1978 Baltimore Orioles season
Encyclopedia
The 1978 Baltimore Orioles
season was a season in American baseball
. It involved the Orioles finishing fourth in the American League East
with a record of 90 wins and 71 losses.
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
season was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. It involved the Orioles finishing fourth in the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
with a record of 90 wins and 71 losses.
Offseason
- November 23, 1977: Elrod HendricksElrod HendricksElrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks was a catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Hendricks played during a 12-year career that lasted from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees...
was signed as a free agent by the Orioles. - December 7, 1977: Bryn SmithBryn SmithBryn Nelson Smith is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1981-1993....
, Rudy MayRudy MayRudolph May, Jr. is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from to for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos...
, and Randy MillerRandy Miller (baseball)Randall Scott Miller is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Miller played for the Baltimore Orioles in and with the Montreal Expos in 1978.-External links:*...
were traded by the Orioles to the Montreal ExposWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
for Don StanhouseDon StanhouseDonald Joseph Stanhouse is a retired baseball pitcher who had a ten-year major league career from 1972–1980, 1982...
, Joe KerriganJoe KerriganJoseph Thomas Kerrigan is a former relief pitcher, manager and longtime pitching coach in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
, and Gary RoenickeGary RoenickeGary Steven Roenicke is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Montreal Expos , Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves .-Early career:...
. - January 6, 1978: Ken RudolphKen RudolphKenneth Victor Rudolph , is a retired American professional baseball player. A catcher, he appeared in 328 Major League games played between – for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles...
was released by the Orioles. - February 21, 1978: Tony MuserTony MuserAnthony Joseph Muser is currently a roving instructor in the San Diego Padres organization. From 1997 until 2002, Muser served as the manager of the Kansas City Royals...
was released by the Orioles.
Opening Day starters
- Mark BelangerMark BelangerMark Henry Belanger was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles...
- Al BumbryAl BumbryAlonza Benjamin Bumbry is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres from 1972 through 1985.-Playing career:...
- Doug DeCincesDoug DeCincesDouglas Vernon "Doug" DeCinces is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the California Angels in 1982 to make room for Cal Ripken Jr. after having begun his career as the successor to Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson...
- Rick DempseyRick DempseyJohn Rikard Dempsey is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 24 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the Baltimore Orioles...
- Larry HarlowLarry Harlow (baseball)Larry Duane Harlow is a retired professional baseball player who played 6 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball. Most of his career highs came during the season when he scored 67 runs scored, recorded 112 hits, and 14 stolen bases...
- Dennis MartínezDennis MartínezJosé Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
- Lee MayLee MayLee Andrew May is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. From through , May played for the Cincinnati Reds , Houston Astros , Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed. He is the brother of former Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees outfielder...
- Eddie MurrayEddie MurrayEddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
- Ken SingletonKen SingletonKenneth Wayne Singleton is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports commentator. He played as an outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, and Baltimore Orioles.-Baseball career:Born in Manhattan, New York...
- Billy SmithBilly Smith (second baseman)Billy Edward Smith is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors between and . He also played one season in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in ....
Notable transactions
- June 6, 1978: 1978 Major League Baseball Draft1978 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :In 1978, four players made the jump from amateur baseball to the major leagues, including Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner, who was selected number one overall by the Atlanta...
- Cal Ripken, Jr.Cal Ripken, Jr.Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
was drafted by the Orioles in the 2nd round. Player signed June 13, 1978. - Bobby BonnerBobby BonnerRobert Averill Bonner is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1980 and 1983, all for the Baltimore Orioles, primarily as a shortstop...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 3rd round. - Mike BoddickerMike BoddickerFor the similarly named musician , see Michael BoddickerMichael James "Mike" Boddicker was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Kansas City Royals , and Milwaukee Brewers...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 6th round.
- Cal Ripken, Jr.
Roster
| 1978 Baltimore Orioles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 146 | 441 | 114 | .259 | 6 | 32 | |
| 1B | 161 | 610 | 174 | .285 | 27 | 95 | |
| 2B | 133 | 459 | 121 | .264 | 6 | 46 | |
| 3B | 142 | 511 | 146 | .286 | 28 | 80 | |
| SS | 135 | 348 | 74 | .213 | 0 | 16 | |
| LF | 100 | 274 | 75 | .274 | 11 | 40 | |
| CF | 147 | 460 | 112 | .243 | 8 | 26 | |
| RF | 149 | 502 | 147 | .293 | 20 | 81 | |
| DH | 148 | 556 | 137 | .246 | 25 | 80 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 250 | 65 | .260 | 5 | 30 | |
| 76 | 229 | 49 | .214 | 8 | 14 | |
| 120 | 193 | 46 | .238 | 4 | 20 | |
| 79 | 186 | 49 | .263 | 0 | 13 | |
| 33 | 114 | 27 | .237 | 2 | 6 | |
| 62 | 95 | 24 | .253 | 0 | 12 | |
| 36 | 86 | 13 | .151 | 0 | 2 | |
| 27 | 58 | 15 | .259 | 3 | 15 | |
| 53 | 32 | 3 | .094 | 0 | 3 | |
| 13 | 18 | 6 | .333 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 281.1 | 19 | 15 | 4.03 | 167 | |
| 40 | 276.1 | 16 | 11 | 3.52 | 142 | |
| 38 | 296 | 21 | 12 | 2.46 | 138 | |
| 35 | 233 | 15 | 13 | 3.32 | 94 | |
| 2 | 11.1 | 1 | 1 | 3.18 | 11 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 54.1 | 4 | 4 | 4.64 | 30 | |
| 2 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 2.89 | 42 | |
| 42 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4.83 | 57 | |
| 26 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4.77 | 41 | |
| 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.04 | 8 | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.00 | 14 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.79 | 4 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67.50 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |