Orioles All-Time "Last Gasp" Team, Part 2 (OF/DH)

[Maverick Hiker]

Fred Lynn..I recall people at work thinking the Orioles would head back to WS after he was signed, a couple of years after they won it all  in '83.

[half hop]

Will...The Thrill...Clark

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by half hop

[HarlowFan]

This is a pretty interesting topic. I contribute Lonnie Smith and Rich Amaral to the list.

[PaulFolk]

15 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Bobby Bo?

I don't think he qualifies. Bonilla played another four years and 460 games after he left the Orioles.

[Chuck A]

On 3/14/2020 at 9:53 PM, Maverick Hiker said:

Fred Lynn..I recall people at work thinking the Orioles would head back to WS after he was signed, a couple of years after they won it all  in '83.

Pretty sure Fred Lynn played here for a few years.  Not great but not terrible as these others were.  He just played on some bad O's teams.

[DrungoHazewood]

- Lee Lacy, signed for his age 37-39 seasons, the last of a 16-year career

- Ron Washington played one awful, partial age-35 season for the O's but somehow came back for parts of two more years with the Indians and Astros.

- Greg Walker had three 20+ homer seasons for the White Sox in the 80s, but the last 5-for-34 stint of his career was for the 1990 Orioles.

- Of course Dewey spent his last year of a long, near-HOF career with the O's.

- Jarvis Brown was something of a prospect in the early 90s (#9 overall pick in '86), ended his career with a 4-for-27 run for the '95 O's.

- Jerome Walton, '89 ROY, played 26 undistinguished games for the '97 Orioles, but got into a few more the next year with the Devil Rays.

[HarlowFan]

Here's a couple more:

ernie whitt - 90s catcher who might be a stretch 
nelson briles - mid/late 70s pitcher
tommy harper - mid 70s outfielder 

 

[LA2]

Jim Northrup. I was a fan of Northrup during his fine career with the Tigers, mainly in RF/LF for roughly 10 seasons (1964 cup of coffee to '74). Very good eye, smooth swing, dependable fielder with a good arm, and decent left-handed power (16-24 home runs five times during his peak). He played in 84 games mainly in CF (!) for the O's during his last full season in 1975: .273 /.348 /.418 / .766, with 5 homers, 13 doubles, 23 walks/22 Ks in 221 PAs. Respectable end to a career played mainly in the shadow of the likes of Willie Horton, Norm Cash, Al Kaline, and Bill Freehan despite his sometimes better stats.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

15 hours ago, HarlowFan said:

Here's a couple more:

ernie whitt - 90s catcher who might be a stretch 
nelson briles - mid/late 70s pitcher
tommy harper - mid 70s outfielder 

 

I forgot about Whitt. He was a very solid catcher in the 80's for the Blue Jays and was completely done by 1991 for the Orioles. 

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

I forgot about Whitt. He was a very solid catcher in the 80's for the Blue Jays and was completely done by 1991 for the Orioles. 

Part of a semi-famous platoon with Buck Martinez.  In the 1980s you could be a famous platoon.  Lowenstein/Roenicke.  Iorg/Mulliniks.  Dodo bird level of extinct now.

[DrungoHazewood]

17 hours ago, HarlowFan said:

tommy harper - mid 70s outfielder 

Between Tommy Harper and Tommy Davis the Orioles apparently valued having the name Tommy over being able to hit when filling the DH role in the early years of the rule.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

19 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Part of a semi-famous platoon with Buck Martinez.  In the 1980s you could be a famous platoon.  Lowenstein/Roenicke.  Iorg/Mulliniks.  Dodo bird level of extinct now.

That luxury went away as pitching staffs ballooned to 12 and 13 pitchers. Now you need utility players who can play several positions in the field. Instead of being able to take an outfield spot and play matchup ball with the opposing pitcher. 

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Between Tommy Harper and Tommy Davis the Orioles apparently valued having the name Tommy over being able to hit when filling the DH role in the early years of the rule.

It’s funny.   I perceived Davis to be a very good DH at the time.  BA was still considered very important, and he hit .306, .289 and .283 for us.   He led the team in RBI in ‘73 (89) and ‘74 (84).     Throw in the fact that we won the division those two years and he seemed quite productive.    I was actually surprised to look back and see how little power he had.    I didn’t remember it that way.

[DrungoHazewood]

45 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It’s funny.   I perceived Davis to be a very good DH at the time.  BA was still considered very important, and he hit .306, .289 and .283 for us.   He led the team in RBI in ‘73 (89) and ‘74 (84).     Throw in the fact that we won the division those two years and he seemed quite productive.    I was actually surprised to look back and see how little power he had.    I didn’t remember it that way.

In '74 he had almost 700 plate appearances, nearly all as a DH, and he had 32 extra base hits and 34 walks.  It was a down offensive year.  Dick Allen led the AL with 32 homers, and nobody had 40 doubles.

[Moose Milligan]

I couldn't understand why Dwight Evans wasn't good for us.  I was 9.

Shoutout to @DrungoHazewood for the Rance Mulliniks mention.  Any day is a good day when Rance Mulliniks gets mentioned.