Al Orth
Little Al Orth was a one-pitch wonder until 1906, when teammate Jack Chesbro taught him to throw the spitter. That season, Orth led the American League with 27 wins, but it was the last time the right-hander would post a winning record. Orth was one of the first pitchers to win 100 games in both leagues, logging an even 100 in the National League and 104 in the AL. |
Full bio ⇓Played For
Philadelphia Phillies (1895-1901)
Washington Senators (1902-1904)
New York Yankees (1904-1909)
Best Season: 1906
In his first season throwing a spitball, Orth led the American League in wins (27), innings pitched (338+), and complete games (36). He and Jack Chesbro (23 wins), helped lead the Highlanders to a strong second place finish. Orth also hit well, as he usually did, batting .274 with five extra-base hits and 17 RBI.
Factoids
During World War I, Al Orth worked with the YMCA in France, training soldiers and civilians in athletic competition.
Full Bio
Albert Lewis Orth was born on September 9, 1872, in Tipton, Indiana. As a child he played ball games, perfecting the art of hurling underhanded, which he later used in the professional ranks. At the age of 21, Orth attended DePauw University in Indiana, where he played on the baseball team. The next year, he pitched for Lynchburg, where in 1895, he attracted national attention when he won 28 games in less than a full season. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him to a professional contract on August 13, for $1,000, putting Orth on the mound immediately. Using his underhand style, Orth won eight of nine decisons for Philadelphia, rallying them to a third place finish.
From 1896-1900, Orth won 14 or 15 games every year for the Phillies, and also earned playing time in the outfield. Orth was a good hitter — batting over .290 seven times in his 15-year career, and he exhibited fine speed on the basepaths. In 1901, using his fastball exclusively, Orth won 20 games for the Phillies. Following that success, Orth jumped to the Washington Senators in the fledgling American League in '02. But he never got on track in Washington, suffering a 32-44 record in a little over two years with the losing Senators. In July of 1904, Orth was dealt to the Highlanders for former twenty-game winner Long Tom Hughes and a reliever.
In New York, Orth met the the man who would have the largest impact on his career, teammate Jack Chesbro. A future Hall of Fame pitcher, Chesbro taught Orth how to throw a spitball, which gave him a second pitch to rely on. Finding success with his new pitch, Orth was soon using the spitter as much as possible, going 11-6 in his first partial season with the Highlanders. In 1905, Orth won 18 games, and the nest year he busted out with his career season — 27 wins and a 2.34 ERA.
Within few seasons, Orth was out of New York's rotation, but his lively bat kept him in the big leagues. In 1907, he batted .324 withs even extra-base hits and 13 RBI, and in 1908 he hit .290. In 1909, with younger men in the Highlanders' rotation, Orth retired early in the season and took a job managing in the minor leagues. After that, he served as an umpire in the Virginia League and the National League (from 1912-1917), and later as coach of several college teams, including Virginia Military Institute.
Where He Played
Starting pitcher (394 games ), relief pitcher (46 games).
Born
Albert Lewis Orth was born on September 5, 1872, in Tipton, IN.
Died
October 8, 1948, Lynchburg, VA
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: PHI
Major League Debut
August 15, 1895
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1895
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Nicknames
Smiling Al, The Curveless Wonder
Similar Players
Lee Meadows
Related Players
Jack Chesbro
Feats
On July 18, 1907, in the second game of a doubleheader at Chicago, Orth defeated Ed Walsh and the White Sox, 4-0, to win his 200th career game. The victory evened Orth's season record at 12-12, but he would lose nine of his last 11 decisions to finish at 14-21.
Transactions
Before 1902 Season: Jumped from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Washington Senators; July 13, 1904: Traded by the Washington Senators to the New York Highlanders for Tom Hughes and Barney Wolfe.
Best Strength as a Player
Control. Orth walked just 661 batters in more than 3354 innings (1.77 per nine IP).
Largest Weakness as a Player
Velocity. He had to rely on his underhand fastball for several years, and with little speed on it, batters teed off and got lots of hits. Orth allowed more than 9.5 hits per nine innings.
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