Lot # 1267: 1905 Baltimore Orioles Player Cabinet Photographs (5)

Make a connection with ancient baseball history, when you encounter this selection of (5) 1905 Baltimore Orioles player cabinet photographs. A prominent minor league franchise competing in the Eastern/International League from 1903-1914, this Orioles team was famous for the signing Babe Ruth to his first professional contract by manager Jack Dunn, who was forced to sell Ruth to the Boston Red Sox in 1914, due to competition from the Federal League Baltimore Terrapins. While these are minor league photographs, all of the subjects saw service in the Majors.

Sturdy survivors one and all, these antique cabinet cards have approximate dimensions of 5" x 6". With deference to the occasional small edge chip, light soiling and other signs of moderate attrition, these photographs have held up surprisingly well, showing Vg to Vg-EX details. Each photograph has written name and date identifications on the top and bottom borders of the obverse, and the same information is repeated on the reverse.

Featured subjects are: pitcher Lew "Snake" Wiltse, who went 3-5 for the 1905 Orioles, and 13-5 for the 1901 Philadelphia Athletics; pitcher Del Mason, who went 18-11 for the 1905 Orioles and 5-12 for the 1907 Cincinnati Reds; pitcher Fred Burchell, who went 24-10 for the 1905 Orioles and 10-8 for the 1908 Boston Red Sox; outfielder John Kelly who hit .267 for the 1905 Orioles and .188 for the 2007 St. Louis Cardinals; and 1905 Orioles pitching staff with Mason, Burchell, Merle Adkins, who went 18-9 for the 1905 Orioles and 1-1 for the 1902 Boston Americans, Harry McNeal, who went 18-9 for the 1905 Orioles and 5-5 for the 1901 Cleveland Bluebirds.