In the early, pre-Babe Ruth days of the franchise, the New York Yankees/Highlanders often featured great players who had or would go on to have championship success at the big league level. The issue was often that they just didn’t have the right combination of players, have them at the right age, or didn’t figure out how to correctly use them.
Case in point is Rube Oldring, who fits the second of those categories. The three-time World Series champion played the very first and then what would be the penultimate
season of his 13-year career with the Yankees. The first time around, he was a victim of circumstance, and the second time around, he was past his best.
On what would have been Oldring’s 142nd birthday — were such a thing medically possible — let’s look back at the Yankees and MLB career of the outfielder.
Reuben Henry “Rube” Oldring
Born: May 30, 1884 (New York, NY)
Died: September 9, 1961 (Bridgeton, NJ)
Yankees Tenure: 1905, 1916
Oldring was born in New York City in 1884, as one of eight children. Like was the story of many of the era, despite being the children of immigrants, Oldring developed a love and skill for baseball, and soon became good enough to play for semi-pro teams all over the New York and New Jersey area. That eventually led him to be discovered by the professional ranks, and the Southern Association’s Montgomery Senators picked him up in 1905.
In Alabama, Oldring very quickly impressed, and his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics by the end of his first season in the pro ranks. Oldring reported to Philadelphia after the deal, but the A’s were in a battle for the American League pennant, and not in a position to try out a rookie. Manager Connie Mack told him to go find some semi-pro games to play in to stay in shape. Oldring did so, leading to a real “only in the early 1900s baseball” story.
Oldring went back to New York City and played for a semi-pro team in an exhibition game against the then New York Highlanders. He homered in the game as his team beat the Highlanders, impressing manager Clark Griffith. Despite him having a contract with the A’s, Griffith somehow managed to pick up Oldring, and he played for New York for the rest of the 1905 season. In eight games, he hit an impressive .300/.344/.467, which equated to a 146 OPS+. Impressed by the rookie, Griffith and the Highlanders attempted to sign Oldring for the following year, only for it to emerge that he was signed with the A’s, where he would return for 1906.
Impressing in spring training that year, Oldring eventually earned the Athletics’ third base spot in 1906. However, he had a strong arm and a tendency to airmail throws to first base. Mack decided to take advantage of that attribute and moved Oldring to center field, where he would play the majority of his career.
After some up and down seasons in his early career, Oldring settled became a key player for the A’s by the time the 1910s began. He had his best career year in 1910, putting up what added up to 4.3 fWAR and a 141 OPS+. He also helped the Athletics become a dynasty of the era, winning World Series titles in 1911 and ‘13. He became a fan favorite in Philadelphia, and even starred in a silent short film called “The Baseball Bug” in 1911.
Following an upset loss in the 1914 World Series, Mack began to tear down the A’s, which eventually led the likes of Home Run Baker, Bob Shawkey, and Herb Pennock to ioin the Yankees as they began their ascent. That tear down didn’t include the likes of Oldring at first, but after a slow start to the 1916 season, Philadelphia gave the outfielder his unconditional release. Oldring had already been considering retirement and elected to do that and settle on the farm he had bought with his wife. But later that season, the Yankees convinced Oldring to join them, as they were dealing with a host of outfield injuries. He struggled there too, leading to the Yankees releasing him in September. Mack later got Oldring to return to the A’s for the 1918 season before his major league career ended for good.
Oldring would spend some time as a player/manager at various minor league stops before leaving baseball for good after 1923. He settled back in New Jersey, where he lived until his death in 1961.
In two separate directions, the Yankees missed out on the best years of Rube Oldring. The Yankees have had plenty of successful player acquisitions over the years, but you can’t win them all.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
