Baltimore Orioles - The Early Years (1954-1969)

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1960

100

Decade

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109

Titles:

Top Orioles Players of the Late Fifties / Sixties

1966 World Champs (Beat Los Angeles)

1969 A.L. Champs (Lost to the Mets)

Pitchers:

Milt Pappas (21.81) - 75

BallPark:

Steve Barber (16.98) - 58

Memorial Stadium

Dave McNally (12.59) - 52

Skinny Brown (13.27) - 35

Team Name: Orioles

Stu Miller (12.06) - 30

Chuck Estrada (5.25) - 29

Owner:

Tom Phoebus (4.83) - 29

Clarence W Miles (1954-1955)

Hoyt Wilhelm (15.59) - 29

James Kielty (1956-1958)

Ray Moore (4.61) - 28

A Group of Owners (1959-1965)

Wally Bunker (2.95) - 24

Jerry Hoffberger (1966-1969)

Robin Roberts (11.26) - 24

Jim Palmer (6.45) - 22

General Managers:

Connie Johnson (6.44) - 21

Art Ehlers (1954)

Billy O'Dell (11.12) - 21

Paul Richards (1955-1958)

Jack Fisher (1.67) - 19

Lee MacPhail (1959-1965)

George Zuverink (6.78) - 19

Harry Dalton (1966-1969)

Jim Hardin (4.92) - 17

Dick Hall (12.55) - 16

Managers:

Miguel Cuellar (4.45) - 15

Jimmy Dykes (1954)

Billy Loes (3.78) - 14

Paul Richards (1955-1961)

Arnold Portocarrero (1.3) - 13

Lum Harris (1961)

Bob Turley (3.51) - 13

Billy Hitchcock (1962-1963)

Eddie Watt (4.67) - 13

Hank Bauer (1964-1968)

Bill Wight (5.14) - 12

Earl Weaver (1968-1969)

Joe Coleman (1.62) - 11

Jack Harshman (2.8) - 10

No Hitters:

Jim Wilson (3.52) - 10

Hoyt Wilhelm (1958)

Moe Drabowsky (6.37) - 9

Steve Barber / Stu Miler (1967)

Jerry Walker (5.15) - 8

Tom Phoebus (1968)

Steve Dalkowski (0) - 0

Jim Palmer (1969)

Catchers:

Hall of Famers:

Gus Triandos (13.05) - 65

Brooks Robinson

Curt Befary (10.22) - 32

Frank Robinson

Andy Etchebarren (5.3) - 17

Jim Palmer

John Orsino (3.97) - 15

Hoyt Wilhelm

Robin Roberts

First Basemen:

Luis Aparicio

Boog Powell (20.78) - 63

Jim Gentile (14.8) - 38

Rookie of the Year:

Bob Boyd (6.9) - 16

Ron Hansen (1960)

Curt Blefary (1965)

Second Basemen:

Dave Johnson (9.3) - 19

MVP:

Jerry Adair (6.66) - 19

Brooks Robinson (1964)

Billy Gardner (4.03) - 14

Frank Robinson (1966)

Marv Breeding (3.24) - 7

Cy Young:

ShortStop:

Mike Cuellar (1969)

Luis Aparicio (16.44) - 51

Ron Hansen (5.09) - 19

Notable Events:

Mark Belanger (7.34) - 18

Willie Miranda (0.62) - 16

1954 - Clarence W. Miles buys the Browns from Bill Veeck and moves

the club to Baltimore. Bad change of management forced by the

Third Base:

American League owners. Miles is a dud. The next book written

Brooks Robinson (55.37) - 96

about him will be the first.

Outfield:

1955 - Miles hires Paul Richards, an excellent baseball man, as

Paul Blair (18.4) - 54

manager and general manager. Good move. Richards immediately

Frank Robinson (24.31) - 43

starts building an effective organization in his dual role.

Jackie Brandt (10.93) - 43

Bob Nieman (11.55) - 31

1955 - In the biggest trade in big league history, Richards tries to

Russ Snyder (7.51) - 26

assemble some big league-worthy talent. He trades away a couple of

Gene Woodling (8.52) - 24

excellent young righthanders to New York in Don Larsen and Bob Turley,

Don Buford (9.6) - 22

but obtains several useful position players. Richards, a former catcher,

Cal Abrams (5.82) - 14

coveted the Yankees' pile of top young catchers and he grabbed a

Al Pilarcik (2.65) - 13

couple in twenty four year olds Gus Triandos and Hal Smith. Triandos

Chuck Diering (2.32) - 13

will be one of the team's best players for the next eight years.

Dick Williams (0.37) - 13

Jim Busby (4.8) - 10

1955 - The Orloles sign eighteen year old Brooks Robinson as Richards

Norm Siebern (4.58) - 8

starts the process of turning the franchise around. Robinson was not a

bonus baby which allowed him to get valuable minor league experience.

Notable Events:

He will come up to Baltimore for good in 1958

1965 - GM Lee MacPhail moves on to take a postion in the Commissioner's

1956 James Kielty buys the Orioles. A non event, really. At least he

Office. He's making way for younger management talent in Baltimore.

doesn't get in Paul Richards' way

1965 - Jerry Hoffberger had been part owner of the club since it's move

1957 - Baltimore surprises everybody, including themselves, finishing

to Baltimore in 1954. He becomes principal owner in 1965.

.500 for the first time in Baltimore history

He brings in a sensational management staff including GM Harry Dalton,

later GM Frank Cashen when Dalton leaves and later still GM Hank Peters

1957 - The Orioles continue to progrress. They bring up a couple of

when Cashen moves on. In addition, the management team brings in the

eighteen year old pitchers in Jerry Walker and Milt Pappas. Paul

great Earl Weaver as field manager. The Orioles, with these guys in

Richards also signs young pitchers Steve Barber and Jack Fisher and

charge, will be elite for the next twenty years until ajter Hoffberger

steals Chuck Estrada out of the Braves farm system. One reason Richards

sells the club.

dealt Turley and Larsen three years earlier is that he was confident he

was capable of loading up on young pitching moving forward.

1965 - 19 year old Jim Palmer joins the club as rookie. He was

signed two years earlier out of high school.

1959 - Baltimore makes a sensational hire, spiriting away Lee MacPhail,

the Yankees' Farm Director, and making him General Manager.

1965 - 21 year old centerfielder Paul Blair joins the club as a rookie.

MacPhail, along with George Weiss, was the architect of the Yankee

He had been grabbed from the Mets in the rule 5 draft in 1962

dynasty in the Fifties and his presence is immediately felt.

Sort of the opposite result of what the rule 5 was supposed to accomplish.

MacPhail, along with incumbent manager Paul Richards, goes on to stock

the farm system with the likes of Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Wally Bunker,

1966 - Second Baseman Davey Johnson, 23, breaks into the starting

Eddie Watt, Darold Knowles,Tom Phoebus and Jim Hardin. With these

lineup. He was signed out of high school four years earlier.

signings added to the existing young pitching wealth already signed by

Richards, the Orioles would amass an embarassment of riches on the

1966 - Harry Dalton, in his first act as Orioles GM, steals

mound. They had so much talent that the likes of Dean Chance and Bo

superstar outfielder Frank Robinson, 30, from the Reds in exchange for

Belinsky were lost to expansion clubs and it was barely felt.

pitcher Milt Pappas. This is the greatest deal in franchise history as

it moves the Orioles to the next level from contender to champions.

1959 - Boog Powell signs with the Orioles.The young slugger comes up

Robinson is a true superstar in every sense of the word.

to the majors in 1962 as a twenty year old. He'll finish up with over

three hundred home runs lifetime.

1966 -The Orioles win their first pennant and World Series. They sweep

the Dodgers in the World Series, shutting them out the last three

1960 - The Orioles make the leap to contender winning 89 games and

games. Frank Robinson has a phenomenal season, his first as an

finishing second. Their amazing starting rotation contains five kids who

Oriole after coming over from the Reds in the deal for Milt Pappas, by

are either twenty one or twenty two years old: Jack Fisher, Chuck Estrada,

winning the triple crown and league MVP.

Milt Pappas, Steve Barber and Jerry Walker. They also have a couple of

effective well travelled veterans in Hoyt Wilhelm, 37, and Skinny Brown, 35.

1967 - The Orioles collapse, dropping nearly twenty one games

The starting lineup is also beginning to shape up with young infielders

in the standings. Their top pitchers get hurt, Jim Palmer, Steve Barber,

Marv Breeding, 26, Brooks Robinson, 23, and Ron Hansen, 22, joined

Wally Bunker and Dave McNally. Palmer and McNally eventually

by young castoffs Jackie Brandt (Giants, 26) and Jim Gentile (Dodgers, 26)

recover from their injuries and have stellar careers. However, it is over

along with veteran ex Yankees Gus Triandos, 29, and Gene Woodling, 37.

for Barber and Bunker as effective starters. Also, their hitters go thru

a huge slump as both Robinsons and Powell have off years.

1961 - Paul Richards moves on to Houston to take the General Manager job

there. Not surprisingly, he loads up the Astros organization with talent

1967 - On a bright note, Mark Belanger, 23, comes up as twenty three year

during his tenure there.

old rookie. He was signed by the Orioles in 1962

1963 - The next wave of stars begins to arrive - Dave McNally is a twenty

1968 - Hank Bauer is fired after a slow start and is replaced by Earl

year old rookie, piling on to the quality already there. McNally was signed

Weaver who turns the club around, altho' they finish twelve games out.

three years earlier out of high school.

Weaver turns out to be one of the greatest managers in history. He

had an uncanny knack for manuevering his pitchers, hitters and fielders

1963 - In a bold move, MacPhail deals three youngsters to the White Sox

to get the most out of them. Weaver also had a reputation for being able

for veteran shortstop Luis Aparicio, 29, seeming to belie the Orioles'

to utilize the qualities of his players to their best advantage.

youth movement. However, even tho' they were good prospects, shortstop

Ron Hansen, third baseman Pete Ward and outfielder Dave Nicholson

1968 - 31 year old utility man Don Buford is obtained from the Chicago

didn't fit into MacPhail's long term plans. The move proved out to be wise

White Sox in exchange for Luis Aparicio. Buford is Weaver's type of

as Aparicio's superior defense helped Baltimore's young staff take the next

player, versatile and underrated. He's also fast, an excellent fielder

step forward. Hoyt Wilhelm was also part of the deal, but the Orioles had

wherever you put him and a good clutch hitter.

more than enough pitching and wouldn't miss him, good as he was.

1969 - In another heist from a National League team, this time the

Astros, Harrly Dalton acquires ace Miguel Cuellar, 32, for Curt Blefary

1969 - The Orioles have their greatest regular season, going 109-53.

The starting rotation is awesome, led by Cy Young winner Mike

Cuellar, who wins 23. Also, Dave McNally, Tom Phoebus and Jim Palmer

go 50-18 between them. The team on the field is outstanding

with Frank Robinson, Paul Blair and Don Buford in the outfield and

Boog Powell, Dave Johnson, Mark Belanger and Brooks Robinson in

the infield. They get blown out in five games by the Mets in the World

Series in a monumental upset. Go figure.