Posted By:
J LevineThe Baltimore team had a large share of Hall of Famers and very intelligent baseball men as evidenced by the managerial and front office careers of many of them.
Baltimore Chop has nothing to do with the fair/foul rule though.
The Baltimore team decided it wanted homefield advantage to really work for them. The grounds crew made the area in front of homeplate so hard (like cement) that the players would hit down on the ball and the ball would jump high enough for them to reach base or actually bound over the fielders. Thus a Baltimore Chop by the chopping motion the bat took down on the ball.
The also angled the infield so ball would roll foul or fair at certain parts.
They even had ball stashed in the outfield for when a ball was lost in the grass. There is a story/legend that this practice was exposed when a gapper was hit and the two outfielders each threw a ball back to the infield.
Many rules were changed because of this team. McGraw at third base would often grab the player by the belt as he went by or while waiting on third. Slowing him enough so the out was made at home. Now very much illegal.
The mound would be watered down so much for some opposing pitchers that it would act like mud. They would then put dry sand for the Orioles between innings. Also ruled illegal.
The Baltimore team was a bunch of characters.
A good book is Where They Ain't : The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball ...
Joshua