| Baltimore Orioles | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League | American League (1901–1902) |
| Ballpark | Oriole Park (1901–1902) |
| Established | 1901 |
| Folded | 1902 |
| World Series championships | None |
| American League pennant | None |
| Colors | Black and Orange (1901), Blue and White (1902) |
| Retired numbers | None |
| Ownership | John Mahon (1902) Andrew Freedman (1902) Ban Johnson (1902) Sydney Frank (1901) |
| Manager | John McGraw (1901–1902) Wilbert Robinson (1902) |
TheBaltimore Orioles were aMajor League Baseball team that played inBaltimore from 1901 to 1902. A charter member of theAmerican League (AL), the team only lasted two seasons before folding after the1902 season. The team was replaced the following season with theNew York Highlanders, known since 1913 as theNew York Yankees.
At the end of the1900 baseball season, theWestern League was positioned by its president,Ban Johnson, as a new major league that would compete with the establishedNational League (NL). The league was reorganized and renamed theAmerican League (AL), and eight cities fielded teams in the 1901 season. Johnson wanted one of these eight teams to be inNew York City, however the politically powerfulNew York Giants had successfully prevented the AL from doing so;[1] Johnson instead placed the would-be New York franchise in Baltimore.[2][3] ABaltimore team had previously played in the NL through the1899 season, after which the club was shut down by the league. Baltimore was one of three former NL cities where the AL placed teams in an effort to reach underserved fans.[4] The new Orioles' firstmanager wasJohn McGraw, who had held the same position for the previous Baltimore team in 1899; McGraw also held an ownership stake.[5] The team was incorporated as the "Baltimore Baseball and Athletic Company."[2]
In 1901,their first season, the Orioles had a 68–65 win–loss record and finished in fifth place in the AL.[6] During the season, there were numerous disputes between Johnson and McGraw over disciplinary issues, which continued intothe following year.[7] Rumors began to spread that Johnson was interested in relocating the team toNew York City, in an attempt to compete directly with the NL. On July 16, 1902, McGraw left the Orioles and joined theNew York Giants as their manager; he transferred his interest in the Baltimore team to the Giants as part of the deal.[8] Several Orioles—includingRoger Bresnahan andJoe McGinnity—joined the Giants after McGraw's departure, and the Giants gained a majority of the Orioles' stock. The league managed to take back control of the team from the Giants; after the Orioles forfeited a game against theSt. Louis Browns the following day because they lacked enough active players,[9] Johnson ordered that the team be "restocked with players essentially given away by the other teams in order to play out the schedule", according to authorMarty Appel.[10] The Orioles finished last in the league both in the standings and in attendance.[11] The Orioles were disbanded following the end of the season.[12]
The AL and NL signed an agreement after the 1902 season that ended the leagues' battles for players, which had led to increasing salaries. Johnson sought the right to locate an AL team in New York City, which was granted as part of the leagues' peace agreement. The agreement was put to a vote, and 15 of the 16 major league owners agreed on it.[1] Johnson's initial intentions for the team to play in Manhattan was opposed by Giants ownerJohn T. Brush and former ownerAndrew Freedman, who were connected to the city'sTammany Hall political organization. They blocked several potential stadium locations, before a pair of Tammany Hall politicians,Frank J. Farrell andWilliam Stephen Devery, purchased the New York franchise in the AL.[13] The pair paidUS$18,000 for the team.[14] This was the last change in the lineup of MLB teams for half a century.[15]
It is not clear whether Farrell and Devery purchased the remains of the Orioles and moved them to New York, or if they received anexpansion franchise. According to Appel, the Orioles seasons were included in Yankees history by many historians.[16]Baseball-Reference.com included the 1901 and 1902 Orioles in its statistics for the Yankees until 2014, when it decided to separate the two years from the subsequent New York-based seasons. Official MLB historianJohn Thorn supported the change, citing the new ownership, high roster turnover, and AL takeover of the Orioles.[17] The Yankees do not count the Orioles years as part of their history.[18]
Major League Baseball did not return to Baltimore until 1954, whenBill Veeck sold theSt. Louis Browns to Baltimore natives, attorneyClarence Miles and president of theNational Brewing Company,Jerold Hoffberger. The Miles-Hoffberger group moved the team fromSt. Louis to Baltimore, returning major-league baseball to the city after 52 years. In consideration ofprior "Baltimore Orioles" baseball teams, the franchise was renamed theBaltimore Orioles. This latest iteration of the Baltimore Orioles continues to play as a member of the American League.