Baltimore Orioles - The Disco Era (1970-1979)

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1970

108

Decade

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1976

Titles:

Top Orioles Players of the Seventies

1970 World Champs (Beat Reds)

1971 A.L Champs (Lost to Pirates)

Pitchers:

1973 Division Champs (Lost to A's)

Jim Palmer (54.51) - 126

1974 Division Champs (Lost to A's)

Miguel Cuellar (12.87) - 77

1979 A.L Champs (Lost to Pirates)

Dave McNally (12.86) - 59

Mike Flanagan (8.81) - 37

BallPark:

Ross Grimsley (5.91) - 32

Memorial Stadium

Dennis Martinez (6.83) - 29

Pat Dobson (6.18) - 23

Team Name:

Rudy May (2.19) - 19

Orioles

Scott McGregor (5.44) - 19

Doyle Alexander (2.13) - 14

Owner:

Wayne Garland (4.31) - 13

Jerry Hoffberger (1970-1979)

Mike Torrez (3.52) - 12

Grant Jackson (5.09) - 8

General Managers:

Pete Richert (2.43) - 4

Harry Dalton (1970-1971)

Frank Cashen (1972-1975)

Catchers:

Hank Peters (1976-1979)

Rick Demspery (7.64) - 24

Andy Etchebarren (4.07) - 10

Managers:

Elrod Hendricks (4.68) - 10

Earl Weaver (1970-1979)

Earl Williams (4.94) - 8

No Hitters:

First Basemen:

None

Boog Powell (14.6) - 38

Eddie Murray (12.44) - 23

Hall of Famers:

Lee May (5.4) - 16

Earl Weaver

Jim Palmer

Second Basemen:

Eddie Murray

Bobby Grich (36) - 46

Brooks Robinson

Davey Johnson (10.84) - 18

Frank Robinson

Rich Dauer (5.73) - 10

Reggie Jackson

ShortStop:

Rookie of the Year:

Mark Belanger (33.31) - 68

Al Bumbry (1973)

Eddie Murray (1977)

Third Base:

Brooks Robinson (23.03) - 31

MVP:

Doug DeCinces (16.36) - 26

Boog Powell (1970)

Outfield:

Cy Young:

Paul Blair (21.29) - 62

Jim Palmer (1973,1975,1976)

Ken Singleton (24.11) - 48

Mike Flanagan (1979)

Al Bumbry (14.88) - 43

Merv Rettenmund (15.67) - 33

Notable Events:

Don Baylor (10.44) - 33

Don Buford (9.65) - 20

1970 - The Orioles are a powerhouse moving into the Seventies coming

Frank Robinson (8.03) - 18

off a 109 win season and an absurd World Series loss to the Mets.

Rich Coggins (4.64) - 14

The team is loaded everywhere. The starting rotation is led by three

Reggie Jackson (5.29) - 12

genuine aces in Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Miguel Cueller. The rest

Pat Kelly (2.65) - 10

of the staff is loaded with deep depth. The infield is all star callibre

with slugger Boog Powell at first, the great Brooks Robinson at third,

Notable Events:

super slick fielding Mark Belanger at short and solid Davey Johnson,

a heady leader who will be an excellent manager in the future, at second.

1976 - Don Baylor, a free agent at the end of the season, is dealt to

The outfield is also loaded with superstar Frank Robinson, superb

the A's in a bizarre trade of four players who will be free agents at

fielding Paul Blair in center and underrated (but not by Weaver) Don

season's end. Mike Torrez, who just won twenty, also goes to

Buford. The bench, of course, is deep and the whole shebang is

Oakland. Meanwhile, the Orioles get Ken Holtzman and Reggie

orchestrated by Earl Weaver who gets the best out of all them.

Jackson for a year. Baylor was a second round pick in the 1967

draft by the Orioles.

1970 - Nineteen year old third baseman Doug DeCinces is drafted in

the third round by the Orioles. An all-star callibre third baseman, he

1976 - The Orioles rob the Yankees blind in a mid season deal. While

takes over for Brooks Robinson as the starter in 1977

Baltimore sends some solid pitching talent the Yankees' way in Ken

Holtzman, Grant Jackson and Doyle Alexander, they grab two fantastic

1970 - Orioles are World Champs behind three twenty game winners

young left handed pitching prospects in Scott McGregor, 22. and

Palmer, Cuellar and McNally. Boog Powell is MVP.

Tippy Martinez, 26, from New York. Whatever posessed the Yankees to

deal away these two, particularly to a division rival, is mind boggling.

1971 - The Orioles are American League Champs, boasting four

As if they weren't enough, the Yankees also send scrappy catcher

twenty game winners. Palmer, Cuellar and McNally plus Pat Dobson

Rick Dempsey, 26, who becomes the Orioles starting catcher for the next

who they got from the Padres for Tom Phoebus. It was the third

eleven seasons and ace lefthander Rudy May. When the Orioles didn't

straight year in the World Series for the Orioles, although they won

have a ready answer in their farm system, they could always rely on

only one, against the Reds in 1970. They lost to the Mets in 1969

fleecing some schnooks, like the Yankees, for their stars.

and Pirates in 1971.

On the Yankee side you could just feel Steinbrenner's finger prints all over

this one as he had zero patience and needed instant gratification.

1973 - Second Baseman Bobby Grich, 25, comes up as a rookie. He was

the 19th overall pick in the '67 draft. He was held up a bit from making it

1977 - Twenty five year old lefty Mike Flanagan breaks into the

to the big leagues by the presence of Davey Johnson on the big club.

Orioles starting rotation, not an easy thing to do in those days. He wins

fifteen games. Mike was a seventh round pick in the 1973 draft.

1973 - Outfielder Al Bumbry, 26, wins rookie of the year. He is a quality

defender who takes over in centerfield when Paul Blair leaves the

1977 - Twenty three year old righthander Dennis Martinez also

club in '77. He brings good speed and a solid bat and is underrated by

breaks into the starting rotation and wins fourteen games. He will be a

everyone except Weaver. Bumbry was an 11th round pick in the '68 draft

mainstay in the rotation for close to a decade. Dennis was an

international free agent signed in 1973

1973 - The Orioles win the Division, but lose to the A's who are even

better than they are. Great pitchers all over the place in that series

1977 - All Star callibre second baseman Bobby Grich leaves for the

with the Orioles big three going against the A's big three of Blue,

Angels via free agency. The Orioles don't miss a beat as they

Hunter and Chuck Dobson.

replace him in 1978 with twenty five year old rookie Rich Dauer.

Dauer wasn't quite at the level of Grich, but he was pretty good.

1974 - The Orioles win the Division but lose to the A's again in the ALCS

Grich had been a first round pick of the Orioles in 1967, Dauer a first

round pick in 1974.

1975 - Two twenty eight year olds, Ken Singleton and Mike Torrez,

are acquired in a hugely one sided deal with the Expos, who

1978 - Twenty Two year old future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray

obtain washed up Dave McNally and overrated Rich Coggins. Torrez

wins rookie of the year. He was a third round pick in the 1973

goes on to win twenty for the Orioles while McNally wins three for

draft. The line keeps moving.

Montreal. Singleton is a mainstay in the Baltimore lineup for years

while Coggins' true talent level emerges when he is no longer the

1979 - The Orioles win the AL title, but lose to the Pirates again in the

beneficiary of magician Earl Weaver's manueverings

World Series (they lost to them in 1971). There is an entirely new cast

of characters from the 1971 series on both clubs. The only starters

playing for both sets of clubs were Jim Palmer with the Orioles and

Willie Stargell with the Pirates.

1979 - Jerry Hoffberger sells the club to Edward Bennett Williams