History of the Baltimore Orioles
Encyclopedia
The Baltimore Orioles
(nicknamed The O's and The Birds) are a Major League Baseball
team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are in the Eastern Division
of the American League
. They are owned by attorney Peter Angelos
.
The modern Orioles franchise can trace its roots back to the original Milwaukee Brewers of the minor
Western League
, beginning in 1894 when the league reorganized. The Brewers were there when the WL renamed itself the American League
in 1900.
At the end of the 1900 season, the American League removed itself from baseball's National Agreement (the formal understanding between the NL and the minor leagues). Two months later, the AL declared itself a competing major league. As a result of several franchise shifts, the Brewers were one of only two Western League teams that didn't either fold or move (the other being the Detroit Tigers
). During the first American League season, they finished dead last with a record of 48-89. During its lone Major League season, the team played at Lloyd Street Grounds
, between 16th and 18th Streets in Milwaukee.
As the baseball "war" heated up the American League began to challenge the senior circuit more directly. The American League already fielded teams in Boston
, Chicago
, and Philadelphia, solid National League cities. It had planned to move the Brewers to St. Louis
, but those plans fizzled.
In 1902
, however, the team did move to St. Louis, where it became the "Browns", in reference to the original name of the legendary 1880s club that by 1902 was known as the Cardinals
. In their first St. Louis season, the Browns finished second. Although they usually fielded terrible or mediocre teams (they had only four winning seasons from 1901 to 1922), they were very popular at the gate.
During this time, the Browns were best-known for their role in the race
for the 1910
American League batting title. Detroit's Ty Cobb
took the last game of the season off, believing that his slight lead over Cleveland's Nap Lajoie
would hold up unless Lajoie had a near-perfect day at the plate. However, Cobb was one of the most despised players in baseball, and Browns catcher
-manager Jack O'Connor
ordered rookie third baseman
Red Corriden
to station himself in shallow left field. In each of his next five at bats, Lajoie bunted down the third-base line and made it to first easily. In his last at-bat, he reached base on an error
– officially giving him a hitless at-bat. O'Connor and coach Harry Howell tried to bribe the official scorer, a woman, to change the call to a hit, even offering to buy her a new wardrobe. Cobb won the batting title by just a few thousandths of a point over Lajoie (though in 1978 sabermetrician
Pete Palmer
discovered that one game may have been counted twice in the statistics). The resulting outcry triggered an investigation by American League president Ban Johnson
. At his insistence, Browns owner Robert Hedges
fired O'Connor and Howell; both men were informally banned from baseball for life.
In 1916, after years of prosperity at the gate, Hedges sold the team to cold-storage magnate Phil Ball
, who had owned the St. Louis Terriers
of the defunct Federal League
. Ball's tenure as owner saw the Browns' first period of prosperity; they were a contender for most of the early 1920s, even finishing second in 1922
. He made a considerable effort to make the Browns competitive, reinvesting all profits back into the team.
Ball, however, committed several errors that dogged the franchise for years to come. His first major blunder was to fire Branch Rickey
, the resident genius in the Browns' front office, in 1919 because of a conflict of egos, causing Rickey to jump to the crosstown Cardinals. In 1920 Sam Breadon
, who had just purchased the Cardinals, convinced Ball to allow his team to share the Browns' home, Sportsman's Park
. With the money from the sale of the Cardinals' Robison Field
, Rickey began building an extensive farm system. This eventually produced a host of star players that brought the Cardinals far more drawing power than the Browns.
The 1922 Browns excited their owner by almost beating the Yankees to a pennant. The club was boasting the best players in franchise history, including George Sisler
, and an outfield trio – Ken Williams
, Baby Doll Jacobson
, and Jack Tobin
– that batted .300 or better in 1919-23 and in 1925. In 1922, Williams became the first player in Major League history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, something that would not be done again in the Majors until 1956.
Ball confidently predicted that there would be a World Series in Sportsman's Park by 1926. In anticipation, he increased the capacity of his ballpark from 18,000 to 30,000. There was indeed a World Series in Sportsman's Park in 1926
, but it was the Cardinals, not the Browns, who took part, upsetting the Yankees. St. Louis had been considered a "Browns' town" until then; after 1926, the Cardinals dominated St. Louis baseball, while still technically tenants of the Browns. Meanwhile, the Browns rapidly fell into the cellar. They only had two winning records from 1927 to 1943, including a 43-111 mark in that is still the worst in franchise history.
Ball died in 1933. His estate ran the team for three years until Rickey helped broker a sale to investment banker Donald Lee Barnes
, whose son-in-law, Bill DeWitt
, was the team's general manager. To help finance the purchase, Barnes sold 20,000 shares of stock to the public at $5 a share, an unusual practice for a sports franchise.
, the Browns won their only St. Louis-based American League pennant, becoming the last of the 16 teams that made up the major leagues from 1901 to 1960 to play in a World Series. By comparison, each of the other seven American League teams had appeared in at least three World Series, and won it at least once. Some critics called it a fluke, as most major league stars voluntarily joined or were drafted into the military; however, many of the Browns' best players were classified 4-F (unfit for military service). They faced their local rivals, the more successful Cardinals, in the 1944 World Series
, the last World Series to date played entirely in one stadium, and lost 4 games to 2.
In 1945, the Browns posted an 81-75 record and fell to third place, six games out, again with less than top-ranked talent. The 1945 season may be best remembered for the Browns' signing of utility outfielder Pete Gray
, the only one-armed major league position player in history. After the season, Barnes sold the Browns to businessman Richard Muckerman
, who cared more about improving Sportsman's Park than getting better players. The effect was immediate, as the Browns tumbled to seventh in . They would never finish with a winning record again while in St. Louis. Muckerman sold the team to DeWitt in , but DeWitt was unable to reverse the slide.
, Bill Veeck
, the colorful former owner of the Cleveland Indians
, purchased the Browns. In St. Louis, he extended the promotions and wild antics that had made him famous and loved by many and loathed by many others. His most notorious stunt in St. Louis came on August 19, 1951, when he sent Eddie Gaedel
, a 3 foot 7 inch, 65-pound midget
, to bat as a pinch hitter. When Gaedel stepped to the plate he was wearing a Browns uniform with the number 1/8, and little slippers turned up at the end like elf's shoes. With no strike zone
to speak of, Gaedel walked on four straight pitches. The stunt infuriated American League President Will Harridge
, who voided Gaedel's contract the next day.
Veeck also brought the legendary, and seemingly ageless, Satchel Paige
back to major league baseball to pitch for the Browns. Veeck had previously signed the former Negro League great to a contract in Cleveland in 1948 at age 42, amid much criticism. At 45, Paige's re-appearance in a Browns' uniform did nothing to win Veeck friends among baseball's owners. Nonetheless, Paige ended the season with a respectable 3-4 record and a 4.79 ERA.
Veeck believed that St. Louis was too small a market for two franchises, and planned to drive the Cardinals out of town. He signed many of the Cardinals' most locally loved ex-players and, as a result, brought many of their fans in to see the Browns. Veeck signed former Cardinals great Dizzy Dean
to a broadcasting contract and tapped former Redbirds great Rogers Hornsby
as manager. He also re-acquired former Browns fan favorite Vern Stephens
and signed former Cardinals pitcher Harry Brecheen
, both of whom had starred in the all-St. Louis World Series in 1944. He stripped Sportsman's Park of any Cardinals material and dressed it exclusively in Browns memorabilia. He even moved his family to an apartment under the stands.
Veeck's showmanship and colorful promotions made the fan experience at a Browns game more fun and unpredictable than that at a Cardinals game. At the same time, the Cardinals were finally feeling the effects of Rickey's departure for the Brooklyn Dodgers
in 1942
. In early 1953, Cardinals owner Fred Saigh
was indicted for tax evasion
, and ultimately pleaded no contest to lesser charges. Facing almost certain banishment from baseball, Saigh was forced to put the Cardinals up for sale. For a time, no credible offers surfaced from St. Louis interests, and it looked as if Veeck's all-out assault on the Cardinals might indeed force them out of town.
However, Saigh turned down higher offers from out-of-town buyers in favor of a bid from the St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch
brewery
, which stepped in with the specific intent of keeping the Cardinals in St. Louis. Veeck realized that the Cardinals now had more resources than he could possibly hope to match, and decided to cede St. Louis to the Cardinals and move the Browns elsewhere. The Browns had been candidates for relocation earlier; in 1941, they had come close to moving to Los Angeles
, nearly two decades before Major League Baseball eventually arrived in California
. The American League even drew up a schedule including Los Angeles and had a meeting scheduled to vote on the relocation of the Browns, but the Attack on Pearl Harbor
killed the move.
As a first step to moving the Browns, Veeck sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals not long after Anheuser-Busch took control of the latter. It is very likely he would have had to sell it in any event, as the 44-year-old park had fallen into disrepair. The city was threatening to have it condemned, and Veeck could not afford to make the necessary improvements to bring it up to code even with the rent from the Cardinals.
Veeck attempted to move the Browns back to Milwaukee (where he had owned the Brewers
of the American Association
in the 1940s) for the 1953 season. However, the other American League owners blocked the move, seemingly for reasons that were more personal than business related. Veeck then tried to move the Browns to Baltimore
. He got in touch with Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro
and attorney Clarence Miles
, who were leading an effort to bring the major leagues back to Baltimore after a half-century hiatus. However, he was rebuffed by the owners, still seething by the publicity stunts he pulled at the Browns home games.
After the season, Veeck cut a deal with Miles which would see the Browns move to Baltimore. Under the plan, Veeck would sell half of his 80 percent stake in the Browns to Miles and several other Baltimore investors, with Veeck remaining as principal owner. Despite being assured by American League president Will Harridge
that there would be no problem getting approval, only four owners voted aye – two short of passage. Reportedly, this was due to Yankees co-owner Del Webb
drumming up support to move the Browns to Los Angeles.
Miles and D'Alesandro realized that the owners were simply looking for a way to push Veeck out. Over the next 48 hours, Miles lined up enough support from his group of investors to buy out Veeck's stake entirely for $2.5 million. The plan called for Baltimore brewer Jerold Hoffberger
to emerge as the largest single shareholder. With his only leverage, ownership of Sportsman's Park, gone and facing threats of the liquidation of his franchise, Veeck had little choice but to agree. With Veeck "out of the way", the American League owners quickly approved the relocation of the team to Baltimore for the 1954 season.
), the Browns were renamed upon their transfer, implicitly severing themselves from their history. In December 1954, the team further distanced itself from its Browns past by making a 17-player trade with the New York Yankees
that included most former Browns of note still on the roster. Though the deal did little to improve the short-term competitiveness of the club, it did help establish a fresh identity for the franchise. To this day, it mentions almost nothing about its past in St. Louis.
Many older fans in St. Louis remember the Browns fondly, and some have formed societies to keep the memory of the team alive. The club was in St. Louis for 52 years. As of the 2006 season, the club had been in Baltimore longer than it was in St. Louis.
Orioles squad included "Wee" Willie Keeler
, Wilbert Robinson
, Hughie Jennings
and John McGraw. They won three straight pennants, and participated in all four of the Temple Cup
Championship Series, winning the last two of them. That team had started as a charter member of the American Association
in 1882. Despite its on-field success, it was one of the four teams contracted out of existence by the National League after the 1899
season. Its best players (and its manager, Ned Hanlon) regrouped with the Brooklyn Dodgers
, turning that team into a contender.
In 1901, Baltimore and McGraw were awarded an expansion franchise in the growing American League, but again the team was sacrificed in favor of a New York City
franchise, as the team was transferred to the city in 1903. After some early struggles, that team eventually became baseball's most successful franchise – the New York Yankees
.
As a member of the high-minor league level International League
, the Orioles competed at what is now known as the AAA level from 1903-1953. Baltimore's own Babe Ruth
pitched for the Orioles before being sold to the AL Boston Red Sox
in 1914
. The Orioles of the IL won nine league championships, first in 1908, followed by a lengthy run from 1919 to 1925, and then dramatically in 1944, after they had lost their home field Oriole Park
in a disastrous mid-season fire. The huge post-season crowds at their temporary home, Municipal Stadium
, caught the attention of the big league brass and helped open the door to the return of major league baseball to Baltimore. Thanks to the big stadium, that "Junior World Series" easily outdrew the major league World Series which, coincidentally, included the team that would move to Baltimore 10 years later and take up occupancy in the rebuilt version of that big stadium.
. In turn, Keelty gave way in to financier Joe Iglehart.
By the early 1960s, stars such as Brooks Robinson
, John "Boog" Powell
, and Dave McNally
were being developed by a strong farm system. The O's first made themselves heard in , when they finished 89-65, good enough for second in the American League. While they were still eight games behind the Yankees, it was the first time they had been a factor in a pennant race late into the season since 1944. It was also the first season of a 26-year stretch where the team would have only two losing seasons. Shortstop Ron Hansen
was named AL Rookie of the Year, and first-year pitcher Chuck Estrada
tied for the league lead in wins with 18, finishing second to Hansen in the Rookie of the Year balloting.
After the 1965 season
, Hoffberger acquired controlling interest in the Orioles from Iglehart and installed himself as president. He had been serving as a silent partner over the past decade despite being the largest shareholder. Frank Cashen
, advertising chief of Hoffberger's brewery, became executive vice-president.
On December 9, 1965, not long after Hoffberger took over, he engineered a deal which sent pitcher Milt Pappas
(and several others) to the Cincinnati Reds
in exchange for slugging outfielder Frank Robinson
. In 1966, Robinson won the Triple Crown
(leading the American League in batting average
, home runs, and runs batted in) and received the American League Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the first (and so far only) player to win the MVP Award in each league (he had been named NL MVP in 1961, leading the Reds to the pennant). The Orioles would win their first-ever American League championship in 1966 and, in a major upset, swept the World Series
by out-dueling the Los Angeles Dodgers
aces Sandy Koufax
and Don Drysdale
. They thus became the last of the eight original American League members to win a World Series – and at the time, the southernmost team to do so.
Pappas, meanwhile, went 30-29 in a little over two years with the Reds before being traded. Although he would go on to have back-to-back 17-win seasons for the Chicago Cubs
in 1971 and 1972, including a no-hitter
in the latter season, this did not help the Reds, who ended up losing the 1970 World Series
to Robinson and the Orioles. This trade has become renowned as one of the most lopsided in baseball history, including a mention by Susan Sarandon
in her opening soliloquy in the 1988 film Bull Durham
: "Bad trades are a part of baseball. I mean, who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas?"
, the Orioles won three World Series titles (1966
, 1970
, and 1983
), six American League pennants (1966
, 1969
, 1970
, 1971
, 1979
, and 1983
), and five of the first six American League East
titles. They played baseball the Oriole Way, an organizational ethic best described by longtime farm hand and coach Cal Ripken, Sr.
's phrase "perfect practice makes perfect!" The Oriole Way was a belief that hard work, professionalism, and a strong understanding of fundamentals were the keys to success at the major league level. It was based on the belief that if every coach, at every level, taught the game the same way, the organization could produce "replacement parts" that could be substituted seamlessly into the big league club with little or no adjustment. This led to an unprecedented run of success from 1966 to 1983 which saw the Orioles become the envy of the league, and the winningest team in baseball.
During this stretch, three different Orioles were named Most Valuable Player (Frank Robinson
in 1966, Boog Powell
in 1970, and Cal Ripken, Jr.
in 1983), four Oriole pitchers combined for six Cy Young Award
s (Mike Cuellar
in 1969, Jim Palmer
in 1973, 1975, and 1976, Mike Flanagan in 1979, and Steve Stone
in 1980), and three players were named Rookie of the Year (Al Bumbry
in 1973, Eddie Murray
in 1977, and Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1982).
It was also during this time that the Orioles severed their last remaining financial link to their era in St. Louis. In 1979, Hoffberger sold the Orioles to his longtime friend, Washington attorney Edward Bennett Williams
. As part of the deal, Williams bought the publicly-traded shares Donald Barnes had issued in 1936 while the team was still in St. Louis, making the franchise privately held once again.
During this rise to prominence, Weaver Ball came into vogue. Named for fiery manager Earl Weaver
, it was defined by the Oriole trifecta of "Pitching, Defense, and the Three-Run Home Run." When an Oriole GM was told by a reporter that Earl Weaver, as the skipper of a very talented team, was a "push-button manager," he replied, "Earl built the machine and installed all the buttons!"
As Frank and Brooks Robinson grew older, newer stars emerged, including multiple Cy Young Award
winner Jim Palmer
and switch-hitting first baseman Eddie Murray
. With the decline and eventual departure of two other professional sports teams in the area, the NFL
's Baltimore Colts
and baseball's Washington Senators
, the Orioles' excellence paid off at the gate, as the team cultivated a large and rabid fan base at old Memorial Stadium
.
, the Orioles organization began to decline. In 1986
the team suffered its first losing season since 1967. The 1988
season started unceremoniously when the Orioles lost their first 21 contests, and ended the year at 54-107, the worst record for the franchise since 1939. The horrendous season resulted in the dismissal of manager Cal Ripken, Sr.
and his replacement by former Oriole great Frank Robinson
.
The next year, the O's sported a new look, replacing the cartoonish bird with a more realistic one. The 1989
squad, led by surprise ace Jeff Ballard, rebounded to finish in second place behind the Toronto Blue Jays
with an 87-75 record, staying in contention until the last week of the season and earning the nickname of the "Why Not?" Orioles. Frank Robinson earned the 1989 American League Manager of the Year Award
for his efforts in leading the team out of the abyss. Two years later
, Cal Ripken, Jr.
won American League MVP honors in the team's final season at Memorial Stadium
. He was also named MVP of the 1991 All-Star Game
, played in Toronto
's SkyDome
.
, with grand ceremony, the Orioles began their season in a brand new ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
. The name of the new park though did have much controversy in it. Many felt that since the Orioles' new home was so close to Babe Ruth
's birthplace that the new park should have been named after Ruth instead of being indirectly named after the Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt
, who was a Britisher who never set foot on American soil. There was also the superficial connection to the fact that Ruth played for the Orioles early in his career, but the Orioles team that Ruth played for was in no way related to the Orioles team that moved to Baltimore from St. Louis.
In 1993
, Peter Angelos
bought the Baltimore Orioles, which returned the team to local ownership. However, Angelos' ownership resulted in a number of controversies. The Orioles also hosted the 1993 All-Star Game
.
On September 6, 1995, in a game between the Orioles and the California Angels
at Camden Yards, Cal Ripken, Jr.
finally broke Lou Gehrig
's consecutive games streak of 2,130 games. This was later voted the all-time baseball moment of the 20th century by fans from around the country in 1999
. Ripken's streak would finally end at 2,632 straight games, finally sitting on September 20, 1998.
, team owner Peter Angelos hired Pat Gillick
away from the Toronto Blue Jays
to be the Orioles' general manager. Gillick brought in several players like catcher B.J. Surhoff
, relief pitcher Randy Myers
, and second baseman Roberto Alomar
. Under Gillick and manager Davey Johnson
, the Orioles finally returned to postseason play by winning the American League's wild card spot in the 1996
season. The team set a major league record for home runs in a single season, with 257, and upset the Cleveland Indians
in the Division Series before falling to the New York Yankees
in a controversial American League Championship Series
(a fan, Jeffrey Maier
, interfered with a fly ball hit by Derek Jeter
in Game 1; the play was ruled a home run and the Yankees eventually won the game). The Orioles followed up by winning the AL East Division
title in 1997
, going "wire-to-wire" (being in first place from the first day of the season to the last). After eliminating the Seattle Mariners
in four games in the opening round, the team lost again in the ALCS
, this time a heartbreaker to the underdog Indians, in which each Oriole loss was by 1 run. After the Orioles failed to advance to the World Series in either playoff, Johnson resigned as manager following a dispute with Angelos, with pitching coach Ray Miller taking his place.
, it was not renewed, and Angelos brought in Frank Wren
to take over as GM. The Orioles added volatile slugger Albert Belle
, but the team's woes continued in the 1999
season, with stars like Rafael Palmeiro
, Roberto Alomar
(who joined his brother Sandy Jr.
in Cleveland), and Eric Davis leaving via free agency. After a second straight losing season, Angelos fired both Miller and Wren. He named Syd Thrift
the new GM and brought in former Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove
to lead the team. In 1998
, the Orioles updated the Bird in their logo, and then once again in 1999 to bring it to its present form.
The first decade of the 21st century saw the Orioles struggle due to the combination of lackluster play on the team’s part, a string of ineffective management, and the ascent of the Yankees and Red Sox to the top of the game – each rival having a clear advantage in financial flexibility due to their larger media market size. Further complicating the situation for the Orioles was the relocation of the National League
's Montreal Expos
franchise to nearby Washington, D.C.
in 2004. Orioles owner Peter Angelos demanded compensation from Major League Baseball
, as the new Washington Nationals
threatened to carve into the Orioles fan base and television dollars. However, there was some hope that having competition in the larger Baltimore-Washington metro market would spur the Orioles to field a better product to compete for fans with the Nationals.
Beginning with the 2003
season, big changes began to sweep through the organization to try to snap the losing ways. General manager Syd Thrift was fired and to replace him, the Orioles hired Jim Beattie
as the Executive Vice President and Mike Flanagan as the Vice President of Baseball Operations'. After another losing season, manager Mike Hargrove
was not retained and Yankees coach Lee Mazzilli
was brought in as the new manager. The team signed powerful hitters in shortstop Miguel Tejada
, catcher Javy López
, and former Oriole first Rafael Palmeiro
. The following season, the Orioles traded for outfielder Sammy Sosa
.
season may go down as one of the most controversial in the Orioles' history. The Orioles began the season with a tremendous start, holding onto first place in the AL East division for 62 straight days. However, turmoil on and off the field began to take its toll as the team started struggling around the All-Star break, dropping them close to the surging Yankees and Red Sox. Injuries to Luis Matos
, Javy López
, Brian Roberts
, Sammy Sosa
, and Larry Bigbie
came within weeks of each other. The team was increasingly dissatisfied with the front office's and manager Lee Mazzilli's "band-aid" moves to help the team through this period of struggle. Various minor league players such as Single-A Frederick outfielder Jeff Fiorentino
were brought up in place of more experienced players such as David Newhan
, who batted .311 the previous season.
On July 15, 2005, Rafael Palmeiro
collected his 3,000th hit in Seattle; but 15 days later he was suspended for a violation of MLB's drug policy
, after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol
. The Orioles continued tumbling, falling out of first place and further down the AL East standings. This downfall cost Lee Mazzilli
his managerial job in early August, allowing bench coach and 2003 managerial candidate Sam Perlozzo
to take over as interim manager and lead the team to a 23-32 finish. The Orioles called up Dave Cash
from the Ottawa Lynx
to serve as the team's first base coach.
The Orioles' 32-60 second half record is, from a percentage standpoint, the worst in baseball history after playing .600 ball for the first 70 days . The club's major offseason acquisition, Sammy Sosa
, posted his worst performance in a decade, with 14 home runs and a .221 batting average. The Orioles did not attempt to resign him, considering his exorbitant salary, his miserable performance, and his stormy relationship with batting coach Terry Crowley
and teammates including Miguel Tejada
. The Orioles also allowed Rafael Palmeiro to file for free agency and publicly stated they would not resign him. On August 25, pitcher Sidney Ponson
was arrested for DUI
and on September 1 the Orioles moved to void his contract (on a morals clause) and release him. The Major League Baseball Players Association
filed a grievance on Ponson's behalf and the case was sent to arbitration. The case was finally resolved in late 2008 with Ponson winning at the arbitration hearings.
Following the disappointing 2005 season, it was clear major changes needed to be made within the Orioles. In the front office, Executive VP Jim Beattie
was not re-signed, allowing Mike Flanagan to become the sole GM of the Orioles. Shortly after, Jim Duquette
was hired as Vice President of Baseball Operations, which was Flanagan's previous position. Duquette made it clear at his signing that he reported to Flanagan, so the "two-headed GM" will not exist anymore. The Orioles also fired assistant General Manager Ed Kenney
and asked for the resignation of Dave Ritterpusch, Director of Baseball Information Systems
.
There were also drastic changes in the Orioles coaching staff. Perlozzo was named the new manager, and unlike Mazzilli, was given full freedom to name his coaching staff. Perlozzo led off strong by convincing Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone
, who had revolutionized the careers of many pitchers in Atlanta, to become the pitching coach for the Orioles. He retained hitting coach Terry Crowley
and first base coach Dave Cash
. Former base coach and 1983 World Series
MVP
Rick Dempsey
replaced the late Elrod Hendricks
as the bullpen coach, with Tom Trebelhorn resuming third base coach. Perlozzo rounded out his staff with former Cubs and Phillies manager Lee Elia
as the bench coach.
The roster changes of 2005 were prefaced with Peter Angelos'
comments: "We are coming back strong next year. I know you have heard that tune before, but this time it will literally come true." The Orioles allowed Rafael Palmeiro
, Sammy Sosa
, and B.J. Surhoff
to become free agents. They also set their wishlist: An everyday first baseman, an experienced starter, a closer, a defensive catcher, outfield help, more defense, and more speed. However, their offseason moves showed no differences from past years. The Orioles were not able to re-sign closer B.J. Ryan
, who signed a landmark deal with the Toronto Blue Jays
. They were also locked out in bids to sign first baseman Paul Konerko
, outfielder Johnny Damon
, and starter Paul Byrd
. The Orioles were rumoured to have a deal with outfielder Jeromy Burnitz
, but his agent balked, supposedly at language regarding the physical, which was deemed by legal experts to be rather standard, and Burnitz signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates
. The Orioles chose not to enter the bidding for players like A.J. Burnett and Kevin Millwood
, whose asking prices were far beyond what the Orioles were willing to pay. The only target the Orioles managed to sign was catcher Ramon Hernandez
.
Locked out of pursuits to sign top-tier players, the Orioles decided to make several moves to allow minor league prospects more time to develop. This led to bringing in players like Jeff Conine
and Kevin Millar
, both of whom are known for their positive presence in the clubhouse. The Orioles also made several trades to bring in needed players. They first traded disgruntled reliever Steve Kline for LaTroy Hawkins
, then traded for outfielder Corey Patterson
, who brought speed and defense to the outfield, and traded former closer Jorge Julio
and John Maine
for experienced starter Kris Benson
. The Orioles also addressed future free agents by extending the contract of outfielder Jay Gibbons
and third baseman Melvin Mora
, and recently signed a contract extension with second baseman Brian Roberts
. The team's Opening Day roster featured top prospect Nick Markakis
, a potential A.L. "Rookie of the Year", the best young position player the Orioles' farm system has produced since Brian Roberts. Markakis represents the revival of the Orioles' once proud farm system, which features four players listed in Baseball America's 2006 list of the top 100 prospects in minor league baseball.
The Orioles' lack of movement over the course of the offseason frustrated many, including Miguel Tejada
. This led to him stating, controversially, that he "wanted to play for a winner", and "perhaps a change of scenery is needed." The Oriole front office began to talk to many teams interested in Tejada as a trade. It was rumored that the Boston Red Sox
offered All-Star outfielder Manny Ramírez
for Tejada, though no Orioles officials confirmed this. There were also talks of Mark Prior
being offered for Tejada. After several weeks, teammate Melvin Mora
facilitated a conference call between the Orioles and Tejada where Tejada backed down and said his comments were intended to provoke the Orioles to make more moves in free agency.
The Orioles finished the up and down 2006 season with a record of 70 wins and 92 losses, 27 games behind the AL East leading Yankees.
Fan bitterness was not limited to the team's poor performance on the field. With Washington finally getting a baseball team of its own, many longtime Baltimore fans became disturbed over the ownership's continued refusal to put the word "Baltimore" back on the Orioles road jerseys, as well as their refusal to refer to the team as the "Baltimore Orioles." A grass-roots movement called "Free the Birds" was organized by local sports talk radio station WNST-1570, spearheaded by its owner "Nasty" Nestor Aparicio. The nephew of former Oriole shortstop and Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio, "Nasty" Nestor had been an outspoken critic of Angelos for a number of years.
For weeks, WNST aggressively promoted an unprecedented protest rally that was to take place on September 21, during a mid-week afternoon game against the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. The protest was not so much aimed towards the team itself, as it was the club's owner, Peter Angelos. Approximately 1,000 fans participated in the protest rally, and sat together in the left field sections of the stadium's upper deck. There were conflicting news reports over the actual number of participants. Some news organizations had it at "hundreds." Aparicio maintains that it was in the thousands.
During the fourth inning of the game, at exactly 5:08 p.m., Aparicio led a "walkout", with the protest fans leaving the game in unison. The precise time of departure, 5:08, was significant in that "5" stood for Brooks Robinson's number and "8" for the number worn by Cal Ripken Jr. Many of the protesters wore black T-shirts that read "Free the Birds", a phrase that was chanted loudly through the walkout.
"We have a chance to make a memorable civic statement about how we, as fans, are fed up with the embarrassment that the Orioles have become," Aparicio said after the walkout. Peter Angelos had a different take on the rally. "Whoever joins that protest has no comprehension of what it costs to run a baseball team," Angelos said. Referring to Aparicio, Angelos added, "he is a very unimportant person who has delusions of grandeur."
News of the protest was covered nationally, appearing on sites such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Fox Sports, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, ABC, CBS Sportsline, USA Today, and The Sporting News.
In the weeks following the rally, Aparicio created a website in honor of the rally, and declared to his listeners that he would form a union in protest of Angelos and his ownership of the franchise. Aparicio likened it to what "many in the asbestos lawsuits did a number of years ago" (a knock on the litigation that led to Angelos' success as a trial attorney). "And what could Peter Angelos possibly say to disparage the same kind of union that made him a wealthy man", said Aparicio after launching his website.
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...
(nicknamed The O's and The Birds) are a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are in the Eastern Division
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...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. They are owned by attorney Peter Angelos
Peter Angelos
Peter G. Angelos , is an American trial lawyer.Angelos is also the majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division.-Career:...
.
Milwaukee Brewers
- For other uses, see Milwaukee Brewers (disambiguation)Milwaukee Brewers (disambiguation)The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.Milwaukee Brewers may also refer to:*Milwaukee Brewers , a U.S...
The modern Orioles franchise can trace its roots back to the original Milwaukee Brewers of the minor
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
Western League
Western League (U.S. baseball)
The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs, simply called the Western League, was a minor league baseball league originally founded on February 11, 1885, and focused in the Midwest....
, beginning in 1894 when the league reorganized. The Brewers were there when the WL renamed itself the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in 1900.
At the end of the 1900 season, the American League removed itself from baseball's National Agreement (the formal understanding between the NL and the minor leagues). Two months later, the AL declared itself a competing major league. As a result of several franchise shifts, the Brewers were one of only two Western League teams that didn't either fold or move (the other being the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
). During the first American League season, they finished dead last with a record of 48-89. During its lone Major League season, the team played at Lloyd Street Grounds
Lloyd Street Grounds
Lloyd Street Grounds was a baseball park located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was used by two different professional baseball clubs during 1895-1903....
, between 16th and 18th Streets in Milwaukee.
As the baseball "war" heated up the American League began to challenge the senior circuit more directly. The American League already fielded teams in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Philadelphia, solid National League cities. It had planned to move the Brewers to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, but those plans fizzled.
St. Louis Browns
1902 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:* American League: Philadelphia Athletics* National League: Pittsburgh Pirates1902 World Series: Not played due to AL-NL war over player contracts.-American League:*Home Runs: Socks Seybold, Philadelphia Athletics: 16...
, however, the team did move to St. Louis, where it became the "Browns", in reference to the original name of the legendary 1880s club that by 1902 was known as the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. In their first St. Louis season, the Browns finished second. Although they usually fielded terrible or mediocre teams (they had only four winning seasons from 1901 to 1922), they were very popular at the gate.
During this time, the Browns were best-known for their role in the race
1910 Chalmers Award
Before the 1910 Major League Baseball season, Hugh Chalmers of the Chalmers Automobile Company announced a promotion in which a Chalmers Model 30 automobile would be given to the batting champions for Major League Baseball's American and National Leagues....
for the 1910
1910 Major League Baseball season
-Statistical leaders:-External links:*...
American League batting title. Detroit's Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
took the last game of the season off, believing that his slight lead over Cleveland's Nap Lajoie
Nap Lajoie
Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie , also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island...
would hold up unless Lajoie had a near-perfect day at the plate. However, Cobb was one of the most despised players in baseball, and Browns catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
-manager Jack O'Connor
Jack O'Connor (catcher)
John Joseph O'Connor , also known as Peach Pie, was a utilityman in Major League Baseball in the American Association, the National League, and the American League, primarily used as an outfielder. He began his career as a left fielder and catcher for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, and he soon moved...
ordered rookie third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Red Corriden
Red Corriden
John Michael "Red" Corriden was a player, coach, manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. A shortstop and third baseman in his playing days, Corriden appeared in 223 major league games with the St. Louis Browns , Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs , batting .205...
to station himself in shallow left field. In each of his next five at bats, Lajoie bunted down the third-base line and made it to first easily. In his last at-bat, he reached base on an error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
– officially giving him a hitless at-bat. O'Connor and coach Harry Howell tried to bribe the official scorer, a woman, to change the call to a hit, even offering to buy her a new wardrobe. Cobb won the batting title by just a few thousandths of a point over Lajoie (though in 1978 sabermetrician
Sabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
Pete Palmer
Pete Palmer
Pete Palmer is a major contributor to the applied mathematical field referred to as sabermetrics. Along with the Bill James Baseball Abstracts, Palmer's book The Hidden Game of Baseball is often referred to as providing the foundation upon which the field of sabermetrics was built.Palmer began his...
discovered that one game may have been counted twice in the statistics). The resulting outcry triggered an investigation by American League president Ban Johnson
Ban Johnson
Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson , was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League ....
. At his insistence, Browns owner Robert Hedges
Robert Hedges (baseball)
Robert Hedges was the owner of the St. Louis Browns of the American League from through . Hedges was instrumental in bringing Branch Rickey into the Browns' front office. He sold the Browns to Phil Ball after the 1915 season.-References:...
fired O'Connor and Howell; both men were informally banned from baseball for life.
In 1916, after years of prosperity at the gate, Hedges sold the team to cold-storage magnate Phil Ball
Phil Ball (baseball)
Philip DeCatesby Ball was the owner of the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League from through and the St. Louis Browns of the American League from through . Ball's estate owned the Browns after his death until , when the team was sold to Donald Lee Barnes.- References :...
, who had owned the St. Louis Terriers
St. Louis Terriers
The St. Louis Terriers were a baseball club that played in the short-lived Federal League in and . They played their home games at Handlan's Park. The St. Louis Chapter of SABR placed a marker at the site of Handland's Park, now on the campus of St. Louis University, on October 17, 2007. The team...
of the defunct Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
. Ball's tenure as owner saw the Browns' first period of prosperity; they were a contender for most of the early 1920s, even finishing second in 1922
1922 Major League Baseball season
- External links :*...
. He made a considerable effort to make the Browns competitive, reinvesting all profits back into the team.
Ball, however, committed several errors that dogged the franchise for years to come. His first major blunder was to fire Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, the resident genius in the Browns' front office, in 1919 because of a conflict of egos, causing Rickey to jump to the crosstown Cardinals. In 1920 Sam Breadon
Sam Breadon
Samuel Breadon was an American executive who served as the president and majority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball from 1920 through 1947...
, who had just purchased the Cardinals, convinced Ball to allow his team to share the Browns' home, Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
. With the money from the sale of the Cardinals' Robison Field
Robison Field
Robison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.-History:...
, Rickey began building an extensive farm system. This eventually produced a host of star players that brought the Cardinals far more drawing power than the Browns.
The 1922 Browns excited their owner by almost beating the Yankees to a pennant. The club was boasting the best players in franchise history, including George Sisler
George Sisler
George Harold Sisler , nicknamed "Gentleman George" and "Gorgeous George," was an American professional baseball player for 15 seasons, primarily as first baseman with the St. Louis Browns...
, and an outfield trio – Ken Williams
Ken Williams (baseball)
Kenneth Roy Williams was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from to . Williams began his major league career with the Cincinnati Reds before spending the majority of his playing days with the St...
, Baby Doll Jacobson
Baby Doll Jacobson
William Chester "Baby Doll" Jacobson was a Major League baseball outfielder. Jacobson was born in Cable, Illinois, USA.His best season was 1920, when he hit for a .355 batting average and amassed 122 RBIs....
, and Jack Tobin
Jack Tobin
John Thomas Tobin was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played in the Federal League with the St. Louis Terriers , and for the St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox of the American League. Tobin batted and threw left-handed...
– that batted .300 or better in 1919-23 and in 1925. In 1922, Williams became the first player in Major League history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, something that would not be done again in the Majors until 1956.
Ball confidently predicted that there would be a World Series in Sportsman's Park by 1926. In anticipation, he increased the capacity of his ballpark from 18,000 to 30,000. There was indeed a World Series in Sportsman's Park in 1926
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
, but it was the Cardinals, not the Browns, who took part, upsetting the Yankees. St. Louis had been considered a "Browns' town" until then; after 1926, the Cardinals dominated St. Louis baseball, while still technically tenants of the Browns. Meanwhile, the Browns rapidly fell into the cellar. They only had two winning records from 1927 to 1943, including a 43-111 mark in that is still the worst in franchise history.
Ball died in 1933. His estate ran the team for three years until Rickey helped broker a sale to investment banker Donald Lee Barnes
Donald Lee Barnes
Donald Lee Barnes was the owner of the St. Louis Browns of the American League from through . when The team was sold to Richard Muckerman in 1945....
, whose son-in-law, Bill DeWitt
Bill DeWitt
William Orville DeWitt Sr. was a longtime executive in Major League Baseball whose career spanned more than 50 years in the game. His son William DeWitt, Jr. is currently the principal owner and managing partner of the St. Louis Cardinals, while grandson William O...
, was the team's general manager. To help finance the purchase, Barnes sold 20,000 shares of stock to the public at $5 a share, an unusual practice for a sports franchise.
War Era
In 1944, during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Browns won their only St. Louis-based American League pennant, becoming the last of the 16 teams that made up the major leagues from 1901 to 1960 to play in a World Series. By comparison, each of the other seven American League teams had appeared in at least three World Series, and won it at least once. Some critics called it a fluke, as most major league stars voluntarily joined or were drafted into the military; however, many of the Browns' best players were classified 4-F (unfit for military service). They faced their local rivals, the more successful Cardinals, in the 1944 World Series
1944 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1944 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriGeorge McQuinn hit the Brown's only home run of the series to put his team ahead in the fourth inning, while Denny Galehouse outpitched World Series veteran Mort Cooper to hold on for the win.-Game 2:Thursday, October 5,...
, the last World Series to date played entirely in one stadium, and lost 4 games to 2.
In 1945, the Browns posted an 81-75 record and fell to third place, six games out, again with less than top-ranked talent. The 1945 season may be best remembered for the Browns' signing of utility outfielder Pete Gray
Pete Gray
Pete Gray was a professional baseball player best known for playing in the major leagues despite having lost his right arm in a childhood accident.-Early life:...
, the only one-armed major league position player in history. After the season, Barnes sold the Browns to businessman Richard Muckerman
Richard Muckerman
Richard Muckerman in St. Louis, Missouri and was a 1912 graduate from Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois. He was the owner of the St. Louis Browns of the American League from through . He sold the Browns to Bill DeWitt after the 1948 season. Muckerman died of a heart attack in...
, who cared more about improving Sportsman's Park than getting better players. The effect was immediate, as the Browns tumbled to seventh in . They would never finish with a winning record again while in St. Louis. Muckerman sold the team to DeWitt in , but DeWitt was unable to reverse the slide.
Bill Veeck's Browns
In 19511951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...
, Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
, the colorful former owner of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, purchased the Browns. In St. Louis, he extended the promotions and wild antics that had made him famous and loved by many and loathed by many others. His most notorious stunt in St. Louis came on August 19, 1951, when he sent Eddie Gaedel
Eddie Gaedel
Edward Carl Gaedel was an American with dwarfism who became famous for participating in a Major League Baseball game....
, a 3 foot 7 inch, 65-pound midget
Midget
A midget is a short person with relatively average bodily proportions in comparison with other human beings. The term is often improperly used to describe a person with the medical condition dwarfism. The two terms are often used synonymously because both terms originate as words defining small...
, to bat as a pinch hitter. When Gaedel stepped to the plate he was wearing a Browns uniform with the number 1/8, and little slippers turned up at the end like elf's shoes. With no strike zone
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
to speak of, Gaedel walked on four straight pitches. The stunt infuriated American League President Will Harridge
Will Harridge
William Harridge was an American executive in professional baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League from 1931 to 1958...
, who voided Gaedel's contract the next day.
Veeck also brought the legendary, and seemingly ageless, Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
back to major league baseball to pitch for the Browns. Veeck had previously signed the former Negro League great to a contract in Cleveland in 1948 at age 42, amid much criticism. At 45, Paige's re-appearance in a Browns' uniform did nothing to win Veeck friends among baseball's owners. Nonetheless, Paige ended the season with a respectable 3-4 record and a 4.79 ERA.
Veeck believed that St. Louis was too small a market for two franchises, and planned to drive the Cardinals out of town. He signed many of the Cardinals' most locally loved ex-players and, as a result, brought many of their fans in to see the Browns. Veeck signed former Cardinals great Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
to a broadcasting contract and tapped former Redbirds great Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
as manager. He also re-acquired former Browns fan favorite Vern Stephens
Vern Stephens
Vernon Decatur Stephens was an American shortstop in professional baseball who played 15 seasons in the American League for four different teams. A native of McAlister, New Mexico, Stephens batted and threw right-handed...
and signed former Cardinals pitcher Harry Brecheen
Harry Brecheen
Harry David Brecheen , nicknamed "The Cat," was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, both of whom had starred in the all-St. Louis World Series in 1944. He stripped Sportsman's Park of any Cardinals material and dressed it exclusively in Browns memorabilia. He even moved his family to an apartment under the stands.
Veeck's showmanship and colorful promotions made the fan experience at a Browns game more fun and unpredictable than that at a Cardinals game. At the same time, the Cardinals were finally feeling the effects of Rickey's departure for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in 1942
1942 Major League Baseball season
- External links :*...
. In early 1953, Cardinals owner Fred Saigh
Fred Saigh
Frederick Michael Saigh Jr. was the part-owner, then sole owner, of the St. Louis Cardinals of American Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1953.- Pre-Cardinals years :...
was indicted for tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
, and ultimately pleaded no contest to lesser charges. Facing almost certain banishment from baseball, Saigh was forced to put the Cardinals up for sale. For a time, no credible offers surfaced from St. Louis interests, and it looked as if Veeck's all-out assault on the Cardinals might indeed force them out of town.
However, Saigh turned down higher offers from out-of-town buyers in favor of a bid from the St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, which stepped in with the specific intent of keeping the Cardinals in St. Louis. Veeck realized that the Cardinals now had more resources than he could possibly hope to match, and decided to cede St. Louis to the Cardinals and move the Browns elsewhere. The Browns had been candidates for relocation earlier; in 1941, they had come close to moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, nearly two decades before Major League Baseball eventually arrived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The American League even drew up a schedule including Los Angeles and had a meeting scheduled to vote on the relocation of the Browns, but the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
killed the move.
As a first step to moving the Browns, Veeck sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals not long after Anheuser-Busch took control of the latter. It is very likely he would have had to sell it in any event, as the 44-year-old park had fallen into disrepair. The city was threatening to have it condemned, and Veeck could not afford to make the necessary improvements to bring it up to code even with the rent from the Cardinals.
Veeck attempted to move the Browns back to Milwaukee (where he had owned the Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)
The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
in the 1940s) for the 1953 season. However, the other American League owners blocked the move, seemingly for reasons that were more personal than business related. Veeck then tried to move the Browns to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. He got in touch with Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro
Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.
Thomas J. D'Alesandro, Jr. was an American politician who was a U.S. Representative from Maryland's 3rd congressional district and subsequently the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland...
and attorney Clarence Miles
Clarence Miles
Clarence Miles was the chairman of the board and president of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League during the and seasons.Miles was a native of the Eastern Shore. He had gone to school with Wallis Warfield...
, who were leading an effort to bring the major leagues back to Baltimore after a half-century hiatus. However, he was rebuffed by the owners, still seething by the publicity stunts he pulled at the Browns home games.
After the season, Veeck cut a deal with Miles which would see the Browns move to Baltimore. Under the plan, Veeck would sell half of his 80 percent stake in the Browns to Miles and several other Baltimore investors, with Veeck remaining as principal owner. Despite being assured by American League president Will Harridge
Will Harridge
William Harridge was an American executive in professional baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League from 1931 to 1958...
that there would be no problem getting approval, only four owners voted aye – two short of passage. Reportedly, this was due to Yankees co-owner Del Webb
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
drumming up support to move the Browns to Los Angeles.
Miles and D'Alesandro realized that the owners were simply looking for a way to push Veeck out. Over the next 48 hours, Miles lined up enough support from his group of investors to buy out Veeck's stake entirely for $2.5 million. The plan called for Baltimore brewer Jerold Hoffberger
Jerold Hoffberger
Jerold Charles 'Jerry' Hoffberger was an American businessman. He was president of the National Brewing Company from 1946 to 1973. He was also part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League from 1954 to 1965, and majority owner from 1965 to 1979.-Biography:Hoffberger was a lifelong...
to emerge as the largest single shareholder. With his only leverage, ownership of Sportsman's Park, gone and facing threats of the liquidation of his franchise, Veeck had little choice but to agree. With Veeck "out of the way", the American League owners quickly approved the relocation of the team to Baltimore for the 1954 season.
Legacy
Unlike other clubs that relocated in the 1950s, retaining their nickname and a sense of continuity with their past (such as the Brooklyn-Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
), the Browns were renamed upon their transfer, implicitly severing themselves from their history. In December 1954, the team further distanced itself from its Browns past by making a 17-player trade with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
that included most former Browns of note still on the roster. Though the deal did little to improve the short-term competitiveness of the club, it did help establish a fresh identity for the franchise. To this day, it mentions almost nothing about its past in St. Louis.
Many older fans in St. Louis remember the Browns fondly, and some have formed societies to keep the memory of the team alive. The club was in St. Louis for 52 years. As of the 2006 season, the club had been in Baltimore longer than it was in St. Louis.
Baltimore Orioles
Soon after taking over, the Miles-Hoffberger group renamed their new team the Baltimore Orioles. The name has a rich history in Baltimore, having been used by Baltimore baseball teams since the late 19th century.History of the Orioles name
In the 1890s, a powerful and innovative National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Orioles squad included "Wee" Willie Keeler
Willie Keeler
William Henry Keeler in Brooklyn, New York, nicknamed "Wee Willie", was a right fielder in professional baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas in the National League, and the New York Highlanders in the American League.- Biography :Keeler's...
, Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson , nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball...
, Hughie Jennings
Hughie Jennings
Hugh Ambrose Jennings was a Major League Baseball player and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894, 1895, and 1896. During the three championship seasons, Jennings had...
and John McGraw. They won three straight pennants, and participated in all four of the Temple Cup
Temple Cup
The Temple Cup was a trophy awarded to the winner of a best-of-seven, post-season championship series in the National League, from 1894–1897. The 30-inch-high silver cup was donated by coal, citrus, and lumber baron William Chase Temple, the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the time...
Championship Series, winning the last two of them. That team had started as a charter member of the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
in 1882. Despite its on-field success, it was one of the four teams contracted out of existence by the National League after the 1899
1899 in baseball
-National League final standings:-Events:*May 15 - Willie Keeler, known as one of the smallest players and best bunters in baseball, drives the ball past startled left fielder Ed Delahanty of the Philadelphia Phillies for an inside-the-park grand slam and an 8–5 victory for the Brooklyn...
season. Its best players (and its manager, Ned Hanlon) regrouped with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, turning that team into a contender.
In 1901, Baltimore and McGraw were awarded an expansion franchise in the growing American League, but again the team was sacrificed in favor of a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
franchise, as the team was transferred to the city in 1903. After some early struggles, that team eventually became baseball's most successful franchise – the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
As a member of the high-minor league level International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, the Orioles competed at what is now known as the AAA level from 1903-1953. Baltimore's own Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
pitched for the Orioles before being sold to the AL Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in 1914
1914 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award** Eddie Collins, Philadelphia Athletics, 2B** Johnny Evers, Boston Braves, 2B-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:...
. The Orioles of the IL won nine league championships, first in 1908, followed by a lengthy run from 1919 to 1925, and then dramatically in 1944, after they had lost their home field Oriole Park
Oriole Park
Oriole Park is the name of several former major league and minor league baseball parks in Baltimore, Maryland.It is also half the name of the current home of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League, its full name being Oriole Park at Camden Yards....
in a disastrous mid-season fire. The huge post-season crowds at their temporary home, Municipal Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
, caught the attention of the big league brass and helped open the door to the return of major league baseball to Baltimore. Thanks to the big stadium, that "Junior World Series" easily outdrew the major league World Series which, coincidentally, included the team that would move to Baltimore 10 years later and take up occupancy in the rebuilt version of that big stadium.
First years in Baltimore (1954-1965)
The new AL Orioles took about six years to become competitive. While they posted a .500 record only once in their first five years (76-76 in ), they were a success at the gate. In their first season, for instance, they drew more than 1.06 million fans – more than five times what they had ever drawn in their tenures in Milwaukee and St. Louis. This came amid slight turnover in the ownership group. Miles served as team president for two years, then stepped down in favor of developer James KeeltyJames Keelty
James S. Keelty Jr. was part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League from to .Keelty was a Baltimore-area real estate developer who started James Keelty & Co. Inc. with his younger brother Joseph in 1946. He was also one of the investors in a group headed by Clarence Miles who had...
. In turn, Keelty gave way in to financier Joe Iglehart.
By the early 1960s, stars such as Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
, John "Boog" Powell
Boog Powell
John Wesley Powell is a former major league first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, and Dave McNally
Dave McNally
David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
were being developed by a strong farm system. The O's first made themselves heard in , when they finished 89-65, good enough for second in the American League. While they were still eight games behind the Yankees, it was the first time they had been a factor in a pennant race late into the season since 1944. It was also the first season of a 26-year stretch where the team would have only two losing seasons. Shortstop Ron Hansen
Ron Hansen (baseball)
Ronald Lavern Hansen is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
was named AL Rookie of the Year, and first-year pitcher Chuck Estrada
Chuck Estrada
Charles Leonard Estrada is a former American baseball player. Estrada was a 6 feet, one inch tall right-handed pitcher in the Major Leagues from to , playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets...
tied for the league lead in wins with 18, finishing second to Hansen in the Rookie of the Year balloting.
After the 1965 season
1965 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium: National League, 6-5; Juan Marichal, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
, Hoffberger acquired controlling interest in the Orioles from Iglehart and installed himself as president. He had been serving as a silent partner over the past decade despite being the largest shareholder. Frank Cashen
Frank Cashen
John Francis Cashen is a former Major League Baseball general manager. He is widely considered to be the architect of the World Champion 1986 New York Mets and was also an executive while the Baltimore Orioles won the 1966 World Series and 1970 World Series.-Early life:Cashen was born in...
, advertising chief of Hoffberger's brewery, became executive vice-president.
On December 9, 1965, not long after Hoffberger took over, he engineered a deal which sent pitcher Milt Pappas
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
(and several others) to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in exchange for slugging outfielder Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
. In 1966, Robinson won the Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
(leading the American League in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, home runs, and runs batted in) and received the American League Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the first (and so far only) player to win the MVP Award in each league (he had been named NL MVP in 1961, leading the Reds to the pennant). The Orioles would win their first-ever American League championship in 1966 and, in a major upset, swept the World Series
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
by out-dueling the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
aces Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
. They thus became the last of the eight original American League members to win a World Series – and at the time, the southernmost team to do so.
Pappas, meanwhile, went 30-29 in a little over two years with the Reds before being traded. Although he would go on to have back-to-back 17-win seasons for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 1971 and 1972, including a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in the latter season, this did not help the Reds, who ended up losing the 1970 World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
to Robinson and the Orioles. This trade has become renowned as one of the most lopsided in baseball history, including a mention by Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
in her opening soliloquy in the 1988 film Bull Durham
Bull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
: "Bad trades are a part of baseball. I mean, who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas?"
Glory Years (1966-1983)
The Orioles farm system had begun to produce a number of high-quality players and coaches who formed the core of winning teams; from 1966 to 19831983 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
, the Orioles won three World Series titles (1966
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
, 1970
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
, and 1983
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
), six American League pennants (1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
, 1969
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
, 1970
1970 in baseball
-Major Leagues:*World Series MVP: Brooks Robinson*All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium: National League, 5-4 ; Carl Yastrzemski, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Navegantes del Magallanes *College World Series: USC...
, 1971
1971 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:National League: Pittsburgh PiratesAmerican League: Baltimore Orioles1971 World Series: Pittsburgh def. Baltimore , 4 games to 3.Inter-league playoff: Pittsburgh declined challenge by Tokyo Yomiuri Giants....
, 1979
1979 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles ; Willie Stargell, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None.*National League Championship Series MVP: Willie Stargell...
, and 1983
1983 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
), and five of the first six 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...
titles. They played baseball the Oriole Way, an organizational ethic best described by longtime farm hand and coach Cal Ripken, Sr.
Cal Ripken, Sr.
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr...
's phrase "perfect practice makes perfect!" The Oriole Way was a belief that hard work, professionalism, and a strong understanding of fundamentals were the keys to success at the major league level. It was based on the belief that if every coach, at every level, taught the game the same way, the organization could produce "replacement parts" that could be substituted seamlessly into the big league club with little or no adjustment. This led to an unprecedented run of success from 1966 to 1983 which saw the Orioles become the envy of the league, and the winningest team in baseball.
During this stretch, three different Orioles were named Most Valuable Player (Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
in 1966, Boog Powell
Boog Powell
John Wesley Powell is a former major league first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers...
in 1970, and 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 ....
in 1983), four Oriole pitchers combined for six Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
s (Mike Cuellar
Mike Cuellar
Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana [KWAY-ar] was a Cuban left-handed starting pitcher who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and California Angels...
in 1969, Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
in 1973, 1975, and 1976, Mike Flanagan in 1979, and Steve Stone
Steve Stone (baseball player)
Steven Michael Stone is an American former Major League Baseball player, and current sportscaster and author....
in 1980), and three players were named Rookie of the Year (Al Bumbry
Al Bumbry
Alonza 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:...
in 1973, Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie 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...
in 1977, and Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1982).
It was also during this time that the Orioles severed their last remaining financial link to their era in St. Louis. In 1979, Hoffberger sold the Orioles to his longtime friend, Washington attorney Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams was a Washington, D.C. trial attorney who founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly and owned several professional sports teams...
. As part of the deal, Williams bought the publicly-traded shares Donald Barnes had issued in 1936 while the team was still in St. Louis, making the franchise privately held once again.
During this rise to prominence, Weaver Ball came into vogue. Named for fiery manager Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
, it was defined by the Oriole trifecta of "Pitching, Defense, and the Three-Run Home Run." When an Oriole GM was told by a reporter that Earl Weaver, as the skipper of a very talented team, was a "push-button manager," he replied, "Earl built the machine and installed all the buttons!"
As Frank and Brooks Robinson grew older, newer stars emerged, including multiple Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
and switch-hitting first baseman Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie 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...
. With the decline and eventual departure of two other professional sports teams in the area, the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
and baseball's Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, the Orioles' excellence paid off at the gate, as the team cultivated a large and rabid fan base at old Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
.
Collapse and redemption (1984-1991)
After winning the World Series in 19831983 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
, the Orioles organization began to decline. In 1986
1986 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Mets over Boston Red Sox ; Ray Knight, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Marty Barrett*National League Championship Series MVP: Mike Scott...
the team suffered its first losing season since 1967. The 1988
1988 in baseball
See also: 1988 Major League Baseball season-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics ; Orel Hershiser, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dennis Eckersley...
season started unceremoniously when the Orioles lost their first 21 contests, and ended the year at 54-107, the worst record for the franchise since 1939. The horrendous season resulted in the dismissal of manager Cal Ripken, Sr.
Cal Ripken, Sr.
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr...
and his replacement by former Oriole great Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
.
The next year, the O's sported a new look, replacing the cartoonish bird with a more realistic one. The 1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
squad, led by surprise ace Jeff Ballard, rebounded to finish in second place behind the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
with an 87-75 record, staying in contention until the last week of the season and earning the nickname of the "Why Not?" Orioles. Frank Robinson earned the 1989 American League Manager of the Year Award
Manager of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Manager of the Year Award is an honor given annually since 1983 to the best managers in the American League and the National League . The winner is voted on by 28 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America . Each places a vote for first, second, and third...
for his efforts in leading the team out of the abyss. Two years later
1991 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves ; Jack Morris, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Kirby Puckett*National League Championship Series MVP: Steve Avery...
, 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 ....
won American League MVP honors in the team's final season at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. He was also named MVP of the 1991 All-Star Game
1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 62nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 1991 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, the home of the Toronto...
, played in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's SkyDome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Ripken's Record (1992-1995)
In 19921992 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Atlanta Braves ; Pat Borders, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Roberto Alomar*National League Championship Series MVP: John Smoltz...
, with grand ceremony, the Orioles began their season in a brand new ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
. The name of the new park though did have much controversy in it. Many felt that since the Orioles' new home was so close to Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's birthplace that the new park should have been named after Ruth instead of being indirectly named after the Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt
Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden
Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden was an English lawyer, judge and Whig politician who was first to hold the title of Earl of Camden...
, who was a Britisher who never set foot on American soil. There was also the superficial connection to the fact that Ruth played for the Orioles early in his career, but the Orioles team that Ruth played for was in no way related to the Orioles team that moved to Baltimore from St. Louis.
In 1993
1993 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Philadelphia Phillies ; Paul Molitor, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series MVP: Curt Schilling...
, Peter Angelos
Peter Angelos
Peter G. Angelos , is an American trial lawyer.Angelos is also the majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division.-Career:...
bought the Baltimore Orioles, which returned the team to local ownership. However, Angelos' ownership resulted in a number of controversies. The Orioles also hosted the 1993 All-Star Game
1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 64th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 1993 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland,...
.
On September 6, 1995, in a game between the Orioles and the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
at Camden Yards, 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 ....
finally broke Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
's consecutive games streak of 2,130 games. This was later voted the all-time baseball moment of the 20th century by fans from around the country in 1999
1999 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
. Ripken's streak would finally end at 2,632 straight games, finally sitting on September 20, 1998.
Return to the Playoffs (1996-1997)
In 19961996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
, team owner Peter Angelos hired Pat Gillick
Pat Gillick
Lawrence Patrick David Gillick is a retired American professional baseball executive. He was the general manager of four Major League Baseball teams, and guided two teams to three World Series championships in his career: in 1992 and 1993 titles with the Toronto Blue Jays, and a 2008 title with...
away from the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
to be the Orioles' general manager. Gillick brought in several players like catcher B.J. Surhoff
B.J. Surhoff
William James "B. J." Surhoff is a former catcher, outfielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. Over his 18-year major league career, he played every position except pitcher...
, relief pitcher Randy Myers
Randy Myers
Randall Kirk Myers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-1998 for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays.-Career:Myers first began his major league career with...
, and second baseman Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
. Under Gillick and manager Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
, the Orioles finally returned to postseason play by winning the American League's wild card spot in the 1996
1996 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; John Wetteland, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López...
season. The team set a major league record for home runs in a single season, with 257, and upset the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the Division Series before falling to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in a controversial American League Championship Series
1996 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe first game of the series is most notable for the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Incident." With the Yankees trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Orioles reliever...
(a fan, Jeffrey Maier
Jeffrey Maier
Jeffrey Maier is an American baseball fan best known for an incident in which he was involved as a twelve-year-old at a baseball game, when he deflected a batted ball in-play into the stands during Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the...
, interfered with a fly ball hit by Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
in Game 1; the play was ruled a home run and the Yankees eventually won the game). The Orioles followed up by winning the AL East Division
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...
title in 1997
1997 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians ; Liván Hernández, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Marquis Grissom**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Liván Hernández...
, going "wire-to-wire" (being in first place from the first day of the season to the last). After eliminating the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in four games in the opening round, the team lost again in the ALCS
1997 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland...
, this time a heartbreaker to the underdog Indians, in which each Oriole loss was by 1 run. After the Orioles failed to advance to the World Series in either playoff, Johnson resigned as manager following a dispute with Angelos, with pitching coach Ray Miller taking his place.
Downturn (1998-2004)
With Miller at the helm, the Orioles found themselves not only out of the playoffs, but also with a losing season. When Gillick's contract expired in 19981998 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Greg Vaughn all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break and engage in a historic chase for Roger Maris's single-season record of 61 home runs...
, it was not renewed, and Angelos brought in Frank Wren
Frank Wren
Franklin E. Wren is an American front office executive in Major League Baseball. Since the end of the baseball season, he has been the general manager of the Atlanta Braves....
to take over as GM. The Orioles added volatile slugger Albert Belle
Albert Belle
Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...
, but the team's woes continued in the 1999
1999 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
season, with stars like Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
, Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
(who joined his brother Sandy Jr.
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Jr., or in the Spanish-language naming system Santos Alomar Velázquez , is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the San Diego Padres , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and , Colorado Rockies , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets...
in Cleveland), and Eric Davis leaving via free agency. After a second straight losing season, Angelos fired both Miller and Wren. He named Syd Thrift
Syd Thrift
Sydnor W. Thrift Jr. was an American scout and executive in Major League Baseball who served as the general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1985 to 1988, and the de facto general manager of the Baltimore Orioles from 1999 to 2002...
the new GM and brought in former Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove
Mike Hargrove
Dudley Michael Hargrove is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. He is currently employed as an advisor with the Cleveland Indians....
to lead the team. In 1998
1998 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Greg Vaughn all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break and engage in a historic chase for Roger Maris's single-season record of 61 home runs...
, the Orioles updated the Bird in their logo, and then once again in 1999 to bring it to its present form.
The first decade of the 21st century saw the Orioles struggle due to the combination of lackluster play on the team’s part, a string of ineffective management, and the ascent of the Yankees and Red Sox to the top of the game – each rival having a clear advantage in financial flexibility due to their larger media market size. Further complicating the situation for the Orioles was the relocation of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
franchise to nearby Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 2004. Orioles owner Peter Angelos demanded compensation from Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, as the new Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The 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...
threatened to carve into the Orioles fan base and television dollars. However, there was some hope that having competition in the larger Baltimore-Washington metro market would spur the Orioles to field a better product to compete for fans with the Nationals.
Beginning with the 2003
2003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
season, big changes began to sweep through the organization to try to snap the losing ways. General manager Syd Thrift was fired and to replace him, the Orioles hired Jim Beattie
Jim Beattie
James Louis Beattie is a former Major League Baseball player and executive who pitched in the major leagues from –....
as the Executive Vice President and Mike Flanagan as the Vice President of Baseball Operations'. After another losing season, manager Mike Hargrove
Mike Hargrove
Dudley Michael Hargrove is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. He is currently employed as an advisor with the Cleveland Indians....
was not retained and Yankees coach Lee Mazzilli
Lee Mazzilli
Lee Louis Mazzilli, , is a former Major League Baseball player, coach, and manager. On December 11, 2006, he was hired as the lead studio analyst for SportsNet New York, the New York Mets' cable television network...
was brought in as the new manager. The team signed powerful hitters in shortstop Miguel Tejada
Miguel Tejada
Miguel Odalis Tejada was a Major League Baseball infielder who has played for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics...
, catcher Javy López
Javy López
Javier López Torres is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, and former Oriole first Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
. The following season, the Orioles traded for outfielder Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
.
2005 season
The 20052005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
season may go down as one of the most controversial in the Orioles' history. The Orioles began the season with a tremendous start, holding onto first place in the AL East division for 62 straight days. However, turmoil on and off the field began to take its toll as the team started struggling around the All-Star break, dropping them close to the surging Yankees and Red Sox. Injuries to Luis Matos
Luis Matos
Luis David Matos is a professional baseball outfielder. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles between 2000–06 and briefly for the Washington Nationals in late 2006...
, Javy López
Javy López
Javier López Torres is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts
Brian Michael Roberts is an American Major League Baseball All Star second baseman, nicknamed B-Rob.He made his Major League debut in and has spent his entire professional career with the Baltimore Orioles organization, located in Baltimore, Maryland.-Early life, education and college-baseball...
, Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
, and Larry Bigbie
Larry Bigbie
Larry Robert Bigbie is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. Bigbie last played for a MLB-affiliated team in 2007 for the Richmond Braves, the Triple-A affiliate for the Atlanta Braves organization...
came within weeks of each other. The team was increasingly dissatisfied with the front office's and manager Lee Mazzilli's "band-aid" moves to help the team through this period of struggle. Various minor league players such as Single-A Frederick outfielder Jeff Fiorentino
Jeff Fiorentino
Jeffrey Philip Fiorentino is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. He attended Florida Atlantic University and Nova High School in Davie Florida...
were brought up in place of more experienced players such as David Newhan
David Newhan
David Matthew Newhan is a former Major League Baseball player. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed...
, who batted .311 the previous season.
On July 15, 2005, Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
collected his 3,000th hit in Seattle; but 15 days later he was suspended for a violation of MLB's drug policy
Major League Baseball drug policy
Major League Baseball's drug policy—the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program—was established by agreement between the MLB Players Association and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball in order to deter and end the use by baseball players of banned substances, including anabolic steroids...
, after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol
Stanozolol
Stanozolol, commonly sold under the name Winstrol , Tenabol and Winstrol Depot , was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962...
. The Orioles continued tumbling, falling out of first place and further down the AL East standings. This downfall cost Lee Mazzilli
Lee Mazzilli
Lee Louis Mazzilli, , is a former Major League Baseball player, coach, and manager. On December 11, 2006, he was hired as the lead studio analyst for SportsNet New York, the New York Mets' cable television network...
his managerial job in early August, allowing bench coach and 2003 managerial candidate Sam Perlozzo
Sam Perlozzo
Samuel Benedict Perlozzo is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, most recently with the Baltimore Orioles...
to take over as interim manager and lead the team to a 23-32 finish. The Orioles called up Dave Cash
Dave Cash (baseball)
David Cash, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played in the National League for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Phillies , Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres .Cash established himself as a solid singles hitter and a good defensive second baseman in his seasons with...
from the Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
to serve as the team's first base coach.
The Orioles' 32-60 second half record is, from a percentage standpoint, the worst in baseball history after playing .600 ball for the first 70 days . The club's major offseason acquisition, Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
, posted his worst performance in a decade, with 14 home runs and a .221 batting average. The Orioles did not attempt to resign him, considering his exorbitant salary, his miserable performance, and his stormy relationship with batting coach Terry Crowley
Terry Crowley
Terrence Michael Crowley is a former Major League Baseball player who now serves as the interim bullpen coach for the Baltimore Orioles.-Player career:...
and teammates including Miguel Tejada
Miguel Tejada
Miguel Odalis Tejada was a Major League Baseball infielder who has played for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics...
. The Orioles also allowed Rafael Palmeiro to file for free agency and publicly stated they would not resign him. On August 25, pitcher Sidney Ponson
Sidney Ponson
Sidney Alton Ponson is a Major League pitcher who is currently a free agent. According to the Atlantic League website Ponson was placed on the "Retired" list as of June 18, 2010. Ponson stands at 6'1" tall and weighs 260 pounds. He throws right-handed...
was arrested for DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
and on September 1 the Orioles moved to void his contract (on a morals clause) and release him. The Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
filed a grievance on Ponson's behalf and the case was sent to arbitration. The case was finally resolved in late 2008 with Ponson winning at the arbitration hearings.
Front office changes
Following the disappointing 2005 season, it was clear major changes needed to be made within the Orioles. In the front office, Executive VP Jim Beattie
Jim Beattie
James Louis Beattie is a former Major League Baseball player and executive who pitched in the major leagues from –....
was not re-signed, allowing Mike Flanagan to become the sole GM of the Orioles. Shortly after, Jim Duquette
Jim Duquette
James "Jim" Duquette was the general manager of the New York Mets for the 2004 season, before the team replaced him with Omar Minaya. Duquette subsequently stayed with the Mets in a front office job for a full season before moving on to the Baltimore Orioles...
was hired as Vice President of Baseball Operations, which was Flanagan's previous position. Duquette made it clear at his signing that he reported to Flanagan, so the "two-headed GM" will not exist anymore. The Orioles also fired assistant General Manager Ed Kenney
Ed Kenney
Edward Kamanaloha Kenney, Jr. is a Hawai‘i-born American singer/actor best known for the role of "Wang Ta" in the original Broadway production of Flower Drum Song...
and asked for the resignation of Dave Ritterpusch, Director of Baseball Information Systems
Information systems
Information Systems is an academic/professional discipline bridging the business field and the well-defined computer science field that is evolving toward a new scientific area of study...
.
Coaching staff changes
There were also drastic changes in the Orioles coaching staff. Perlozzo was named the new manager, and unlike Mazzilli, was given full freedom to name his coaching staff. Perlozzo led off strong by convincing Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone
Leo Mazzone
Leo David Mazzone is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and coach in Major League Baseball. He began working with the Atlanta Braves' organization in 1979.-Early life:...
, who had revolutionized the careers of many pitchers in Atlanta, to become the pitching coach for the Orioles. He retained hitting coach Terry Crowley
Terry Crowley
Terrence Michael Crowley is a former Major League Baseball player who now serves as the interim bullpen coach for the Baltimore Orioles.-Player career:...
and first base coach Dave Cash
Dave Cash (baseball)
David Cash, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played in the National League for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Phillies , Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres .Cash established himself as a solid singles hitter and a good defensive second baseman in his seasons with...
. Former base coach and 1983 World Series
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
MVP
World Series MVP Award
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball postseason...
Rick Dempsey
Rick Dempsey
John 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...
replaced the late Elrod Hendricks
Elrod Hendricks
Elrod 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...
as the bullpen coach, with Tom Trebelhorn resuming third base coach. Perlozzo rounded out his staff with former Cubs and Phillies manager Lee Elia
Lee Elia
Lee Constantine Elia is a former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball. He was a manager of the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies . Additionally, he has served as a coach for the Phillies, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore...
as the bench coach.
Roster changes
The roster changes of 2005 were prefaced with Peter Angelos'
Peter Angelos
Peter G. Angelos , is an American trial lawyer.Angelos is also the majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division.-Career:...
comments: "We are coming back strong next year. I know you have heard that tune before, but this time it will literally come true." The Orioles allowed Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
, Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
, and B.J. Surhoff
B.J. Surhoff
William James "B. J." Surhoff is a former catcher, outfielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. Over his 18-year major league career, he played every position except pitcher...
to become free agents. They also set their wishlist: An everyday first baseman, an experienced starter, a closer, a defensive catcher, outfield help, more defense, and more speed. However, their offseason moves showed no differences from past years. The Orioles were not able to re-sign closer B.J. Ryan
B.J. Ryan
Robert Victor "B.J." Ryan, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Though he never officially retired, Ryan has not played since .-Career:Ryan started his career as a left-handed specialist...
, who signed a landmark deal with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. They were also locked out in bids to sign first baseman Paul Konerko
Paul Konerko
Paul Henry Konerko is an American professional baseball first baseman who has played for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball since 1999. He previously played with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds . Konerko helped the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 World Series, the...
, outfielder Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
, and starter Paul Byrd
Paul Byrd
Paul Gregory Byrd is an American professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2009. He is known as being the "nicest guy in baseball"...
. The Orioles were rumoured to have a deal with outfielder Jeromy Burnitz
Jeromy Burnitz
Jeromy Neal Burnitz is a former baseball player who was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Mets , Cleveland Indians , Milwaukee Brewers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Colorado Rockies , Chicago Cubs , and Pittsburgh Pirates .Burnitz played his...
, but his agent balked, supposedly at language regarding the physical, which was deemed by legal experts to be rather standard, and Burnitz signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. The Orioles chose not to enter the bidding for players like A.J. Burnett and Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
, whose asking prices were far beyond what the Orioles were willing to pay. The only target the Orioles managed to sign was catcher Ramon Hernandez
Ramón Hernández
Ramón José Hernández Marin is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who plays for the Colorado Rockies. Previously, he played with the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres , Baltimore Orioles , and Cincinnati Reds .-Career:Hernández is a career .263 hitter with 144 home runs, 651 RBI, and 455...
.
Locked out of pursuits to sign top-tier players, the Orioles decided to make several moves to allow minor league prospects more time to develop. This led to bringing in players like Jeff Conine
Jeff Conine
Jeffrey Guy Conine is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder who played several years with the Florida Marlins. Previously, Conine played with the Kansas City Royals , Florida Marlins , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , and New York Mets . He batted and...
and Kevin Millar
Kevin Millar
Kevin Charles Millar is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current analyst for MLB Network and New England Sports Network. Millar played college baseball at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he continues to reside in the off-season. Millar is the nephew of former...
, both of whom are known for their positive presence in the clubhouse. The Orioles also made several trades to bring in needed players. They first traded disgruntled reliever Steve Kline for LaTroy Hawkins
LaTroy Hawkins
LaTroy Hawkins is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Through 2011, he was third of all active pitchers in career games pitched.-Minnesota Twins:...
, then traded for outfielder Corey Patterson
Corey Patterson
Donald Corey Patterson is an American professional baseball free agent outfielder in Major League Baseball. He is the older brother of outfielder Eric Patterson.-Amateur career:...
, who brought speed and defense to the outfield, and traded former closer Jorge Julio
Jorge Julio
Jorge Dandys Julio Tapia is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles from 2001–2005, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, and the Florida Marlins in 2007 before being traded...
and John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
for experienced starter Kris Benson
Kris Benson
Kristin James Benson is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Benson pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from to , New York Mets from to , Baltimore Orioles in to , Texas Rangers in , and Arizona Diamondbacks in ....
. The Orioles also addressed future free agents by extending the contract of outfielder Jay Gibbons
Jay Gibbons
Jay Jonathan Gibbons is an American professional baseball outfielder in Major League Baseball. Gibbons was a graduate of Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California...
and third baseman Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora , affectionately nicknamed Melmo or Melvy, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent...
, and recently signed a contract extension with second baseman Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts
Brian Michael Roberts is an American Major League Baseball All Star second baseman, nicknamed B-Rob.He made his Major League debut in and has spent his entire professional career with the Baltimore Orioles organization, located in Baltimore, Maryland.-Early life, education and college-baseball...
. The team's Opening Day roster featured top prospect Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis
Nicholas William Markakis is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Of Greek and German descent , Markakis is known for his arm strength, stellar right field defense and smooth hitting....
, a potential A.L. "Rookie of the Year", the best young position player the Orioles' farm system has produced since Brian Roberts. Markakis represents the revival of the Orioles' once proud farm system, which features four players listed in Baseball America's 2006 list of the top 100 prospects in minor league baseball.
Miguel Tejada
The Orioles' lack of movement over the course of the offseason frustrated many, including Miguel Tejada
Miguel Tejada
Miguel Odalis Tejada was a Major League Baseball infielder who has played for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics...
. This led to him stating, controversially, that he "wanted to play for a winner", and "perhaps a change of scenery is needed." The Oriole front office began to talk to many teams interested in Tejada as a trade. It was rumored that the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
offered All-Star outfielder Manny Ramírez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
for Tejada, though no Orioles officials confirmed this. There were also talks of Mark Prior
Mark Prior
Mark William Prior is an American professional baseball pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 2002-2006. His repertoire of pitches includes a low to mid 90s fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup.-Amateur career:Prior graduated from the...
being offered for Tejada. After several weeks, teammate Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora , affectionately nicknamed Melmo or Melvy, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent...
facilitated a conference call between the Orioles and Tejada where Tejada backed down and said his comments were intended to provoke the Orioles to make more moves in free agency.
The Orioles finished the up and down 2006 season with a record of 70 wins and 92 losses, 27 games behind the AL East leading Yankees.
"Free the Birds"
2006 also marked the Orioles ninth straight losing season, causing much of the Baltimore fan base to become disgruntled with the team's ownership.Fan bitterness was not limited to the team's poor performance on the field. With Washington finally getting a baseball team of its own, many longtime Baltimore fans became disturbed over the ownership's continued refusal to put the word "Baltimore" back on the Orioles road jerseys, as well as their refusal to refer to the team as the "Baltimore Orioles." A grass-roots movement called "Free the Birds" was organized by local sports talk radio station WNST-1570, spearheaded by its owner "Nasty" Nestor Aparicio. The nephew of former Oriole shortstop and Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio, "Nasty" Nestor had been an outspoken critic of Angelos for a number of years.
For weeks, WNST aggressively promoted an unprecedented protest rally that was to take place on September 21, during a mid-week afternoon game against the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. The protest was not so much aimed towards the team itself, as it was the club's owner, Peter Angelos. Approximately 1,000 fans participated in the protest rally, and sat together in the left field sections of the stadium's upper deck. There were conflicting news reports over the actual number of participants. Some news organizations had it at "hundreds." Aparicio maintains that it was in the thousands.
During the fourth inning of the game, at exactly 5:08 p.m., Aparicio led a "walkout", with the protest fans leaving the game in unison. The precise time of departure, 5:08, was significant in that "5" stood for Brooks Robinson's number and "8" for the number worn by Cal Ripken Jr. Many of the protesters wore black T-shirts that read "Free the Birds", a phrase that was chanted loudly through the walkout.
"We have a chance to make a memorable civic statement about how we, as fans, are fed up with the embarrassment that the Orioles have become," Aparicio said after the walkout. Peter Angelos had a different take on the rally. "Whoever joins that protest has no comprehension of what it costs to run a baseball team," Angelos said. Referring to Aparicio, Angelos added, "he is a very unimportant person who has delusions of grandeur."
News of the protest was covered nationally, appearing on sites such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Fox Sports, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, ABC, CBS Sportsline, USA Today, and The Sporting News.
In the weeks following the rally, Aparicio created a website in honor of the rally, and declared to his listeners that he would form a union in protest of Angelos and his ownership of the franchise. Aparicio likened it to what "many in the asbestos lawsuits did a number of years ago" (a knock on the litigation that led to Angelos' success as a trial attorney). "And what could Peter Angelos possibly say to disparage the same kind of union that made him a wealthy man", said Aparicio after launching his website.