Treasures From the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum Archives

I recently received a communiqué from a woman named Katie Dick, who’s the director of external affairs at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. She wrote:

Our museum is the birthplace of Babe Ruth, but we are also the official museum of the Baltimore Orioles, official archives of the Baltimore Colts, and our mission covers all of Maryland sports (athletes who are either from Maryland or who have played for Maryland teams).  We have an extensive archive and a ton of really cool jerseys. We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2024 and we are looking for ways to get our name out there, share our collection, and hopefully encourage people to support our institution so we can be around for the next 50 years!

Did you know that this museum had lots of non-Babe stuff? I didn’t! I didn’t have time for a field trip to Baltimore, but Katie said I could send a local correspondent in my stead, and she also mentioned that she’s friends with Uni Watch’s most Baltimore-obsessive reader, Andrew Cosentino, so we arranged for Katie to show Andrew some cool items from the museum’s archives.

So with no further ado, here’s Andrew’s report — all photos and text by him.

Johnny Unitas Colts Jersey

Unitas wore this jersey — which really looks more like a long-sleeve T-shirt or a crewneck sweatshirt than a jersey — from 1958 through 1960. The best part was seeing the hand-mended areas:

Jonathan Ogden Ravens Jersey

This jersey was worn in 2005 (hence the patch). I wanted to photograph it because this one of the few black alternate designs that Paul likes. [True. — PL] Look how long the jersey is! Ogden is a large human, but seeing his jersey really reinforced that point. He modified his jersey to remove the purple stripe on the sleeve, and there was a green spot on the left sleeve that looked like a piece of turf that adhered itself to the fabric.

Jonathan Ogden Ravens Draft Cap

This was one of my favorite items! In 1996, when the Ravens conducted their first draft, they had yet to establish a color scheme or a logo, so they used a generic cap that just had the team name on the front. You can see Ogden wearing the cap — and holding a similarly generic-looking jacket — here.

Ray Lewis Ravens Jersey

This jersey is from 1997, prior to the Ravens’ logo lawsuit fiasco.  I love how the flying Raven looked as a sleeve patch:

Earl Weaver Orioles Jersey

A beautiful jersey. And as Uni Watch readers know, Earl’s uniforms had a little secret: a cigarette pocket sewn into the inside of the jersey!

Len Bias Maryland Warm-Up Jacket and Gym Bag

Honestly, the jacket itself isn’t that remarkable, but I love the gym bag, which has an old Maryland logo, some beautiful typography, and an old Delta Airlines luggage tag!

University of Maryland Basketball

This basketball celebrated the University of Maryland’s 1931 Southern Conference Championship. Check out those laces!

Baltimore Bullets Jersey and Basketball

The Bullets originally played in Baltimore before they moved to Washington. Katie says the museum isn’t sure which year this jersey is from, but the Bullets wore this road jersey design from 1966 through 1969, and No. 35 was worn by Ed Manning in all but one of those seasons, so this was probably his jersey.

Fun fact: They were named after the Phoenix Shot Tower, which still stands in Baltimore.

Brooks Robinson Orioles Jersey

This beautiful jersey is from 1975.  I love the old Orioles script with the open “O.”

Chuck Estrada Orioles Jersey

This jersey is from 1962 and has a few fun details. First, I love the felt script and numbers. Second, the zipper is such a great uniform detail. Third, the chain-stitched Oriole Bird sleeve patch is gorgeous.

Frank Robinson Orioles Jersey (1966)

I’m a sucker for jerseys that have the number and NOB in contrasting colors. Because of the way the fabric was draping when I took this photo, you can’t see the period after the “F,” but don’t worry — it was there.

Frank Robinson Orioles Jersey (1977)

This jersey was made for Frank Robinson’s 1977 induction into the Orioles Hall of Fame.  It was great to be able to compare its radially arched lettering to the vertically arched lettering of the previous jersey.

Don Kelly 1932 Olympics Lacrosse Jersey

Lacrosse was an exhibition sport at the 1932 Olympics held in Los Angeles.  The Johns Hopkins lacrosse team represented the USA.  Note how the chest logo compresses the Olympic rings into a nearly horizontal line, instead of the usual bi-level treatment!

1927 Ed Carroll Gear

So much stuff here! Ed Carroll was a native Baltimorean who attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He was signed out of high school to play for the minor league Orioles and later, as a member of the Red Sox, pitched against Babe Ruth! Some fun items here include his hat, his protective cup, his bag, and various gloves.

Brooks Robinson 1950s Cap Insert

The plaque pretty much tells the story. You can see a video about this item here.

Thank you so much to both Katie and Paul for giving me this opportunity! I really enjoyed being able to nerd out about uniforms.

———

Paul here. I’m super-grateful to both Katie and Andrew for making this post possible. Here are some shots of them attending Orioles games together:

 

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The museum’s website is here, plus you can follow the museum and Andrew on Instagram. Thanks again, K&A!