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Ned Hanlon
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| Manager | Baltimore
Orioles
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Ned Hanlon |
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| Ned Hanlon |
A shrewd tactician and master of "inside baseball," Ned Hanlon was the leader of the raucous, intelligent and dominant Baltimore teams of the 1890s. His Orioles won three consecutive pennants from 1894 to 1896 by employing innovative strategies such as the hit-and-run and the "Baltimore chop" - perfected by Willie Keeler, it involved choking up on the bat and slashing the ball off the hardened dirt in front of home plate.
Hanlon was at least partially responsible for innovations such as the hit-and-run, fielders covering each other on plays, and the full-time use of a groundskeeper.
Hanlon was never much of a hitter, he was the centerfielder for the National League Detroit club from 1881 through 1888. In 1889 he went to the Pirates, and by season's end he was their manager. In 1890 he was one of the discontented players that formed the Players' League, but when the league folded he was taken back by the Pirates. He lasted for 78 games as their manager, and took over the Baltimore Orioles in 1892. There he remained through 1898, where he put together one of the most famous 19th-century teams. They finished first in 1894-96, becoming known for their temperament, aggressive tactics, and heads-up play. He later moved on to Brooklyn, where he won league titles in 1899 and 1900. Many of Hanlon's players - including John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, Miller Huggins, Kid Gleason and Hughie Jennings - adopted his philosophy and later became great managers in their own right.
Picture from National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.
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