One of the Deadball Era's top third basemen, Harry Lord was a scrappy fan favorite, noted for knocking down line drives with his body—which reportedly left his chest permanently discolored. A daring speedster, Lord—a left-handed batsman—was once timed going from home to first base in 3.4 seconds (a young Mickey Mantle did it in 3.1 seconds), and averaged 30-plus stolen bases per year. Though sturdily built (5-foot-10, 170 pounds), he preferred to slash the ball to the opposite field and rarely struck out or walked. A .278 career hitter, Harry twice topped the .300 mark—including 1909, when his .315 average ranked fourth in the American League.
In August 1911, manager Hughie Jennings—when asked to name the best active players at each position—didn't hesitate when it came to the hot corner. "Lord is a wonderful third baseman," said Jennings. "He is good on hard-hit balls to his left or right, fields bunts well, and is a hustler every minute during the game. He is a first-class hitter and fine base runner." Jennings wasn't alone in his assessment: A few weeks later, The Sporting News praised Lord as "the best third baseman in the [Ban] Johnson circuit."
Born on March 8, 1882, in Porter, Maine, Lord grew up in nearby Kezar Falls—a small community located along the banks of the Ossipee River. A highly intelligent lad, young Harry had dreams of becoming a lawyer. “As a little chap, I played the game," he later explained, "but never with any thought or desire to use baseball as a means of gaining a livelihood. In fact, I had ambitions in other fields." After high school, Lord enrolled in Bates College, where he fell in love with the game and spent countless hours honing his craft. Needless to say, he soon abandoned his studies to pursue a career in professional baseball.
Lord began his pro career with the New England League's Worcester Busters in 1906. The club was managed by Jesse Burkett, who had been one of the 19th century's greatest batsmen—he topped the magical .400 mark twice and finished with a career .338 average. A diminutive slap-hitter, Burkett encouraged Lord to employ a similar approach at the plate, and also tutored him on the finer points of the game: baserunning, bunting, and situational hitting among them. The youngster was a quick study; within a few years, he was considered one of the brainiest and most well-rounded players in all of baseball.
Having combined to hit .279 while performing admirably in the field during two minor league campaigns (1906-07), Lord was signed by the Boston Red Sox in September 1907. His first full season with the club came in 1908: The 26-year-old hit .259 with 15 doubles and 23 stolen bases; at third base, he committed a whopping 49 errors but finished among the league leaders in putouts, assists, and range factor.
In 1909, Lord blossomed into a star, hitting .315 with 36 steals while ranking second among AL third sackers in both putouts (180) and assists (268). By seasons end, Harry's all-out hustle, toughness, and keen judgment had endeared him to teammates and fans alike. On September 9, The Washington Times wrote: "Lord has hundreds of admirers who consider him the best third baseman in the land."
Harry got off to a blistering start in 1910. Batting out of the two-hole, he collected three hits in the season opener and didn't take his foot off the gas for nearly a month. Beginning on April 23, he enjoyed six consecutive multi-hit games, including a 4-for-6 performance versus Walter Johnson. Having collected hits in 22 of the season's first 27 games, many predicted that Lord—whose average had hovered around .400 for much of the year—would challenge Ty Cobb in the AL batting race. It wasn't to be, however: Lord's season was derailed on July 1, when his finger was broken by a Walter Johnson fastball. "The Big Train" rarely threw at hitters, though it's notable that Harry hit him at a .368 clip (7-for-19) with nary a strikeout in 1910.
Eager to get back into action, Lord taped up his ailing finger and returned to the lineup on July 15. After struggling to the tune of a .189 average during his first 13 games back, Boston unceremoniously traded their tough-as-nails team captain to the Chicago White Sox. Though still not 100 percent, Lord managed to hit .297 with 17 stolen bases in 44 games to finish out the 1910 season. What came next must have sickened baseball fans throughout New England, as Harry set career highs in hits (180), batting average (.327), doubles (18), triples (18), RBI (61), runs scored (103), and stolen bases (43) in 1911. On defense, his .941 fielding percentage was second-best among AL third basemen.
In November 1911, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey cited his star third baseman as one of the 20 greatest players of all-time. A few weeks later, Ty Cobb chose Lord and Frank Baker as the top-two third basemen in the league. Wildly popular in Chicago, the local papers were chock-full of Lord-related stories that off-season, one which speaks to his mischievous, but good-natured personality.
As the tale goes, Lord once purchased an oversized fake diamond at a 10-cent store and presented it to rookie Ping Bodie "in deference to his great feats on the diamond." Touched by the gesture, Bodie vowed he'd never sell the "valuable gemstone." After giving it some thought, however, the youngster began to suspect he had been hoodwinked.
"Here, if you think that is glass," said Lord, "I'll give you this money [$50] for your diamond." Bodie replied, "Not on your life. I wouldn't take a million bucks for that rock. I'm going to save it as a souvenir." Egged on by their team captain, several players offered Ping large sums of money—as much as $200—for the stone, at which point he became convinced of its authenticity. Finally, while waiting to catch a train, Harry asked if he could see the alleged diamond. "Sure," said Bodie, "but it's not for sale." After looking it over, Lord nonchalantly tossed the chunk of glass into a nearby fountain. Though at first dumbfounded, Bodie—realizing he was the victim of an elaborate prank—burst into laughter.
Though his batting average plummeted to .267 in 1912, Lord was still quite productive: He drew a career-high 54 walks, stole 30 bases, scored 83 runs, and ranked among the league's Top 10 sluggers with five long balls (7th) and 12 triples (9th). He followed that by hitting .263 with 12 triples and 24 stolen bases in 1913. Though things appeared fine on the surface, Lord—the undisputed team captain and a fan favorite—soon found himself at odds with Charles Comiskey and was released, at his own request, a few weeks into the 1914 season. The 33-year-old joined the upstart Federal League in 1915, serving as player-manger for the Buffalo Blues. He hit .270 with 20 extra-base hits and 15 steals while guiding the Buff-Feds to a 60-49 record during his tenure.
After the Federal League closed up shop, Harry decided to call it quits and returned home to Maine. All told, he amassed 1,026 hits—107 doubles, 70 triples, 14 home runs—294 RBI, 509 runs scored, and a .278/.326/.356 slash-line over parts of nine big-league seasons. Despite such a short career, he racked up 1,046 putouts at the hot corner, the 81st best total in MLB history.
Noted for his hot streaks, Lord enjoyed 13 four-hit games at the big-league level (he once accomplished the feat on back-to-back days). As mentioned earlier, one of these came at Walter Johnson's expense. In fact, Lord compiled five multi-hit games versus the otherwise fearsome fireballer. During their first 33 meetings, he combined to hit .303 with zero strikeouts. As you might expect, things quickly went downhill. For his career, Harry hit .227 (20-for-88) with one home run(!) and 14 Ks when playing chicken with the "Train."
Harry soon grew bored with retirement and, in 1917, returned to play one last season of pro ball with the Eastern League's Portland, Maine entry (he hit .267 in 102 games). Though he sporadically played on and managed semipro clubs, Lord—a devoted family man—was eager to find a less peripatetic way to spend his time. After running a grocery store for a few years, Lord used his substantial savings to purchase a half-stake in the Portland Lehigh Coal Company, which he helped oversee for 23 years.
On August 9, 1948, Harry Donald Lord passed away at a nursing home in Westbrook, Maine. The Associated Press ran an obituary that read in part:
"Harry D. Lord, 66, former third baseman and team captain of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, died last night. . . . In his heyday—he was up in the majors from 1906 to 1914—Lord was regarded as one of the American League's best base runners and most dangerous hitters. . . . He leaves his wife, a son, Donald, of South Portland, and a daughter, Mrs. Woodbury F. Howe of Portland."
✍️ Bobby King II
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