Happy Birthday, Joe Altobelli (83)

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Happy birthday to former Orioles manager, Joe Altobelli.

Altobelli turns 83 today.

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Altobelli is an interesting case. He has a long history in Rochester with the Red Wings, and apparently is or was loved there. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Got credit for managing Earl's team in '83 to a Championship, which was a veteran team that carried over almost completely intact from prior seasons. But then took the fall for that veteran team getting old, the O's farm system drying up, and O's management not being willing/able to sign anything but grade B/C free agents. I'm surprised he's still alive - I assumed he was in his 60s when he was the O's manager over 30 years ago, but I guess he was younger than that.

Altobelli is an interesting case. He has a long history in Rochester with the Red Wings, and apparently is or was loved there. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Got credit for managing Earl's team in '83 to a Championship, which was a veteran team that carried over almost completely intact from prior seasons. But then took the fall for that veteran team getting old, the O's farm system drying up, and O's management not being willing/able to sign anything but grade B/C free agents. I'm surprised he's still alive - I assumed he was in his 60s when he was the O's manager over 30 years ago, but I guess he was younger than that.

Man, this is exactly what I came in here to post. If he's 83 now, that means he was 51 when we won the Series in 83? Does that picture look like a 51 year old man? I would say he lived a rough life, but if he's still alive and kicking now, he must be doing something right.

Happy Birthday Joe!

Man, this is exactly what I came in here to post. If he's 83 now, that means he was 51 when we won the Series in 83? Does that picture look like a 51 year old man? I would say he lived a rough life, but if he's still alive and kicking now, he must be doing something right.

Happy Birthday Joe!

I'm about to turn 44 and 1983 Joe Altobelli looks like he could be my Dad's age now. Maybe it was in the water. Cal Sr. looked 72 when he was 40 - I guess being in the sun all day every day and chain-smoking unfiltered Camels will do it to you.

I'm right there with you. I turn 41 this week and my dad is late 60's. My dad now looks better than 1983 Joe Altobelli.

Altobelli had the easiest job in baseball for one year. No way that team was going to be denied after coming so close in '82.

Altobelli had the easiest job in baseball for one year. No way that team was going to be denied after coming so close in '82.

Of course he did.

Altobelli had the easiest job in baseball for one year. No way that team was going to be denied after coming so close in '82.

It's easy to think what actually happened was inevitable. But the Orioles carried over the '83 team to '84 mostly intact and they declined by 13(?) games, then quickly faded into the '85-'88 abyss. I think if God ran the '83 season 1000 times there would be plenty of cases where injuries and age hit a bit earlier, the platoons and bit players didn't work out so well, and it just didn't happen.

It's easy to think what actually happened was inevitable. But the Orioles carried over the '83 team to '84 mostly intact and they declined by 13(?) games, then quickly faded into the '85-'88 abyss. I think if God ran the '83 season 1000 times there would be plenty of cases where injuries and age hit a bit earlier, the platoons and bit players didn't work out so well, and it just didn't happen.

Sometimes I allow myself to just relax and enjoy what happened.

I was told that Hank Peters wanted to gut much of the team after '83, including Palmer, Singleton, and Bumbry, but EBW wouldn't let him. Peters came back from the winter meetings without a single trade inquiry about any of the Orioles players, even though they had just won the World Series. They were just too old.

Sometimes I allow myself to just relax and enjoy what happened.

I was told that Hank Peters wanted to gut much of the team after '83, including Palmer, Singleton, and Bumbry, but EBW wouldn't let him. Peters came back from the winter meetings without a single trade inquiry about any of the Orioles players, even though they had just won the World Series. They were just too old.

In spite of this, this was my favorite Oriole team to win a WS trophy.

Sometimes I allow myself to just relax and enjoy what happened.

I loved that season. There is little better in life than to have your favorite team win it all when you're 12. That goes a long way towards explaining why I'm here on OH so much. But that doesn't mean it was inevitable, or that Joe Altobelli's job was trivial.

Man, this is exactly what I came in here to post. If he's 83 now, that means he was 51 when we won the Series in 83? Does that picture look like a 51 year old man? I would say he lived a rough life, but if he's still alive and kicking now, he must be doing something right.

Happy Birthday Joe!

Earl wasn't exactly looking like a spring chicken either through much of his managerial days. Which is ironic, because by the time he died I thought he looked pretty darn good for his age. I think Drungo said it right, the lifestyle for several decades does a number on the physical appearance.

Earl wasn't exactly looking like a spring chicken either through much of his managerial days. Which is ironic, because by the time he died I thought he looked pretty darn good for his age. I think Drungo said it right, the lifestyle for several decades does a number on the physical appearance.

When Earl was hired as the O's manager in '69 he was about to turn 39. Managed until he was 53, came back at what... 55-56? He kind of didn't age - I think he looked like an old 39, but didn't look that much older when he retired.

People of that generation aged faster because of all the stress they had to go through due to the Great Depression and World War 2. Case in point when the show All in the Family debuted Jean Stapleton was only 48 and Carroll O'Connor was 47 but looked much older than that.

People of that generation aged faster because of all the stress they had to go through due to the Great Depression and World War 2. Case in point when the show All in the Family debuted Jean Stapleton was only 48 and Carroll O'Connor was 47 but looked much older than that.

And most of them smoked