Socks Seybold

Ralph Orlando "Socks" Seybold (November 23, 1870 – December 21, 1921) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball over parts of nine seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Athletics. Known as a power hitter, Seybold set the American League record for home runs in 1902, which would not be broken until 1919. He stood at and weighed 200 lbs.

Biography Seybold was born in Washingtonville, Ohio. In 1896, he had a breakout season, hitting .352 at Lancaster, and in 1897, he led the team to the pennant Seybold led the Atlantic League in homers again in 1898 and was leading in 1899 when he was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. Seybold then got his second shot in the majors in 1901, with the Philadelphia Athletics, and this time, he stuck. That season, he hit .334 and had a 27-game hitting streak in July and August. The Athletics also won the pennant. In 1903, Seybold's batting average dipped below .300; however, his OPS+ stayed at exactly 138, and he ripped a league-leading 45 doubles. He left the team in June 1908 saying, "I feel that I cannot do myself justice. I have decided to quit for the season."

In 997 games over nine seasons, Seybold posted a .294 batting average (1085-for-3685) with 478 runs, 218 doubles, 54 triples, 51 home runs, 556 RBI, 66 stolen bases, 293 bases on balls.353 on-base percentage and .424 slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .964 fielding percentage. but injuries continued to slow Seybold during the 1909 season. From 1910 to 1911, he coached industrial teams in Jeanette. On April 4, 1912, he signed with the Richmond Rebels of the United States Baseball League. His baseball career ended with the demise of the league in June.

At the end of July 1919, Babe Ruth equaled Seybold's American League record of 16 home runs in a season; Ruth went on to hit 29 homers in 1919.

Seybold was married but had no children. His wife, Wilhelmina "Minnie" Heitz, died in 1917. In 1921, Seybold was driving a car when it overturned at a sharp curve on the Lincoln Highway east of Jeanette; Seybold was buried next to his wife at Brush Creek Cemetery in Irwin.