Baltimore Orioles - The Viet Nam War Era (1960-1969)

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1960

Decade

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1966

Titles:

Top Orioles Players of the Sixties

1966 World Champs (Beat Los Angeles)

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

Pitchers:

Steve Barber(16.98) - 58

BallPark:

Milt Pappas (16.69) - 57

Memorial Stadium

Dave McNally (12.59) - 52

Stu Miller (12.06) - 30

Team Name: Orioles

Chuck Estrada (5.25) - 29

Tom Phoebus (4.83) - 29

Owner:

Wally Bunker (2.95) - 24

A Group of Owners (1960-1965)

Robin Roberts (11.26) - 24

Jerry Hoffberger (1966-1969)

Jim Palmer (6.45) - 22

Jack Fisher (1.02) - 19

General Managers:

Hoyt Wilhelm (6.15) - 18

Lee MacPhail (1960-1965)

Jim Hardin (4.92) - 17

Harry Dalton (1966-1969)

Dick Hall (12.55) - 16

Miguel Cuellar (4.45) - 15

Managers:

Skinny Brown (6.35) - 14

Paul Richards (1960-1961)

Eddie Watt (4.67) - 13

Lum Harris (1961)

Moe Drabowski (6.37) - 9

Billy Hitchcock (1962-1963)

Gene Brabender (0.61) - 2

Hank Bauer (1964-1968)

Earl Weaver (1968-1969)

Catchers:

Curt Blefary (10.22) - 32

No Hitters:

Gus Triandos (1.67) - 18

Steve Barber / Stu Miler (1967)

Andy Etchebarren (5.3) - 17

Tom Phoebus (1968)

John Orsino (3.97) - 15

Jim Palmer (1969)

First Basemen:

Hall of Famers:

Boog Powell (20.78) - 63

Lee MacPhail

Jim Gentile (14.8) - 38

Earl Weaver

Jim Palmer

Second Basemen:

Hoyt Wilhelm

Jerry Adair (6.95) - 19

Robin Roberts

Dave Johnson (9.3) - 19

Luis Aparicio

Marv Breeding (3.24) - 7

Brooks Robinson

Bob Johnson (3.13) - 0

Frank Robinson

ShortStop:

Rookie of the Year:

Luis Aparicio (16.44) - 51

Ron Hansen (1960)

Ron Hansen (5.62) - 19

Curt Blefary (1965)

Mark Belanger (7.34) - 18

MVP:

Third Base:

Brooks Robinson (1964)

Brooks Robinson (53.86) - 90

Frank Robinson (1966)

Pete Ward (-0.21) - 0

Cy Young:

Outfield:

Mike Cuellar (1969)

Paul Blair (18.4) - 54

Jackie Brandt (10.93) - 43

Notable Events:

Frank Robinson (24.31) - 43

Russ Snyder (7.51) - 26

1960 - The Orioles have one of the best management teams in baseball

Don Buford (9.6) - 22

history with GM Lee MacPhail and Manager Paul Richards at the helm.

Gene Woodling (3.03) - 10

MacPhail had been spirited away from the Yankees where he was Farm

Norm Siebern (4.58) - 8

Director. He was a big factor in stocking and maintaining the parade of

Whitey Herzog (3.08) - 7

high quality prospects that fueled the Yankees dynasty of the Fifties.

Willie Kirkland (0.52) - 0

MacPhail would continue to work his magic with Baltimore.

Lou Piniella (0.01) - 0

Richards had been GM and then manager with the Orioles since they

Bobby Thomson (-0.29) - 0

moved to Baltimore. He had a brilliant eye for young pitching talent.

Dave Nicholson (-1.65) - 0

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

Notable Events:

finishing second. Their amazing starting rotation contains five kids who

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

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

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

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

couple of effective well travelled veterans in Hoyt Wilhelm, 37, and Skinny

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

Brown, 35. The starting lineup is also beginning to shape up with young infielders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

during his tenure there.

winning the triple crown and league MVP.

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

1967 - Baltimore collapses, dropping twenty one games in the standings

year old rookie. He was signed three years earlier out of high school.

Their top pitchers get hurt - Jim Palmer, Steve Barber, Wally Bunker and

Dave McNally. Its not serious for McNally and Palmer eventually recovers

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

to a Hall of Fame career, but Bunker and Barber are through as effective

veteran shortstop Luis Aparicio, 29, seeming to belie the Orioles youth movement.

pitchers. Also, the hitters suffer a mass slump as Boog Powell, Brooks

However, even tho' they were good prospects, shortstop Ron Hansen, third

Robinson and Frank Robinson don't come near their 1966 numbers.

baseman Pete Ward and outfielder Dave Nicholson didn't fit into MacPhail's long

term plans. These guys were more or less one dimensional power hitter types.

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

The move proved out to be wise as Aparicio's defence made the Baltimore pitching

old rookie. He was signed by the Orioles in 1962

more effective and helped the O's take the next step forward. Hoyt Wilhelm was also

part of the deal as the Orioles had pitching coming out of their ears and wouldn't

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

miss him, good as he was.

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

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

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

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

He was signed two years earlier out of high school.

to get the most out of them. Weaver had a way of best using the skills

of each of his players on the roster.

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

grabbed from the Mets in the rule 5 draft in 1962. Sort of opposite result of what

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

the rule 5 was supposed to accomplish as the poor were robbed to help the rich.

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

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

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

wherever you put him and a good clutch hitter.

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

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

1965 - Jerry Hoffberger emerges as principal owner of the club. He has a great

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

eye for management talent bringing in the likes of Harry Dalton, Frank Cashen,

Hank Peters and Earl Weaver. With Hoffberger at the helm, the Orioles are ensured

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

of having an elite team for the next twenty years going thru the first few years

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

after he sells the club as his legacy continues beyond his ownership tenure.

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

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

1966 - Twenty three year old second baseman Davey Johnson breaks into

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

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

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.