• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to footer
History of Vernon NY

History of Vernon NY

Preserving and Sharing Vernon NY's History

  • Home
  • About
  • Artifacts
    • Explore Artifacts
    • Add an Artifact
  • Memories
    • Explore Memories
    • Add a Memory or Experience
  • Articles
    • A brief History of Early Vernon
  • Explore
    • People
    • Organizations
    • Landmarks
    • Maps
    • Then and Now
  • Resources
  • Contact

Ben Egan Day – 100th Anniversary

May 23, 2022 by Garrett Law

If you’re from Sherrill, NY then you may be aware of one of its few Major League Baseball – Arthur Augustus “Ben” Egan. Egan and 9 of his brothers began playing together as a team around the turn of the 20th century, making headlines as they played teams around the region.

Ben Egan made it to the majors for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908 and later also played for Cleveland. He also was a pitching coach for a Washington Senators that won the pennant.

While in the minors with the Orioles, he was the transformative catcher who mentored young pitchers, most famously including one named Babe Ruth! Egan was the catcher for Ruth’s first minor league game!

Egan became such a beloved figure in Baltimore, seen by many as their good luck charm and key to success, that:

Baltimore fans turned out on May 22, 1922, to honor their former catcher as they celebrated Ben Egan Day in Baltimore and toasted him as “perhaps the best-liked player that ever wore Oriole livery.”

source: sabr.org/bioproj/person/ben-egan/

After the pros, Egan returned to work at Oneida Community Limited, and went on to play for and coach its semipro baseball team – the Silversmiths. On May 14, 1948, the Sherrill and Oneida Community declared another Ben Egan Day to honor the “Sherrill Sage”, as the press began to call him.

The Egan Brothers baseball team, front row from left. Albert J. Egan, Arthur “Ben” Egan. Middle: John H. Egan, Edward P. Egan, Fred Egan, Charles Egan. Back: Robert H. Egan, Frank W. Egan, Joseph H. Egan. Pictured front-center is mascot Robert D. Egan, son of John H. Via City of Sherrill Archives.

References:

Ben Egan

https://www.oneidadispatch.com/2016/07/27/baseball-a-favorite-pastime-throughout-sherrills-history/

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Babe Ruth, Baltimore Orioles, Ben Egan, Ben Egan Day, Noyes Park, Oneida Community Ltd

Footer

E-mail Updates

Signup for email updates about the History of Vernon

Categories

Add to Vernon’s History

  • Add an Artifact
  • Add a Memory or Experience

Tags

146th NYSV Ard Judson Carriage Works Babe Ruth Baltimore Orioles Bartholomew Mills Ben Egan carriage Civil War Cushman House Dick Stanton Real Estate Duffy's Dunbarton Glass Works farm GAR glass Grant's Lumber J.J. Bartholomew manufacturing Maple Park Home mayor methodist Mt Vernon Glass Company Oneida Castle Oneida Community Ltd Rambler Rose Tea House School Sconondoa Creek The Bakehouse trustee Tyler Lumber Company Uebler Milking Machine Vernon Agricultural Society Vernon Center Vernon Center Methodist Church Vernon Center Presbyterian Church Vernon Center Schoolhouse Vernon Fair Vernon Garage Vernon High School Vernon Mills Vernon Union Free School Village of Vernon Volunteer Fire Company of Vernon West Shore Railroad Willow Hill

Copyright Local History Inc© 2023 · Log in