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The Baltimore orioles joined the American League with the New York Yankees in 1901 but have not had nearly the success. The club won three World Series and a total of seven pennants.The Orioles did not always play in Baltimore. The team started in Milwaukee as the original Brewers for a single season in 1901 and moved to St. Louis as the Browns from 1902 to 1953 before settling in Baltimore. The club finished their inaugural season in last place with a 48-89 record. The club would struggle from then on. Despite having a roster with Hall of Famer George Sissler and three outfielders in Ken Williams, Baby Doll Jacobson, and Jack Tobin that hit .300 the club could not produce a pennant
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About The Baltimore Orioles
The team’s first pennant came in 1944 during World War II. The club saved most of their best players from the draft, won the pennant, and lost the World Series to the cross rival Cardinals.
The move from St. Louis to Baltimore in the ‘50s also came with a name change. It was not uncommon for moving teams to keep their name, but the Browns wanted a fresh start and changed their name to the Orioles.
The move and talent from the farm system made the ‘60s and the early ‘70s one of the best times to be an Orioles fan. Frank Robinson, who came over in a trade, Brooks Robinson, John Powell, and Dave McNally formed the nucleus of a team that won four AL Pennants and two of the clubs World Series.
The success continued into the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with two more pennants and another World Series in 1983. The Orioles of the late ‘60s to the early ‘80s included six Cy Young Awards with Mike Cuellar (1969), Jim Palmer (1973, 1975, 1976), Mike Flanagan (1979), and Steve Stone (1980). The team also included several Rookie of the Year award winners-Al Bumby in 1973, Eddie Murray in 1977, and Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1982.
The hey day ended after 1983 and the lone hold over and spot of hope was Cal Ripken Jr. Ripken won the Rookie of the Year award in 1982 and the AL MVP the following year, but is best known for his incredible endurance. Ripken became baseball’s new Iron Man in 1995 when he broke the old mark of 2,130 straight games played. He ended the record at 2,632.
The Baltimore Orioles hope for its first winning season in 10 years relies heavily on its youth. A young pitching staff looks poised to deliver with Stanford product Jeremy Guthrie, southpaw Adam Loewen, and Daniel Cabrera looking to have breakout seasons. The expensive bullpen will be a problem after failing to perform last year. The pitching will need to be strong, as the only real offensive threats on the team are second baseman Brian Roberts and right fielder Nick Markakis.
The Baltimore Orioles brought in Andy MacPhail as the new president of operations in June to fix the team. His first offseason had him starting to clear the team of its high priced veterans who were supposed to compete in the American League East. The major move in the offseason was the trade of Miguel Tejada to Houston for pitching, outfielder Luke Scott, and a minor-leaguer. Other moves included the addition of reliever Randor Bierd and catcher Guillero Quiroz.
The team is on a road to rebuild after a sub par decade that had them in fourth place at the end of last season with a 69-93 record. The team experimented with power hitters Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, Rafael Palmeiro, and as aging Sammy Sosa in that decade, but none of them sparked an offense that could compete with Yankees or Red Sox. Two of those players, Palmeiro and Sosa are still in the public eye, but for alleged steroid use.
The players at the very least have the joy of playing in Oriole Park at Camden Yard, the same park in which Cal Ripken established himself as an Iron Man for the most consecutive games played at 2,630 and set many of the Orioles batting records. This season and its difficult schedule is sure to be fun to watch.