter.
Not being proficient with computers you will probably not get the
attachment, so I will quote the parts of the letter that apply to the O's.
My father's "sisters had season tickets to the minor league
Orioles while I was growing up, and he was a dyed-in-the-wool Oriole
fan. He and I would go to many games and from 1939 through 1948
he and I never missed a season opening game of the Orioles (at home).
The minor league team opening games were at night, so I could go
without missing a school day.
"We saw the last game played at Oriole Park on 29th St. on July
3, 1944. My father woke me up on the morning of July 4th (with,
I think, a tear in his eye) to tell me the ballpark had burned down. I
remember the lazy summer evenings he would run an extension cord out
to the back yard and he and I would listen to the games on radio.
Portables were not available at that time.
"My dad was a beer drinker, and if the sponsoring brewery of the
Oriole broadcasts would change, my father would change with them.
He said that the least you could do was support the people that
broadcast the games.............."
We continued to follow and root for the Birds after they moved into
the Stadium (Municipal at that time, I believe). We were there when
Stan West threw the first no-hitter, saw Howie Moss hit home run after
home run into the short left field stands, watched Sherm Loller,
Bob Latchaw, Fred Pfiefer, Bobo Palica and Felix Mackiewicz. A
friend of my oldest brother knew Felix and a thrill of a lifetime at
that age was after one of the night games at the stadium, Felix took
me into the club house (which was at that time in the Administration
Building near 33rd St.) and I met a lot of the players. My dad
and I were there the night they set the attendance record for a single
game. Bill Dyer and his "little red chair," Little
World Series ....what a way to spend a summer.
These had to be the best years for any kid to grow up, even the war
seemed to draw people closer together.
Thanks for your time.
Charles M. Corbett - Pikesville, MD |
| My greatest memory of the International
League Orioles was attending the 1944 Championship series at Memorial
Stadium with my father. I was 12 years old. It began my
continuing love of baseball and the Birds. Thinking about it brings back memories of Mgr. Tommy Thomas and other old names like Joe Mellendick (center field), Joe Staller, OF, Frankie Skaff, 3B, Sherm Lollar, C, Bob Latshaw,1B, and of course such names as Stan Benjamin, Al Cihocki, Howie the Howitzer Moss, and my all time favorite, Blas Monaco, the base stealer and second baseman (I think). Matt Smith - Forest Hill, MD |
| As a 7 or 8 year old fledgling O's fan,
I recall being so disappointed when Ted Kazanski, SS for the O's and to
my mind their best player, was called up to the Phillies. This was
probably in 1952 or 1953. I'm sure I had no idea that the better players
were called up to the Major Leagues.
Sam Goldberg - Potomac. MD |
| I saw many games at Memorial Stadium.
Bill Dyer was the radio announcer and sat in a wooden booth (shack?). He
had a little red chair and would walk around it as a way to have the
Oriole batter hit a HR. I recall him waving the chair out of the opening
in his booth.
Mike Skaff and his older brother were on the team. Mike was beaned one day, and I recall brother Frank running to his aid....Johnny Podgajny was a relief pitcher who earned the nickname Fireman. I recall one day a fire truck was driven around the field in recognition of Johnny. I watched Bud Abbott and Lou Costello do their "Who's on First" routine and shook Bud's hand as he walked by me with a huge cigar in hand. There's more, but I must put on the thinking cap. Tom Mariani - Timonium, MD |
| I told my grandmother about this site.
She would like to speak to you about all of her old memories but she is
not computer savvy. She mentioned the International League Orioles. She has autographs from 1934 from ball players who later became big league stars. She was at the Oriole Park in l944 the night it burned down. I think it would make her year if she could share all of her stories with you. She would be a great resource. I will put her contact information below. She still works. I gave you her work number and address. Thank you. Kathryn Gerling - Baltimore, MD |
| It was 1937. I was delighted when,
after March roared in like a lion, it strolled out like a lamb.
Spring training had begun, and baseball was back. The Orioles
followed the lead of the big league teams and trained in Florida.
Since there were only sixteen major league teams, with about twelve
training in Florida, the Orioles played many exhibition games with
them. At the time the O's still were an independent team, with no
strong working agreement with any of the major league teams. This was a
handicap in obtaining young talented players, but allowed leeway to sign
and play many older, veteran players. The Orioles also signed some local talent, scouting to a radius of several hundred miles of Baltimore, to stock their new Dover Orioles team in the Eastern Shore League. Among their signees was Johnny Wittig, a Polytechnic High School graduate who played for Dover that summer; played wildly and wonderfully, striking out at least one per inning, but walking a league high, over 120 batters. Wittig later played for the Orioles, and eventually with the New York Giants. Although he never did achieve the potential that the scouts saw in him, he was a hero to us. The Birds started out slowly, losing the first ten games, necessitating a managerial change. Jack Ogden replaced manager Guy Sturdy with Bucky Crouse, a veteran catcher obtained from the White Sox, who then proceeded to light a fire under the other Orioles. The lineup, after a little shuffling, was: Catcher - Crouse; 1B - Les Powers; 2B - Bill Cissell; SS - Wimpy Wilburn; 3B - Smokey Joe Martin; LF - Woody Abernathy; CF - George "Pooch" Puccinelli; RF - Ab Wright. The only pitcher I remember was Bill Lohrman, who had a 20-11 season and later advanced to the New York Giants to join Cliff Melton. Something happened to this 1937 collection of minor leaguers who were playing for peanuts, without much chance of advancement. None of them, except Lohrman, subsequently played more than a few games in the major leagues. Bucky Crouse, however, staggering around on his old piano legs, was voted, at age 40 the league's most valuable player. Ab Wright led the league in homers, RBI's and total bases. The Pooch, whose 1935 batting average of .359 led the league, was back again after one of his many abortive trips to the majors, and he again led the offense with a team-high batting average. Most of the excellent players in the league were with the Rochester Red Wings, the St. Louis Cardinal farm team; or with the Newark Bears, the New York Yankees junior varsity. Numerous Bears, such as Charlie "King Kong" Keller, Atley Donald, Bob Seeds and Spud Chandler later were stars in the majors. In fact, sixteen of the seventeen players on the Newark roster that year eventually played in the majors. This year, 1937, was almost the Year of the Orioles. With a little luck, and with some of the players having the best year of their declining careers, the Orioles won thrilling game after thrilling game, winding up in fourth place, finishing behind Newark, Montreal and Syracuse, to make the playoffs. Rochester, Toronto, Jersey City and Buffalo filled out the second tier. The Birds eventually lost the playoffs to Newark, who went on to win the Little World Series, but the Birds' Cinderella-like success had been a shot in the arm for Baltimore baseball, which had been in the dumps for ten years. This team was the spark which ignited the flame which eventually led to the return to the big leagues. Without the interest rekindled in 1937, and intensified in the banner year of 1944, it is unlikely that the major leagues later would have considered Baltimore as a viable member. After the 1937 season, Smokey Joe Martin (AKA Pappy Joe Martin), my favorite Oriole, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox; Bill Lohrman was sold to the New York Giants; and several other players were recalled by the parent teams. That was the way with minor league players — here today and gone tomorrow. It did not pay emotionally to develop a crush on any one player since it was likely that he would be on another team in the near future. Smokey Joe, for instance, after spring training with the White Sox in 1938, was optioned to the Buffalo Bisons and played against the Orioles that year. My heart was broken. John D. Dumler - Engelwood, FL |
| Are you still looking for people with
Old O's stories? My uncle is close to 80 or more and he basically spends his days chatting about old sports and WWII. If you're interested, I'll see if he would like to talk with you. I live outside Boston now; but would make the trip if he had a chance to share his stories. Greg Allen - Marblehead, MA |
| I am 73 years old and remember a game I
went to with Dr. Erwin Mayer, then the Orioles physician. Mel Queen was
pitching for the Newark Bears and Red Embree for the Orioles. The game
was scoreless until the ninth inning when Newark scored a run.
Blas Monaco led off the Oriole ninth with a triple but Ab Tiedeman, who was playing his last game before going into the service, flied out to short left field. Next batter Stan Benjamin fouled out to the catcher and on a 3-2 count Howie Moss homers into the left field bleachers for a 2-1 victory. I also think the pitchers had around 14 or 15 strikeouts. Doug Dixon - Baltimore, MD |
| When I was two (1944), my parents took
me to Penn. Station to welcome home the Little World Series Champions,
the Baltimore Orioles. One of my most prized possessions, is a baseball
signed by all members of that team.
Charlie Markline - Santa Maria, CA |
| When I was about six or seven (1948-49)
my dad would take me to the Orioles game and we would sit on the first
base side in the front row near first base. My dad had become friends
with a player named Al Cihocki who I believe played shortstop. During
warm-ups the players would play catch near us. Eventually Mr. Cihocki
would have them throw the ball near the railing in front of us. When he
got close enough, he would catch the ball and reach his glove over the
rail. At that time my dad would take the ball and place a large bag of
fresh roasted peanuts in his glove. Mr. Cihocki would place them in the
back pocket of his pants and pull out another ball to throw back to the
person he was playing catch with. The kids in my South Baltimore
neighborhood always had baseballs to play with thanks to Mr. Cihocki and
his love of peanuts
Clay Cieslak - Severna Park, MD |
| I'm too young (just shy of 50) to have
any personal memories of the "Forgotten Birds," but I am a
die-hard Orioles fan. I read something recently in the Sun about your
efforts, and thought I'd contact you to tell you about some memorabilia
I own. I don't know how common or rare it may be. My father's aunt, who
lived on Abell Avenue, was a good friend of Jack Dunn. She had two
personally autographed balls from the early-to-mid 20's, one form the
Orioles and the other from the all-stars of that era. They are in pretty
decent shape (for their age), and each has about 15 or more signatures.
If there's any interest on your end in seeing these, feel free to
contact me.
Good luck on your efforts. Henry Rosenberg - Baltimore, MD |
| Hello,
Great website. I used to go to the games every Sunday in 1943-45 and took pictures and got autographs of many of the Orioles of the championship teams. They are no longer of great quality, but still are in fairly good shape. I would be glad to lend the to you for scanning if any you'd consider worthwhile. Are you interested in the autographs as well? None of this material is in electronic form. Gil Kaufman - Columbus, OH |
| Some of my fondest memories are of the
International League Orioles. I became a fan in 1941 when I was 14 years
old. I’m 78 now. I loved going to Oriole Park, and almost cried when
it burned down. I went to 29th Street shortly after to see the remains
of the ball park. Steel floodlight poles were bent.
Bill Dyer, with his little red chair, was the announcer then.
Bill Dyer was my favorite until Chuck Thompson came along in about 1949.
I still have an autographed team photo of the 1944 Orioles as appears on
your web site. Who can forget the Little World Series of 1944? I was
there for one of the games. |
| I was eight years old on July 4th,
1944, when at about 2:30 AM. my father woke me and told me Oriole Park
was burning down. I looked out my window and it seemed as though
the whole sky was lit up. The old park was located at 29th St. and
Greenmount Ave. and we lived on 41 St. just off Greenmount. We hurriedly dressed and headed to the fire. When we got to 39th St. we came upon a line of southbound streetcars that were backed up all the way to 30th St. unable to cross the hose lines.(most of these were wooden streetcars). We watched and waited until about 6:00 AM. when the fire was mostly out or just smoldering, and then walked back home to breakfast. The Orioles played the next 10 days or two weeks on the road while Municipal Stadium on 33rd St. was converted to baseball use. I sold papers there at Oriole games from 1946 to 1950 and, on occasion, at Navy football games. Jay Henry - Baltimore, MD |
| I have a program commemorating a
"Banquet to The Orioles, Pennant Winners--Five Consecutive Years,
World's Record tendered by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore
City." They added two more years which still stands as a record.
This program is autographed by Harry Frank, Fritz Maisel, Robert Groves,
Clarence Pitts, William "Lena" Styles, Clayton Sheedy, C.W.
Walsh, Alphonse "Tommy" Thomas, W. J. Clymer, John Ogden,
Joseph Cobb, Merwin Jacobson, Norman McNeil, Max Bishop, Rube Parnham,
and Charles "Butcher Boy" Schmidt. This program is encased in
plastic and the date on it is October 22, 1923.
I started watching the Orioles in 1942 when I was 10 and walked to Oriole Park from our home at Cecil Avenue and 20th Street. I remember the last games Bob Repass and Jim Honochick played before being inducted into the armed forces during WWII. Honochick became an umpire in the A. L. I have other memories of the Orioles. George Boellner - Baltimore, MD |
|
I remember getting one dollar from my mother. That paid for bus ride, soda, cracker jacks and ticket to the game. Their I saw Babe Barna, Al Cihocki, Russ Kerns, Al Unser, Roy Weatherly, and all the rest . You watched players who loved the game not for money, but for the love of the game. I remember Chuck Thompson saying about Babe Barna getting hit by a pitched ball and the umpire saying he didn't. The next day he had his arm in a sling showing it to the umpire. I just about lived out at the stadium when I was a kid, and I loved every minute of it. Robert Lohrmann - Baltimore, MD |
| [I would like to enter my thoughts on
the International League Orioles. Please feel free to make any
adjustments. Thank you.] In 1947, I was young lad running in the streets of northeast Baltimore. I was oblivious of the Orioles at that time, but heard the neighborhood radios talking about such guys as “Hey Bob A” Repass, “Soup” Campbell, “Yogi” Cihocki, and Joe Mellendick. I was told the radio announcer Bill Dyer had a little red chair that he used to get a rally going and it worked. I was too naive to know that he was reading the teletype. I went to one game and was told that one batter named “Howie" Moss would hit homeruns at a certain building (Administration Building), but if that didn’t happen, by the 4th or 5th inning, I was bored. But in 1950, I was hooked. That team was mine. I followed them on the radio, read the papers and went to the games. There was an old gent with cowbells and you could hear all over the stadium. Nick Cullop managed the team. There was George Byam on 1st, Bobby Young at 2nd, Eddie Pellagrini at short and, my favorite, Russ Kerns on 3rd. The outfielders Butch Whoyt, Babe Barna, and a little known “phenom” named Austin Knickerbocker got hot during the playoffs. Some of the pitchers were Karl Drews, Red Payne and Jocko Thompson. And Al Unser and Clyde Kluttz caught them. I cut out every picture from the morning and evening SUN and News Post and pasted them in copy books. The Rochester Red Wings and Montreal Royals were usually the top teams, but this year we prevailed. I went to the Sunday game of the 1950 Little League World Series against the Columbus Jets. They routed the Jets and Byam hit 2 homeruns. In 1951, we were affiliated with the Phillies, last year's N. L. champs, and we had retreads like, Mike Goliat, Putsy Caballero, Stan Lopata, Ferrall Anderson, Blix Donnelly and a “Bonus Baby’ named Ted Kazanski. He was a young shortstop that never met the big club’s expectations. Don Heffner managed them from ’51 to ’53. During that time, the Dodgers, the Phillies and the Philadelphia A's would play exhibition games against the Birds and they drew big crowds. Another big night was Interfaith Night. 1n 1952 and ’53, I continued to aggressively follow the Birds. My neighbor sold programs at the stadium and he took me along. I would sell programs for ten cents, and when they started, I went in for free. I would sit behind the screen and hope to catch a foul ball. There wasn’t a netting at the top of the screen like the major leagues now have and foul balls were prevalent. I think during my tenure I caught four. I remember if a foul was caught, an usher would offer you 2 free passes to another game if you turned them in. Another thing concerning the screen, around ‘52 or ’53, Channel 2 would televise home games and Chuck Thompson would announce. They cut a hole in the screen, replaced it with glass and get shots from home plate. I think it was the first time this was done in telecasting. During these years, I was familiar with the Stadium and knew when to
get autographs. By the way, they were always willing to sign.
Some of the players were Billy Glynn, Nippy Jones, Eddie Osawald who
caught, and Bob Greenwood pitched. Two colorful players were
ex-Major Leaguer Marvin Rickert. We called him, “Wiggles” as
he had a little hitch in his swing. The other was a short, but
fleet outfielder named Roy Weatherly and both could really hit the hide
off the ball. All the while one player stayed with the club as a
utility player and that was Al “Yogi” Cihocki and the team presented
him with a “night”. The guy went hitless as the Birds
took it on the chin. |
| That was a terrific conversation &
I'd love to help you out in your project anyway I can. Since we talked, I checked out your Forgotten Birds website & found it filled with names that used to fill my house whenever my parents spoke of the IL Orioles. I don't know the last time I heard a reference made to names like Zeke "Bananas" Bonura or "Butcher Boy" Schmidt, but it was great... like having a conversation with my dad again, many years after his death. One name that particulary stood out to me in the website commentary was Marty Tabachek. Back in the summer of 1960 (I believe), he moved in to a rowhouse right across the street from me on Elmley Avenue and lived there for several months. The major league Orioles apparently had called him back to practice with them as an insurance policy against further injuries to their main catching corps of Triandos & Courtney. As I recall, he never officially joined their roster, and was pretty much relieved of duty when Del Rice became available later in the season. This may seem like a trivial story today, but to a 10-year-old Oriole fanatic, it was major stuff to me then. And besides, Mr. Tabachek was a good neighbor, a nice guy, and one of those rare adults who would actually take the time to occasionally play catch with the kids in the street or alley. You just HAD to root for him to make it to the majors at last. Too bad he never made it. Following up on our conversation, I contacted my long-time friend Clark Evans with the Rare Book Division at the Library of Congress, and he said he'd be happy to help you. Clark was also once a SABRite and is a walking encyclopedia of not only old Oriole baseball & Baltimore history, but also silent films & Abraham Lincoln. And he's a great character in his own right! He told me that the chief photo archives for Baltimore (Lexington Market, etc.) would be the Maryland Historical Society and the Enoch Pratt, but he also said it's possible that the Prints & Photographs Division at the LOC would have some images.. even though the LOC holdings most likely represent only a fraction of what's available at the two Baltimore libraries. By the way, the name of the catcher that I was trying to recall who my dad always claimed played for both the 21 Orioles and 34 Cardinals is Virgil Lawrence ("Spud") Davis, from Birmingham, Alabama. Spud was a lifetime 300 hitter and NL catcher & manager whose playing career spanned 17 years. He caught for the St. Louis Cardinal Gas House Gang from 1934 through 1936. Born on 12/20/04, he was only 16-years old when the Orioles gave the kid a shot in 1921. According to my Dad, ol' Virgil/Spud was listed incorrectly in some references as "V" or "Cal" Davis through the years. Frankly, I've never had this story substantiated by anyone else in SABR, etc., & I'd feel better knowing that this is more than just one of my dad's many baseball tales. Thanks for listening, Steve! For the record, I'm a lifelong Baltimorean & Oriole fan, a SABR member, a member of the Business Communications/Public Speaking faculty at Villa Julie College, a film nut, and very interested in helping your project succeed. Bob Ellis - Baltimore, MD |
| At the age of 79 I can still remember
many of the old Orioles. My father took me to the old Orioles park on
Greenmount Ave. in the 1937-9 era. AbWright, George Puchinally (?
spelling) and Smokie Joe Martin where some of the player I saw at my
first ball game. In 1944 I saw a playoff game at Memorial Stadium, when Sherm Lollar was an 18 year old catcher. It of the most exciting game ever in this city. Memory says there were 44,000 in the stadium and the place was rocking. Joe Eikenberg - Baltimore, MD |
| My family moved to Baltimore from
Brooklyn N.Y. in the summer of 1942. I was a Brooklyn Dodger fan,
but because Baltimore did not have a major league team, I started to
follow the Orioles. I listened to the radio through the voice of
Bill Dyer, who really made the games seem like they were being played in
our living room. He had a gimmick that when the Orioles needed a
rally, he claimed that he walked around a little red chair. And
sure enough when he did, the Orioles would score the runs needed to win
(I learned later that he was announcing the game through a teletype that
was several innings ahead of the actual game). Therefore, he knew what
had already happened.
By 1944, I was a solid Oriole fan and having reached the age of 14,
I could ride the streetcars from Dundalk to see the Orioles play.
I had never been to Oriole Park before it burned down that same year.
That year they moved to Municipal Stadium. My biggest thrill came
when I attended the Little World Series and watched the While I now suffer with occasional "Senior Moments" and
tend to forget things, I can still remember all of the starting
lineup. Especially Kenny Brawn, a 16-year-old shortstop who was
only two years older than me at that time. I remained a fan until
1954 when the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and I became the
Oriole fan I am today. |
|
My recollection of the International League Orioles began on the day the old park burned down. (Prior to that, I found the park pretty hard to break into so, visits to it were infrequent). The Park burned down on July 4, 1944. In a couple of days when the firemen were gone, I went down on the #8 streetcar to see the results. There was nothing left that resembled a baseball park. It was just burned and scorched timber. As I recall there were probably a few policemen, no one to stopped you from going through the debris that remained. Climbing through the stack of wood and metal poles, I came across a file cabinet, obviously, from the Oriole Offices. Jack Dunn was Owner and President of the Orioles then. Clark Shaunnasey was the International League President. There was paper scattered everywhere. I came across a letter written to Dunn from Shaunnasey that informed the Orioles the league was imposing a fine on center fielder Flex Mackowitz of $25 for calling the umpire in a particular game, on a particular date a “bastard and a son-of-a-bitch”. I kept that letter, but being only 16 years of age, it was lost in time. The League put the Orioles on the road for about 3
weeks until the old Memorial Stadium could be converted from a football
field to baseball. Home plate was put on the right hand side of the
horseshoe shaped stands. No one could hit a home run in right field,
unless a ball got past the fielder, because there was no fence (the ball
could go all the way to the After the move, I don’t think I missed a game. The only deterrent Memorial Stadium had was an 8-foot chain link fence between the outside and the ball field. My 16 year buddies and I could do that fence in less than 10 seconds. Only once was I momentarily deterred. My shoe fell off at the top of the fence and dropped on the outside. I stood there thinking what to do. A motorcycle policeman on his routine trip around the outside had the answer. He stopped, looked at the shoe, looked at my bare foot, and asked if it was mine. What else could I say but, “yes.” He said, “If you want it, you have to come and get it.” and drove off. I never missed a pitch that night. The Orioles came home, played remarkable ball, and
ended up in the Little World Series with Sherm Loller was catcher Bobby Latshaw –first base Blas Memnaco-second base Kenny Braun-short stop Frankie Skaff-third base Stan Benjamen-left field Felix Mackowitze-center field Howie Moss-right field The pitcher’s name that helped tremendously that
year I can’t recall, but he and Lollar went up to There was also a very colorful radio announcer name
Bill Dyer. The station manager’s budget was such that Bill had to call
the game sitting in the studio. He would use a The Orioles never quite reached the peak of 1944
again, but remained a fixture until the Major League team was
transferred from Bill Laudeman - Baltimore, MD |
| Driving through Baltimore a couple
weeks ago, I picked up the Sun and read the item in Peter Schmuck's
column about the documentary on the forgotten birds. I grew up in
Baltimore (born 1932) and remember the old Orioles well. I think I
could probably name the entire 1944 team which won the minor league
world series against the Louisville Colonels. I remember when old Oriole
Park burned down, which was actually a god-send to us kids.
The new Memorial Stadium was surrounded by a chain-link fence
about 8 feet high, which we used to climb over in swarms. Since
there was usually only one guard, he could only catch one kid, who would
then go back over with the next wave.... Eddy Robinson was my off-season
basketball coach after he came back from the War.... I would be happy to
share memories. |
| As a teen aged lad, I have memories of
future major league star Roy Campanella catching for the Baltimore Elite
Giants at Bugle Field on Edison Highway, just a few blocks from my home.
On July 4, 1944 my father and I had planned to see the International League Orioles in a holiday double-header. I can remember my dad waking me up early in the morning to tell me that Oriole Park on 29th Street at Greenmount Avenue was burning to the ground. Later that day we took a streetcar over to look at the ruins. And finally, while serving with the Army in Texas in 1951, going to see the Fort Worth Cats of the class A Texas league, and watching a future major league star and manager, and one who would be connected with the Orioles, one Billy Hunter. G. Price Tarleton - Baltimore, MD |
| Our brother, Ray Flanigan played for
the IL Orioles in 1942. He graduated in l942 from Poly and was signed
right from school to play for the Orioles. He was a right hand pitcher,
and was very good. I remember going to the old Oriole Stadium and
sitting behind the screen at home plate, playing and running up and down
the steps. I was only 10 yrs. old then, but I can remember being at that
stadium when my brother would be pitching.
He later was traded to the Cleveland Indians along with Sherm Lollar. He then was called up for the service and went overseas and received the Silver Star medal for bravery. He was hit in the right arm while serving in U S Army in France and after that was never able to pitch again. Now days they could have fixed his arm, but he tried after he got out of service, but to no avail. We have some pictures. I will have to contact his daughters. He
passed away from Leukemia in 1993. My sister and I have a lot of
memories from when he played ball. My Dad was such a good influence for
him. He worked with him all the time. We still follow the Orioles now,
and enjoy watching the games. Thank you, |
| Lest not you forget Ray Flanigan, RHP: - Attended Poly - Played for the International League Orioles. - Signed by Tommy Thomas - Played with the Major League Cleveland Indians - In the Dundalk Hall of Fame TJ Bear Baron |