Baltimore Orioles - The Disco Era (1970-1979)

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1970

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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

Jim Palmer

Eddie Murray

Second Basemen:

Brooks Robinson

Bobby Grich (36) - 46

Frank Robinson

Davey Johnson (10.84) - 18

Reggie Jackson

Rich Dauer (5.73) - 10

Rookie of the Year:

ShortStop:

Al Bumbry (1973)

Mark Belanger (33.31) - 68

Eddie Murray (1977)

Third Base:

MVP:

Brooks Robinson (23.03) - 31

Boog Powell (1970)

Doug DeCinces (16.36) - 26

Cy Young:

Outfield:

Jim Palmer (1973,1975,1976)

Paul Blair (21.29) - 62

Mike Flanagan (1979)

Ken Singleton (24.11) - 48

Al Bumbry (14.88) - 43

Notable Events:

Merv Rettenmund (15.67) - 33

Don Baylor (10.44) - 33

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

Don Buford (9.65) - 20

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

Frank Robinson (8.03) - 18

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

Rich Coggins (4.64) - 14

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

Reggie Jackson (5.29) - 12

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

Pat Kelly (2.65) - 10

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

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

Notable Events:

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

The outfield is also loaded with superstar Frank Robinson, superb

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oakland. Meanwhile, the Orioles get Ken Holtzman and Reggie

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

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

draft by the Orioles.

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

takes over for Brooks Robinson as the starter in 1977

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

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

1970 - Orioles are World Champs behind three twenty game winners

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

Palmer, Cuellar and McNally. Boog Powell is MVP.

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

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

1971 - The Orioles are American League Champs, boasting four

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

and Pirates in 1971.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

defender who takes over in centerfield when Paul Blair leaves the

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

1977 - Twenty three year old righthander Dennis Martinez also

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

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

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

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

international free agent signed in 1973

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

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

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

Hunter and Chuck Dobson.

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

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

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

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

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

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

round pick in 1974.

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

obtain washed up Dave McNally and overrated Rich Coggins. Torrez

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

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

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

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

draft. The line keeps moving.

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

beneficiary of magician Earl Weaver's manueverings

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

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