Dorsey Riddlemoser

“Reading has signed a new pitcher. His name is Riddlemoser. If he has an arm anything like his name, he will break many a batsman’s jaws.”1

When it comes to unusual surnames in baseball, Riddlemoser must be near the top of the list. His family name seemed to fascinate sportswriters of the day. Though he was one of Frederick, Maryland’s best hurlers of the late 19th and early 20th century, Riddlemoser played just one game in the major leagues before returning to the sandlots of his hometown. He also tried out for minor-league teams both above and below the Mason-Dixon Line. However, he never seemed to make the cut, always returning to the Piedmont region. After a career as a local baseball hero, he put away his bat and glove and got involved in local politics. What follows is a fuller look at this forgotten hurler from “Spire City.”2

Dorsey Lee Riddlemoser was born on March 25, 1875, to Lewis Washington (1836-1914) and Alice E. Riddlemoser (1843-1919) in Frederick (which lies about 50 miles northwest of Baltimore). He was the youngest of seven children, following Florence Virginia (1864-1938), George Franklin (1865-1943), Cora Ann Margret (1867-1960), Lewis Ephraim (1868-1907), Charles Joseph (1870-1929), and Minnie E. (1871-1873).3 Riddlemoser’s paternal family line can be traced back to Bavaria, Germany, with his great-great grandfather Johann Michael Riddlemoser Sr. (1763-1808).4 Scant information is available about his maternal family line. Alice E. Riddlemoser (née Stup) was born to Joseph (1805-1878) and Ann Elizabeth Houck Stup (1807-1875) in Maryland, though no specific city is named.5

While his exact height and weight are unknown, Riddlemoser is listed on his World War I draft card as being of medium height with stout build and dark colored hair. The only known photograph depicts him as clean shaven.6 The first newsprint mention of Riddlemoser comes from a game writeup in the Frederick News of August 3, 1892, when he played for a team called the Snow Balls. Although no box score exists, his contributions to the club were summed up in a short sentence that stated he made “three very fine stops.”7 Just three weeks later, the newspaper reported that he was out of commission with an ankle injury sustained during a game. To make matters worse, rheumatism had set in.8 What became of the rest of his season is unknown.

Though no information about his time in baseball can be located for 1893, Riddlemoser went on to play for various local teams – sometimes multiple clubs per year – between 1894 and 1896. These included West South Street, Crickets, and the Frederick Juniors, as well as various nameless “picked nine” teams.9 He was also involved with the local fire department and was listed as “foreman of truck.”10

In March 1897, Riddlemoser got his first taste of baseball outside of Maryland when he was signed to play with the Waverly (New York) baseball club.11 No details of his time there have been located; by late June, he was back in Frederick, pitching for a team called the Unions.12 

Just one year later, in 1898, the Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Daily New Era reported that “Reading has signed a new pitcher with the euphonious name of Riddlemoser.”13 With the Reading Coal Heavers of the Class B Atlantic League, Riddlemoser pitched his first game on June 22 against the Lancaster Maroons.14 This is the only mention of him with Reading and what became of him the rest of the season has yet to be uncovered.15 However, his one shot at the big time was on the horizon.

As the 1899 season dawned, Riddlemoser was back in Maryland pitching for a Mt. Airy club as well as for the Frederick team.16 Though he had hoped that player-manager John McGraw of the Baltimore Orioles would sign him earlier in the season, Riddlemoser got his chance when he was picked up by the National League’s Washington Senators.17 On August 22, Washington took on Baltimore in a a doubleheader. In the first game, Dan McFarlan started but lasted only four innings. With Washington trailing 9-3, he was replaced by newcomer Riddlemoser. It didn’t take long for the right-handed thrower to end up back on the bench. According to the Washington Evening Star, “Riddlemoser got away with the first inning all right but his second turn on the rubber was disastrous, and after one more endeavor to ‘make good’ he was sent to the bench.”18 His pitching line read: seven hits and four earned runs allowed in two innings pitched, with two walks and no strikeouts.

Other observers were just as critical of his performance. “Washington’s new twirler, Riddlemoser, ought to have a puzzling delivery but the Orioles found it easy to solve,” the Cincinnati Post reported.19 The Kentucky Post printed a satirical paragraph about him starting out with, “Riddlemoser – ‘What’s the answer?’” and proceeded to compare his windup and delivery to pugilist Kid McCoy’s corkscrew punch.20 His brief stint in Washington’s 15-5 loss concluded Riddlemoser’s major-league career, his record finalized at 0-0 with an 18.00 ERA.  A righty batter, he never made it to the plate.

The 1900 season found Riddlemoser signed by the Newport News Shipbuilders of the Class D Virginia League.21 He left for Newport News on April 6 and was released from the team within a month for reasons unspecified.22 Riddlemoser then returned to his hometown and pitched for the Frederick team for the remainder of the season.23

The 1901 season provides the most documentation concerning Riddlemoser’s ballplaying career. In April it was announced that he had signed with Allentown of the Class D Pennsylvania State League.24 On April 18, the team practiced in “cold and unfavorable” weather; as one source stated, “Riddlemoser has brought along drops and shoots galore,” presumably referring to his repertoire on the pitcher’s mound.25 However, in his first game with Allentown, he was put out in center field.26 The following game he was back on the mound.27 Thereafter, Riddlemoser oscillated between pitching and patrolling right field.28

On May 21, Allentown took on the barnstorming Cuban X Giants, a team composed of Black players. What made this game noteworthy was that the two pitchers were both Frederick natives named Dorsey – Riddlemoser and Robinson.29 The game ended in a lopsided 8-1 victory for the X Giants.30 Sadly for Riddlemoser, the Allentown team folded a month later. His final pitching appearance that season came in mid-June during the second game of a doubleheader loss to Easton, Pennsylvania, 14-5.31 Though it was rumored that he was heading to a club in Birmingham Mills, Riddlemoser went back to his hometown, where he played the remainder of the season, seeing action on the mound and in right field.32

In 1902, he was signed by the Meriden Silverites of the Class D Connecticut State League.33  Curiously, the Meriden Morning Record stated that “Riddlemoser is a Hebrew from Frederick, Md., and played last season with Norfolk of the Virginia state league.”34 But no support for either statement can be found in the historical record. In any case, Dorsey’s stay in Meriden was short; by May 2, he was playing for a team from Penn Park, Pennsylvania, against a squad from Germantown. 35 Just days later, he was released from the team, and he returned to Frederick to finish out the season.36

The 1903 season was almost a repeat of the previous one. Riddlemoser started out with Meriden once again; this time he made the cut, but only briefly.37 Coincidentally, he was released from the team on May 6, mirroring his release from Penn Park one year previously to the day.38 After his dismissal, Riddlemoser again found himself in Eastern Pennsylvania. The Williamsport (Pennsylvania) Daily Gazette and Bulletin reported that Penn Park had signed him again, but that was contradicted by other news reports that had Riddlemoser pitching for Norristown, Pennsylvania, nine only days later.39

After the season concluded, Riddlemoser found work with various regional newspapers. He also traveled to Hagerstown, Maryland, with the hope of forming a new Cumberland Valley baseball league to include teams from Hagerstown; Winchester, Virginia; Martinsburg, West Virginia; and Waynesboro, Chambersburg, Harrisburg, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Nothing, however, came from that effort. He was also offered a position managing the team from Martinsburg but turned it down.40

The final article containing contemporary information about Riddlemoser and baseball can be found in the Richmond Times and Dispatch which stated that he pitched for Cumberland, Maryland, club in 1905. The article also features the only known photo of Dorsey Riddlemoser, although not in uniform.41

Riddlemoser’s post-baseball career involved staying active in the local chapter of the Democratic Party, something which began while he was still a ballplayer.42 He also started a new career working as a lineman for a telephone company.43  In 1930, Riddlemoser switched careers and became a “market manager,” though for which market isn’t stated.44 Finally, by 1940 he had changed careers yet again and was listed as a “janitor” in the census.45

Riddlemoser married Ruth Talmadge Biggs (1889-1970) on May 30, 1925.46 The couple had two children, Alyce Virginia (1918-1997) and Dorsey Lee Riddlemoser Jr. (1926-1945).47 Tragically, while aboard a B-29 Superfortress as a tail gunner, Sgt. Riddlemoser’s plane was shot down over Japan and he was killed in action.48  

The elder Dorsey Lee Riddlemoser outlived his son by nine years, before passing away from unspecified causes on May 11, 1954.49 He is interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, alongside his wife and a memorial to his son.50

Acknowledgments

This story was reviewed by Bill Lamb and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Terry Bohn.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the Notes, the author used Baseball-Reference.com.

Notes

1 “Patersons Win,” Paterson (New Jersey) Evening News, June 23, 1889: 4.

2 Frederick Architecture: A Guided Tour Through Time, accessed April 9, 2025.

3 1880 U.S. Census; Lewis Washington Riddlemoser – Find A Grave memorial.

4 Johann Michael Riddlemoser Sr. – Find A Grave memorial.

5 Alice E Stup Riddlemoser – Find A Grave memorial.

6 Riddlemoser World War I draft registration card; “Another Good Twirler,” Richmond Times – Dispatch, March 14, 1906: 7.  

7 “Base Ball News,” Frederick (Maryland) News, August 3, 1892: 3.

8 “The Sick,” Frederick News, August 20, 1892: 3.

9 “Base Ball,” Frederick News, June 19, 1896: 4; April 20, 1896: 3; April 6, 1896: 3; July 30, 1895: 3; April 8, 1895: 3; August 8, 1894: 3; and July 18, 1894: 3.  

10 “The Firemen,” Frederick News, December 03, 1895: 4.   

11 “Base Ball News, Frederick News, March 26, 1897: 4.   

12 “Base Ball, Frederick News, June 26, 1897: 5.   

13 “Notes,” Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Daily New Era, June 21, 1898: 6.

14 “On the Downward Slide,” Reading (Pennsylvania) Daily Times & Dispatch, June 21, 1898: 4.

15 This information is not included on Baseball-references, most likely due to his brief stay on the team.

16 “Plan No. 4,” Frederick News, May 3, 1899: 2; “Base Ball,” Frederick News, May 31, 1899: 3.  

17 “Puzzles,” Cincinnati Post, August 23, 1899: 2.  

18 “Sports of the Day,” Washington (DC) Evening Star, August 23, 1899: 9.  

19 “Puzzles,” Cincinnati Post, August 23, 1899: 2.  

20 “Arthur Irwin’s Thirteen Club,” (Covington) Kentucky Post, August 26, 1899: 6.

21 “The Newport News Team,” Richmond Times – Dispatch, January 07, 1900: 2. The article states that he was a former player with Williamsport. However, no documentation can be found to support this claim.

22 “Baseball Briefs,” Baltimore Sun, April 7, 1900: 6; “Released” St. Joseph (Missouri) Daily Herald, May 13, 1900: 7. Again, this information is not found on Baseball-reference, most likely because of his short stay on the team.

23 “Baseball,” Baltimore Sun, June 2, 1900: 5.

24 “Base Ball,” Allentown (Pennsylvania) Morning Call, April 1, 1901: 1. This article states that he pitched for Grand Rapids, Michigan. No documentation can be found to corroborate this claim. See also, “Signed A Star,” Allentown (Pennsylvania) Daily Leader, April 2, 1901: 6. This article claims that he pitched for Winchester in 1898 in the Cumberland Valley League. It also states that he pitched for Parkersburg, West Virginia, in the International League in 1899. Neither claim can be verified through primary source documentation.

25 “Boys Are in Good Shape,” Allentown Morning Call, April 19, 1901: 1.

26 “Played The Baby Act,” Allentown Morning Call, April 24, 1901: 1.

27 “Downed By Lehigh,” Allentown Daily Leader, April 27, 1901: 1.

28 “Another Scalp Taken,” Allentown Morning Call, May 03, 1901: 1.

29 “Frederick Pitchers,” Frederick News, May 23, 1901: 3.

30 “Coons Can Play Ball,” Allentown Morning Call, May 22, 1901: 1.

31 “The League Reorganizes,” Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Patriot, June 17, 1901: 8.

32 “Frederick Wins,” Frederick News, June 22, 1901: 5; “Baseball Notes,” Frederick News, August 19, 1901: 3.

33 “Notes of the State League,” Meriden (Connecticut) Morning Record, March 11, 1902: 2. Again, this information is not found on Baseball-reference most likely due to his short stay.

34 “Notes of the State League,” Meriden Morning Record, March 11, 1902: 2.

35 “Penn Park’s First Game,” York (Pennsylvania) Gazette, May 2, 1902: 1,

36 “Base Ball,” York (Pennsylvania) Dispatch, May 6, 1902: 6; “Colored Players Won,” Frederick News, August 19, 1901: 3.   

37   “Meridian’s Line-Up To-Day,” Meriden (Connecticut) Daily Journal, April 18, 1903: 4.

38 “Three Released Meridian Players.,” Meriden Daily Journal, May 6, 1903: 8.

39 Title obliterated from document, Williamsport (Pennsylvania) Daily Gazette and Bulletin, June 15, 1903: 19; “We Lost Both Games,” Lebanon (Pennsylvania) daily News, June 26, 1903: 3.

40 “Base Ball League,” Martinsburg (West Virginia) Herald, November 7, 1903: 2; “Still Talking of Base Ball League,” Chambersburg (Pennsylvania) Public Opinion, November 24, 1903: 1.

41 “Another Good Twirler,” Richmond Times – Dispatch, March 14, 1906: 7.  

42 “The Frederick Meeting,” Baltimore Sun, Sept 23, 1899: 8.

43 1910 U.S. Census.

44 1930 U.S. Census.

45 1940 U.S. Census.

46 “Hymenal”, Frederick Daily News, October 17, 1925: 5.

47 Ruth Talmadge Biggs Riddlemoser– Find A Grave memorial. Alice was born to Ruth prior to her marriage. Her father is unknown at this time.

48 SGT Dorsey Lee Riddlemoser Jr. – Find A Grave memorial.

49 No death certificate or obituary could be located.

50 Dorsey Lee Riddlemoser – Find A Grave memorial.