For the NYTimes, The House That Built Ruth: Gibbons High’s Last Year

I recently shot for a New York Times article discussing the impending demise of Babe Ruth’s high school baseball field.

Below are a bunch of photos that didn’t get published.

Mike Hoos’s job as the Cardinal Gibbons Admissions Director has faded away, “because there’s no one else to admit.” The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced thirteen Catholic Schools will close at the school year’s end, including Cardinal Gibbons High School. The site, formerly known as St. Mary’s Industrial School, a school for “wayward boys,” was where Babe Ruth played baseball while in high school. The shutting has left the baseball diamond’s future susceptible to sale and development. The Babe Ruth mural Hoos walks past is slated to be dismantled and preserved.

“Bring it in!” After a rough first inning and a half against guest St. Paul’s, Cardinal Gibbons head varsity coach Matt Foster, in red, gives his team a hard talking-to, “Own Your Field!” A three-run rally ensued. Their field, named for Babe Ruth, might not exist in a year.

Now static, the Cardinal Gibbons home plate is where center field was when Babe Ruth played on the same field as a student of the St. Mary’s Industrial school.

Junior varsity first baseman Chris Van Riper, a Cardinal Gibbons sophomore, grabs a throw during practice Wednesday, April 14, 2010. This will probably be the last year he, or anyone, plays on the same field where Babe Ruth cut his teeth.

Cardinal Gibbons players (L-R) Kevin Howley, senior, Frank DiVinlenzo, senior, Ryan Ellis, senior, Alex Kurth, junior, and Garrett Sites, junior, watch the first inning play against St. Paul’s School atop buckets.

Pat Ingham, left, and Dominic Fratantuond, right, time their swings to St. Paul’s pitcher Friday, April 16, 2010.

Chris Peltz, receives signals from his catcher before the wind up at Cardinal Gibbons High School’s Babe Ruth Field in Baltimore Friday, April 16, 2010.

Cardinal Gibbons senior R.T. Vail makes contact against St. Paul’s School at Babe Ruth Field Friday, April 16, 2010.

Junior varsity first baseman Chris Van Riper, a Cardinal Gibbons sophomore, grabs a throw during practice Wednesday, April 14, 2010.

Cardinal Gibbons senior R.T. Vail is surrounded in a cloud of dust after making it safely to second base against St. Paul’s School on the Crusader’s home turf, Babe Ruth Field Friday, April 16, 2010.

Cardinal Gibbons Senior Nicholas Mills guides one of the varsity baseball players to a foul ball. He joins Jessica Bassard atop her truck to watch the Crusaders play St. Paul’s School. Her boyfriend, Steven Schillingberg, plays first base.

Cardinal Gibbons senior Garth Irwin returns to the dugout.

Outside one the Cardinal Gibbons High School offices is a cardboard cutout and a painting of Babe Ruth made by Joseph Boruta.

It’s almost as if the Babe’s waving goodbye to the school, huh?

The House That Built Ruth: Cardinal Gibbons High School’s Last Year – Images by Matt Roth

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 18th, 2010 at 6:29 pm. It is filed under For The New York Times, Photojournalism, Photos, SPORTS and tagged with Baltimore, Baseball, community journalism, For The New York Times, high school, History, outtakes, Photo essay, SPORTS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.