Baltimore Terrapins, 1914–1915

They existed for only two seasons, but the Baltimore Terrapins left a mark on baseball that lasted far longer.

Not Another Orioles

Baltimore already had a professional baseball team called the Orioles when the Federal League arrived in 1914.

So the city's new team needed a different identity.

They became the Baltimore Terrapins, taking their name from Maryland's diamondback terrapin.

Then they made their intentions clear by building Terrapin Park directly across the street from the Orioles' ballpark.

The Federal League had arrived to challenge baseball's established order, and in Baltimore, the competition was literally right across the street.

Almost a Contender

The Terrapins' first season was a promising one.

Under player-manager Otto Knabe, Baltimore finished 84–70 in 1914, just 4½ games out of first place.

Winning games did not solve the team's biggest problem, though. The Terrapins struggled to draw enough fans while competing directly with the established Orioles.

For 1915, Baltimore brought in Hall of Fame pitcher Chief Bender as a marquee attraction.

It did not work.

Bender went 4–16, and the Terrapins collapsed to a 47–107 record.

The Babe Ruth Connection

The Terrapins also played an unexpected part in one of baseball's biggest stories.

Their arrival cut deeply into attendance for Baltimore's minor league Orioles, creating financial problems for that club.

As a result, the Orioles began offering players for sale to major league teams.

One of them was a young left-handed pitcher named Babe Ruth.

His contract was purchased by the Boston Red Sox in 1914, beginning a major league career that would change baseball forever.

The Fight After the League

The Federal League folded after the 1915 season, and most of its owners became part of a settlement with the established American and National Leagues.

Baltimore's owners were left out.

They sued, arguing that organized baseball had violated federal antitrust law.

The case eventually reached the United States Supreme Court as Federal Baseball Club v. National League.

In 1922, the Court ruled that professional baseball was not interstate commerce for purposes of federal antitrust law.

A team that lasted only two seasons had helped produce one of the most important legal decisions in the history of professional sports.