Rube Oldring for the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame!

By Bob Warrington

Each year, two players-one from the Phillies and one from the Athletics-are inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame. A commemorative plaque is added to the Hall of Fame wall at Veterans Stadium for both players, and each (or one of their descendants) gets a copy of the plaque in a ceremony at the stadium. Many worthy players are already enshrined in the Hall, and Sam Chapman will be added as the A's nominee in 2000. Numerous other deserving players still deserve this recognition, and the A's Society has decided to nominate a Philadelphia Athletics player each year as our candidate for the honor. The Society's Executive Board has recommended that Rube Oldring be chosen as the A's nominee for inclusion in the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Reuben Henry Oldring was born in New York City on May 30, 1884. Originally signed by the New York Highlanders (now Yankees), he played briefly for that team in 1905-making his major league debut on October 2, 1005. Acquired by the Athletics the next year, the 22-year old Oldring played mostly at third base in 1906 and appeared to be an ordinary player of no great distinction. When A's manager Connie Mack moved him to the outfield the next season, Oldring found his natural position that he would hold with the team for a long time. He possessed the speed, defensive skills and intuition to play left field and center field for the A's with great ability.
A solid, if unspectacular hitter, Oldring had his greatest success at the bat in 1910 when, in playing 134 games for the A's, he hit .304 including 27 doubles, 14 triples and 4 homeruns. A broken leg in August shortened his season and prevented Oldring from playing in the World Series that year. Utilizing his great speed, Oldring was one of the more prolific base stealers during his career, including 40 steals in 1913. His abilities as an outfielder were amply demonstrated during the 1913 World Series between the A's and the New York Giants. In game four at Sheba Park, Oldring made a diving catch in the fifth of a drive to center field with two runners on base to stymie a Giants rally. Mack regarded it as the greatest defensive play he ever saw in a World Series, and the A's went on to win the crown in a four-games-to-one thrashing of the Giants.
After the 1914 season, Mack began dismantling his first dynasty for financial and other reasons. Oldring was sold to the Yankees early in the 1916 season. He played for New York that year and resurfaced with the Athletics briefly in 1918 before retiring. As a player, Oldring threw and batted right-handed and measured in at 5' 10" tall and 186 lbs. During his 13-year career, Oldring averaged over one hit per game, appearing in 1239 games and lashing out 1268 hits. He finished with a career batting average of .270. Oldring died in Bridgeton, NJ on September 9, 1961.
There is no doubt that other A's players from the first dynasty already inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame would welcome Rube Oldring as an inductee. A key element of those championship A's teams, Oldring possessed the steady offensive production and excellent defensive skills around which successful baseball teams are built and thrive. Connie Mack named Oldring his all-time A's center fielder. Oldring's career statistics, moreover, are comparable to other players already in the Hall (and better than some), and he possesses the added attribute of being a champion as a stalwart member of the A's first dynasty. Rube Oldring deserves to be in the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame, and the A's Society is committed to seeing that tribute bestowed upon him.

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In 1913, the fans of Philadelphia voted "Rube Oldring as Philadelphia's Most Valuable Major League Player." Quite an honor for anyone of those greats from that first A's dynasty." The fans loved Rube Oldring.

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