The 100 Most Significant Dates in Modern Orioles History

[Redskins Rick]

8 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The Orioles had a winning record in 1985 (83-78).     The losing didn’t start until 1986.

I remember that year, we had such high aspirations too. I mean, of course, as fans, we always do, but on paper, we thought it was unstoppable.

[SteveA]

44 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The Orioles had a winning record in 1985 (83-78).     The losing didn’t start until 1986.

Thanks, fixed it.

[OFFNY]

8 hours ago, Frobby said:

 

The Orioles had a winning record in 1985 (83-78 with 1 Rainout). The losing didn’t start until 1986.

 

o

 

Mighty Mike Young's best season.

Also, in the game in which Eddie Murray hit 3 home runs and came close to hitting a 4th (he hit a long fly ball out in his 5th plate appearance, and was walked in his 6th and final plate appearance), there was an article written about it up here in New York State in The Reporter Dispatch newspaper. Murray stated that he was generally known as a fastball hitter, so in that particular game he just decided that he was going to "Wait on some slower stuff and try to time it", correctly presuming that the opposing pitcher(s) would avoid throwing him the heater.

 

o

[SteveA]

It's 41 days until pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota.   Here is the 41st most significant date in modern Orioles history

#41 December 4, 1988

Eddie Murray is one of the greatest Orioles of all time.  He burst on the scene unexpectedly as a rookie in 1977, forcing his way on the team with a great Grapefruit League performance when most thought he would go to AAA Rochester after spending 1976 in Charlotte.  He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1977, and over the next 8 years he received more MVP botes than any other player in the American League, finishing 2nd twice, 4th once, 5th once, and 6th once.  He had a consecutive games streak of 444 games.

The big switch hitter also won 3 Gold Gloves at first base, and in his first 9 years as an Oriole, he hit between 25 and 33 home runs every year (except strike shortened 1981 when he led the AL with 22), earning the nickname Steady Eddie.  BBRef shows him as being worth 56 WAR in his first 11 years as an Oriole.

By all accounts, Eddie was a great guy, beloved by all his teammates.  Cal Ripken says he learned a lot from Eddie.  But Eddie did not like to talk to reporters.  Early in his career he had some bad experiences with reporters, including well known NY columnist Dick Young painting an untrue picture in his column of Eddie's family and the neighborhood he grew up in.  Eddie reacted by speaking to reporters as little as possible.  As a result, he did not always get favorable coverage.

Furthermore, Eddie's deameanor on the field was calm, and at times almost appeared disinterested.  Between plays he would stand at first base with his arms folded across his chest.  He rarely smiled on the field.  And occasionally he didn't run out every ground ball.  Which is probably true of most players, but when you already have a mental impression of someone as being aloof and unemotional, you are more likely to notice the occasional lack of hustle.  As the Orioles sunk into losing after decades of winning, a bunch of fans on the first base side began vocally harrassing Eddie during games, and some of the heckling was racially based.

The majority of Baltimore fans still supported Eddie, but those that didn't were most vocal.  And no one in the press would stand up and write a column in support of Murray because he had made an enemy of them too.  And club officials felt that as he had passed 30 years old, he had slacked off on conditioning and his defense was suffering.

After the horrific 1988 season, on December 4, the Orioles dealt Eddie to the Dodgers for shortstop prospect Juan Bell, soft tossing pitcher Brian Holton, and pitcher Ken Howell.  (Four days later they dealt Howell and a minor leaguer to the Phillies to get outfielder Phil Bradley).

The return from the trade was moderate.  Bradley was a solid every day player on the Orioles exciting 1989 "Why Not" team but was gone before 1990 had ended. Holton had two years with the Orioles as a part time starter and reliever, with an ERA over 4 both years.  The Orioles hoped Bell was the shorstop of the future that would allow Cal to move back to 3rd base, but he never made it as a major leaguer.  Over 7 years with the Orioles and other teams he accumulated 940 at bats but had a miniscule .583 OPS.

Meanwhile, Eddie was for the most part in decline due to age and, with the exception of one great year with the Dodgers in 1990, was never the superstar that he had been throughout his Oriole career.  As detailed earlier in this Top 100 list he eventually returned to Baltimore to hit his 500th home run and put a cap on a first ballot Hall of Fame career.  His bust in Cooperstown has an Oriole cap, #33 has been retired, and he has been honored with a statue along with the other primary Oriole Hall of Famers.

But in 1988 the divorce between the Orioles, their fans, and Eddie, was painful and marked the end of an era.  The young superstar who used to wear a necklace that said "Just Regular" and would say "It's great to be young and an Oriole", left under sad circumstances.

[foxfield]

This is pure gold.  I want an autographed copy of the book please.  I will even root for VT for an entire year if I can have one.  

[bobmc]

29 minutes ago, foxfield said:

This is pure gold.  I want an autographed copy of the book please.  I will even root for VT for an entire year if I can have one.  

The Catamounts?  

 

I remember Dick Young being a "god" in NY when I grew up there.  Never realized he was the main "bad guy".

[foxfield]

1 minute ago, bobmc said:

The Catamounts?  

Hokies, but if the Vermont Catamounts get me a book, well sure!  Lol!

[Redskins Rick]

8 hours ago, SteveA said:

It's 41 days until pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota.   Here is the 41st most significant date in modern Orioles history

#41 December 4, 1988

Eddie Murray is one of the greatest Orioles of all time.  He burst on the scene unexpectedly as a rookie in 1977, forcing his way on the team with a great Grapefruit League performance when most thought he would go to AAA Rochester after spending 1976 in Charlotte.  He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1977, and over the next 8 years he received more MVP botes than any other player in the American League, finishing 2nd twice, 4th once, 5th once, and 6th once.  He had a consecutive games streak of 444 games.

The big switch hitter also won 3 Gold Gloves at first base, and in his first 9 years as an Oriole, he hit between 25 and 33 home runs every year (except strike shortened 1981 when he led the AL with 22), earning the nickname Steady Eddie.  BBRef shows him as being worth 56 WAR in his first 11 years as an Oriole.

By all accounts, Eddie was a great guy, beloved by all his teammates.  Cal Ripken says he learned a lot from Eddie.  But Eddie did not like to talk to reporters.  Early in his career he had some bad experiences with reporters, including well known NY columnist Dick Young painting an untrue picture in his column of Eddie's family and the neighborhood he grew up in.  Eddie reacted by speaking to reporters as little as possible.  As a result, he did not always get favorable coverage.

Furthermore, Eddie's deameanor on the field was calm, and at times almost appeared disinterested.  Between plays he would stand at first base with his arms folded across his chest.  He rarely smiled on the field.  And occasionally he didn't run out every ground ball.  Which is probably true of most players, but when you already have a mental impression of someone as being aloof and unemotional, you are more likely to notice the occasional lack of hustle.  As the Orioles sunk into losing after decades of winning, a bunch of fans on the first base side began vocally harrassing Eddie during games, and some of the heckling was racially based.

The majority of Baltimore fans still supported Eddie, but those that didn't were most vocal.  And no one in the press would stand up and write a column in support of Murray because he had made an enemy of them too.  And club officials felt that as he had passed 30 years old, he had slacked off on conditioning and his defense was suffering.

After the horrific 1988 season, on December 4, the Orioles dealt Eddie to the Dodgers for shortstop prospect Juan Bell, soft tossing pitcher Brian Holton, and pitcher Ken Howell.  (Four days later they dealt Howell and a minor leaguer to the Phillies to get outfielder Phil Bradley).

The return from the trade was moderate.  Bradley was a solid every day player on the Orioles exciting 1989 "Why Not" team but was gone before 1990 had ended. Holton had two years with the Orioles as a part time starter and reliever, with an ERA over 4 both years.  The Orioles hoped Bell was the shorstop of the future that would allow Cal to move back to 3rd base, but he never made it as a major leaguer.  Over 7 years with the Orioles and other teams he accumulated 940 at bats but had a miniscule .583 OPS.

Meanwhile, Eddie was for the most part in decline due to age and, with the exception of one great year with the Dodgers in 1990, was never the superstar that he had been throughout his Oriole career.  As detailed earlier in this Top 100 list he eventually returned to Baltimore to hit his 500th home run and put a cap on a first ballot Hall of Fame career.  His bust in Cooperstown has an Oriole cap, #33 has been retired, and he has been honored with a statue along with the other primary Oriole Hall of Famers.

But in 1988 the divorce between the Orioles, their fans, and Eddie, was painful and marked the end of an era.  The young superstar who used to wear a necklace that said "Just Regular" and would say "It's great to be young and an Oriole", left under sad circumstances.

A terrible decision by the team at the time, and the vocal minority fans were clueless. I feel the same way about those claiming Manny is fat and needs to lose weight.

[SteveA]

It's 40 days until pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota.  Here is the 40th most significant date in modern Orioles history.

#40 August 1, 2005

2005 was going to be the year the Orioles ended their skein of losing seasons.  They had acquired an MVP caliber player in Miguel Tejada, and solid veteran hitters Javy Lopez, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro.  Steady Rodrigo Lopez and Bruce Chen headed the rotation, with promising younger starters Sidney Ponson, Erik Bedard, and Daniel Cabrera working their way into the mix, and top prospect Hayden Penn waiting in the wings.  Flamethrowing BJ Ryan anchored the bullpen.

And the season got off to a fantastic start.   In late June, the Orioles were 41-27 and in first place!  

Adding to the excitement was Rafael Palmeiro's chase of history.... he was trying to join WIllie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Eddie Murray as the only players ever to get 500 home runs and 3000 hits.  He had the homers, and in his triumphant return to Baltimore he was now chasing that 3000th hit.  He notched the milestone on July 15 in Seattle.

The Orioles had slumped a bit and fallen out of first place, but on the night Raffy hit #3000, the Orioles won their 4th straight and their record climbed to 49-40, and they were just a game out of first place.

Then things started going wrong.  The Orioles lost 13 of their next 15 games and pretty much fell out of the race.  Then, on August 1, the news broke that Palmeiro had been the first player in major league history to be suspended for a positive steroid test, under the new rules that had been agreed upon to try to rid the game of the dangerous performance enhancing drugs.

Just a few months earlier, Palmeiro, who had been implicated as a steroid user in Jose Canseco's tell-all book, had vehemently denied ever using them.  He had testified under oath before a Congressional committee and denied ever using steroids.  Now he looked like a huge hypocrite.  The news was on front pages across the nation.

It turned out that Palmeiro (and the Orioles) had known of the upcoming suspension for some time as Palmeiro went through the appeal process and was denied.  Whether that knowledge affected the team and was a factor in the losing stretch, we will never know.  After the news broke, the Orioles added 3 more losses to the losing streak.  Manager Lee Mazzilli was fired and replaced by Sam Perlozzo.  The collapse was complete, the Orioles were 10.5 games back and an incredibly promising season had imploded completely.

Palmeiro returned from the suspension still absolutely denying that he ever knowingly used steroids.  But he would only go 2 for 26 the remainder of the season and his career was over.  One of only four players to get 500 home runs and 3000 hits, Rafael Palmeiro hasn't come close to getting into the Hall of Fame, and to most fans now he is nothing more than a symbol of the steroid era.  And instead of being the year the Orioles finally broke through again, 2005 became the first of six consecutive years of declining records by the team, tying a 100 year old major league record for getting worse 6 years in a row.  The losing stretch, which stood at 7 seasons in 2005, would double to 14 before the O's would post a winning record.

[Moose Milligan]

I had just graduated college that spring and was in real estate training school and had just gotten in my car to head to class that morning when I heard it on the radio.  Had just pulled out of the driveway and turned onto the street and had to pull over.  Remembered that like it was yesterday.

I loved Raffy, I think we all did.  His first tour of duty with us was dynamite, there was such a...thrill that he brought to the team, a sense that the Orioles were going for it and this was a guy that could really help us compete.  That long, smooth, beautiful lefty swing and good defense at first.  Everyone loved that guy.

And then we felt a sting when he took less money to go to back to Texas.  I don't think anyone really held it against him too much, he had spent so much time there and maintained a house there.  It certainly didn't burn like when Mussina left to go to the Yankees.  

But he came back and all seemed to be forgiven.  No one expected him to reach the levels that he did in his first stint in Baltimore where he averaged a .916 OPS and 36 homers a year but we all knew he wasn't going to be a wash, either.  

It was exciting to see him chase 3,000 hits in Baltimore.  That 2005 season wasn't great for him, I remember him kind of limping to the finish line to reach that milestone.  I also remember reading an article but the king of dumbasses, Skip Bayless, and getting heated that people didn't think he was a Hall of Famer.   For a fun piece of reading from that summer, click here:  http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/050715 That dolt pauses to think that Eddie Murray is a Hall of Famer in the 7th paragraph.  

Of course we all remember that day in court where he wagged his finger at the panel members.  I think we all believed him.  I know I did.

No one liked Canseco.  No one wanted to believe that Canseco was telling the truth.  But McGwire hung himself out to dry that day and Sammy Sosa suddenly forgot how to speak English.  Those guys looked like clowns, but not Raffy.  And yet, looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight he looked just as guilty as the rest.  We were all just too close to see it at the time.

Turns out Canseco was telling the truth.  Just because your a douchebag and a blowhard doesn't make you a liar.  No one wanted to believe him for a myriad of reasons but he wasn't wrong.  

Raffy and the Orioles broke my heart that summer.  I think Raffy and the Orioles broke everyone's heart.  I was about to turn 24 in September that year and that's an interesting age to be a sports fan, particularly at that period in baseball history.  I'd grown past the wide eyed years of being a kid and then a teenager where these guys were larger than life and could do no wrong and had entered a stage where I was jaded under the suspicion of the steroid era.  No one was safe, certainly not Bonds, McGwire, Sosa.  Yeah, it was easy to look at those guys and assume guilt.  Anyone who popped out of nowhere and produced big homer numbers was automatically a suspect.

But not MY guys.  Not OUR guys.  I was still clinging to that last little bit of early age naivety that summer when that news broke.  I thought that somehow the Orioles could make a miraculous run that year and that Raffy was clean.

God, the rest of that summer was so terrible.  Raffy coming to the plate with earplugs was, to this day, one of the sorriest and most pathetic things I've ever seen in sports.  He went from a guy who was perhaps having a graceful exit to his career to being a complete joke.  The team collapsed.  Mazz got fired, people liked Perlozzo but whatever.

I'll never forget pulling out of the driveway that morning and hearing that news.  I don't think I've ever looked at ballplayers the same way since.  Baseball fans in general might point to the pre-steroid era and the post-steroid era.  But if you're an Orioles fan you might think of it as pre-Raffy and post-Raffy.

[OFFNY]

o

 

On Bill Maher's show a while back, Jose Canseco made an assertion as to why Palmeiro would make a fool of himself by pointing his finger and saying, "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never" ...... knowing that he had already tested positive, and that he would ultimately look like a liar and a jerk.

At the time of his Congressional hearing finger point, Palmeiro was just a tad shy of 3,000 hits (2,922.) He had already achieved more than 500 HR's, and was on the verge of joining Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Eddie Murray as the only members (at the time) of the 500-HR/3,000-Hit Club. Major League Baseball/the commissioner told him that they would allow him to play long enough to reach those milestones if he would be "The Fall Guy" with his finger-pointing act. Subsequently, Palmeiro agreed and went along with it ...... and was not "outed" by MLB until August 1st of 2005, after he had reached his 3,000 hits goal.

If Canseco's claim is indeed true, then it was probably was not worth it for Palmeiro to do what he did. He probably should have told MLB "No dice", and let them suspend him without him reaching the 3,000-hit milestone. I don't think that all of the ridicule and complete loss of credibility that he sustained was worth it, although Palmeiro himself may feel differently.

 

o

[SteveA]

19 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

On Bill Maher's show a while back, Jose Canseco made an assertion as to why Palmeiro would make a fool of himself by pointing his finger and saying, "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never" ...... knowing that he had already tested positive, and that he would ultimately look like a liar and a jerk.

At the time of his Congressional hearing finger point, Palmeiro was just a tad shy of 3,000 hits (2,922.) He had already achieved more than 500 HR's, and was on the verge of joining Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Eddie Murray as the only members (at the time) of the 500-HR/3,000-Hit Club. Major League Baseball/the commissioner told him that they would allow him to play long enough to reach those milestones if he would be "The Fall Guy" with his finger-pointing act. Subsequently, Palmeiro agreed and went along with it ...... and was not "outed" by MLB until August 1st of 2005, after he had reached his 3,000 hits goal.

If Canseco's claim is indeed true, then it was probably was not worth it for Palmeiro to do what he did. He probably should have told MLB "No dice", and let them suspend him without him reaching the 3,000-hit milestone. I don't think that all of the ridicule and complete loss of credibility that he sustained was worth it, although Palmeiro himself may feel differently.

 

o

What would be in it for MLB to have him do that (testify knowing he had failed a test and was going to be suspended).   I don't see their motivation.   It just brought more spotlight on the scandal when the guy who claimed to be the one honest player turned out to be lying.   I don't see what MLB gained.

[OFFNY]

3 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

On Bill Maher's show a while back, Jose Canseco made an assertion as to why Palmeiro would make a fool of himself by pointing his finger and saying, "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never" ...... knowing that he had already tested positive, and that he would ultimately look like a liar and a jerk.

At the time of his Congressional hearing finger point, Palmeiro was just a tad shy of 3,000 hits (2,922.) He had already achieved more than 500 HR's, and was on the verge of joining Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Eddie Murray as the only members (at the time) of the 500-HR/3,000-Hit Club. Major League Baseball/the commissioner told him that they would allow him to play long enough to reach those milestones if he would be "The Fall Guy" with his finger-pointing act. Subsequently, Palmeiro agreed and went along with it ...... and was not "outed" by MLB until August 1st of 2005, after he had reached his 3,000 hits goal.

If Canseco's claim is indeed true, then it was probably was not worth it for Palmeiro to do what he did. He probably should have told MLB "No dice", and let them suspend him without him reaching the 3,000-hit milestone. I don't think that all of the ridicule and complete loss of credibility that he sustained was worth it, although Palmeiro himself may feel differently.

 

o

 

 

3 hours ago, SteveA said:

 

What would be in it for MLB to have him do that (testify knowing he had failed a test and was going to be suspended).   I don't see their motivation.   It just brought more spotlight on the scandal when the guy who claimed to be the one honest player turned out to be lying.   I don't see what MLB gained.

 

o

 

It would/might make Palmeiro appear to be  "a very rare, bad apple" among a very large group (750 or so MLB Players.) MLB was claiming that in their estimation, only about 5% of the players in the Majors were using PED's (while Canseco's estimate was a much more realistic 50%.) And perhaps more significantly, it also generally put a lot of (negative) spotlight on Palmeiro, which would (in the short run) take some of the spotlight off of MLB and its own neglect in the entire matter. If you recall the atmosphere at that time, all that everybody was talking about in the immediate aftermath was Palmeiro and the gazillion "Read my lips" jokes that accompanied it (in addition to McGwire and his crying and Sosa and his supposed inability to understand English.) So at that time you had 2 big weasels and one big liar whom were taking most of the brunt of the public scrutiny/ridicule ........ MLB, according to Canseco, made absolutely sure that they had the one big liar thrown under the bus.

 

Granted that in the long run, it didn't dissuade the public at-large from viewing MLB as being just as guilty as the steroid users themselves in their choice to turn a blind eye to it all ........ but considering that it came from Canseco, who has been proven to be correct time and again with his assertions on the matter, I buy it/can see the abstract benefit that MLB would try to get in the process.

 

o

[BarclaySouthway]

This is one of the best threads on the Hangout ever.  But a lot of these dates are sad!  I guess the top 30 or so are good memories?

[Frobby]

I’d probably rank Raffygate higher than this.    The following year, attendance dropped by 470,000, the biggest single season drop in Orioles history (except the strike-shortened seasons).     Attendance has never again reached 2005 levels.   For me, it was the lowest point in my 51 years as an Orioles fan.