Harry Donald Lord (March 8, 1882 – August 9, 1948) was an American
professional baseball player who played for the
Boston Americans/Red Sox,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
and
Buffalo Blues
The Buffalo Blues were a professional baseball club that played in the short-lived Federal League, which was a minor league in 1913 and a full-fledged outlaw major league the next two years. It was the last major league baseball team to be bas ...
from 1907 to 1915.
Early life and education
Harry Lord was born in
Porter, Maine, on March 8, 1882, and graduated from
Bates College
Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...
in 1908. Lord was 25 years old when he began to play professionally on September 25, 1907, with the
Boston Americans
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. Harry Lord was a third baseman for eleven years (1906–1915), one in college (1905), nine in the majors (1907–1915) and two in the minors (1906–1907).
Baseball Almanac
/ref> His first professional engagement was at Kezar Falls, Maine. He attended Bates College
Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...
, where he graduated in 1908 and pitched for the baseball team.
Professional baseball career
Eastern league
Lord broke into organized baseball at age 24, in 1906, with Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
in the New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played intermittently in five of the six New England states (Vermont excepted) between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League B ...
and the next year moved up to Providence in the Eastern League. His performance there caught the attention of the Boston Americans
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
and, at 26 years of age, he began playing professionally on September 25, 1907, for Boston. He played with the team for three years. On May 30, 1908, Washington Senators's Jerry Freeman's single was the only hit allowed by Boston's Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
. Lord had four hits to back Young's pitching. On April 21, 1909, Lord stole home on the front end of a triple steal in the bottom of the seventh, with Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...
taking third and Doc Gessler
Henry Homer "Doc" Gessler (December 23, 1880 – December 27, 1924) was a Major League Baseball player born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, who began his eight-season career, at the age of 22, with the Detroit Tigers in . He played mainly as a right fie ...
taking second. The Red Sox won the game, 6-2.
On June 30, 1910, the Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
held a benefit for the widow and children of Mike "Doc" Powers, who had died a few days after the team opened Shibe Park in 1909. Players from the Washington, New York and Boston AL teams took part in a six-inning game against the A's, and in pre-game contests before 12,000 fans. In one of these contests Lord was timed from home to first in 3.4 seconds.
The Red Sox (July 10, 1910 – August 9, 1910)
When on July 10, 1910, a Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
fastball broke Lord's finger, the stellar play of his substitute Clyde Engle made Lord expendable. In 1910, the Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
fielded ten men who had been or would become MLB managers – no other team in history as ever had more. Lord was joined in this feat by Bill Carrigan
William Francis Carrigan (October 22, 1883 – July 8, 1969), nicknamed "Rough", was a Major League Baseball, Major League baseball catcher and manager. He played for the Boston Red Sox between 1906 and 1916, and he was a player-manager for the la ...
, Gavvy Cravath
Clifford Carlton "Gavvy" Cravath (March 23, 1881 – May 23, 1963), also nicknamed "Cactus", was an American right fielder and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies. One of the sport's most ...
, Doc Gessler
Henry Homer "Doc" Gessler (December 23, 1880 – December 27, 1924) was a Major League Baseball player born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, who began his eight-season career, at the age of 22, with the Detroit Tigers in . He played mainly as a right fie ...
, Deacon McGuire
James Thomas "Deacon" McGuire (November 18, 1863 – October 31, 1936) was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach whose career spanned the years 1883 to 1915. He played 26 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a ca ...
, Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...
, Jake Stahl
Garland "Jake" Stahl (April 13, 1879 – September 18, 1922) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, and New York Highlanders.
Biography
A graduate of the University of ...
, Bob Unglaub
Robert Alexander Unglaub (July 31, 1880 – November 29, 1916) was an American first baseman, utility infielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Highlanders, Boston Americans, and Washington Senators. He batte ...
, Heinie Wagner
Charles Frederick "Heinie" Wagner (September 23, 1880 – March 20, 1943) was an American baseball player and manager. He played shortstop for the New York Giants (1902) and the Boston Red Sox (1906–1918). He was also the manager of the Red S ...
, and Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
.
Chicago White Sox (August 9, 1910 – May 18, 1914)
He was traded to the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
on August 9, 1910, with Amby McConnell to the Chicago White Sox for Frank Smith, and Billy Purtell.
In 1911, while playing in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
, he had 180 Hits, 103 Runs, 18 Doubles, 18 Triples, 3 Home Runs, 61 RBI and 43 Stolen Bases at (.321/.364/.433) in 141 Games.
On May 8, 1912, the White Sox beat the Washington Senators 7–6, ending Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
's five-game win streak; Johnson gave up two 2-run home runs, one to Lord in the first and another to Ping Bodie in the fifth. He played for the Pale Hose until 1914 but then got into a salary squabble with owner Charlie Comiskey
Charles Albert Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931), nicknamed "Commy" or "The Old Roman", was an American Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League, and was also ...
.
He held out on the Sox, returning for a few games only to demand his release, and disappeared again when Comiskey turned him down.
Federal League
Buffalo Buffeds (1914–1915)
In 1915, the Buffalo Buffeds of the Federal League announced they had signed Lord. When he reported to Chicago in 1914, he was blacklisted by mutual consent of the American and National League owners.
For the 1915 season, the Buffalo team changed its name from the Buffeds to the Blues. Manager Larry Schlafly, was fired form his position June 4. He was replaced temporarily by catcher Walter Blair and then by Lord, who had joined the Blues only eight days before. Buffalo star Hal Chase and Lord were business associates and close friends. Once the managerial change was made, Chase, who had been slumping under Schafly, suddenly came to life.
He batted .328 for the remainder of the 1915 season and led the Federal League in home runs with 17. Lord and Chase took them from the cellar to sixth place with a (59-48) record.
When the Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...
folded, Lord was still blacklisted in the remaining Major Leagues. Lord played his last MLB game on September 27, 1915, at age 33.
Life after baseball
He managed several minor league teams, ending his baseball career in 1925 at age 43.
At times, Lord inspired his teammates with his hustle, earning him the White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
captaincy; at other times, it seemed he didn't want to play. The two years he batted more than .310 (1909 and 1911), he followed with marks of .267. In 1913, he set single-season American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
records for fewest chances accepted (364) and fewest assists (221) by a third baseman in 150 or more games.
After managing in the minors, he entered a number of business ventures in Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...
. His hobbies were "my son and my daughter".
Death and legacy
He died at age 66 on August 9, 1948, in Hospital in Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 20,400 at the 2020 census, making it the fastest-growing city in Maine between 2010 and 2020. It is part of the Portland– South Portla ...
, where he had been the last four months of his life and is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Kezar Falls. Surviving him were his wife, his daughter and his son.
Overall record
Overall in MLB, he had 1,026 Hits, 509 Runs, 107 Doubles, 70 Triples, 14 Home Runs, 294 RBI and 208 Stolen Bases at (.278/.326/.356) in 972 Games.
See also
* List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 7.01 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules, a runner acqu ...
* List of Major League Baseball player-managers
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Founded in 1869, it is composed of 30 teams. Each team in the league has a manager, who is responsible for team strategy and leadership on and off ...
* List of Bates College people
This list of notable people associated with Bates College includes Matriculation, matriculating students, Alumnus, alumni, attendees, faculty, trustees, and honorary degree recipients of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Members of the Bates co ...
* The Boston Red Sox
References
External links
Baseball Almanac
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord, Harry
1882 births
1948 deaths
Major League Baseball third basemen
Bates Bobcats baseball players
Boston Americans players
Boston Red Sox players
Chicago White Sox players
Buffalo Blues players
Baseball players from Maine
Minor league baseball managers
Worcester Busters players
Providence Grays (minor league) players
Lowell Grays players
Portland Duffs players
People from Oxford County, Maine
Major League Baseball player-managers
Baseball coaches from Maine