The 100 Most Significant Dates in Modern Orioles History

[bobmc]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

Felix Pie's cycle.

That or the Trumbo Pie incident - to keep Pie in the news....

[Frobby]

I’m going with Jeff Stone dropping a fly ball with two outs in the bottom of the 9th to extend the 1988 losing streak.  

[Moose Milligan]

15 hours ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

What's left for number one?

'66 World Series? First title.  Palmer beating Koufax.

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

'66 World Series? First title.  Palmer beating Koufax.

It’s either no. 1, or not in the top 100, so I guess we can guess which.  

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, Frobby said:

It’s either no. 1, or not in the top 100, so I guess we can guess which.  

Yep.

Gonna start working on my top 10 or so, curious to see what yours is. 

[Frobby]

16 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Yep.

Gonna start working on my top 10 or so, curious to see what yours is. 

Yeah, I want to go back and look, too.   SteveA did an awesome job, but I’d move a few things around a bit.   

[SteveA]

It's 1 day until pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota.  Here's the #1 most significant date in modern Orioles history:

#1 October 9, 1966

The Orioles' acquisition of Frank Robinson put them over the top in the American League.  Frank won the 1966 Triple Crown and led the team to the American League Pennant.

But the Orioles were still considered underdogs to the NL Champion LA Dodgers, the defending World Champions with one of the best 1-2 starting pitcher combos of all time in Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

In the first game in Los Angeles, Dave McNally faced off with Don Drysdale.  The Orioles struck first, as a 1 out walk in the top of the first was followed by back to back home runs by Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson for a 3-0 lead.  Russ Snyder's RBI single made it 4-0 in the 2rd.

Jim LeFebvre's HR put the Dodgers on the board in the bottom of the 2nd.  The Dodgers could have scored more that inning, but fan interference by an LA fan kept a possible triple as a 2 base hit, and Russ Snyder made an excellent catch to escape the jam.  McNally couldn't escape the 3th though, walking the bases loaded.  Moe Drabowsky came in and got out of the jam, but not before walking in a run to make it 4-2.  Drabwosky pitched the rest of the game, 6.2 innings of shutout relief, and the Orioles wound up winning 5-2.

Game 2 matched veteran lefty Sandy Koufax, perhaps the best lefty in major league history, vs 20 year old Jim Palmer.  The pitchers' duel was scoreless into the 5th, when the Orioles scored 3 runs thanks in part to a couple poor defensivep lays by Dodger CF Willie Davis.  That would be more than enough as Palmer became the youngets player ever to throw a complete game shutout in the World Series, a 4 hitter, and the Orioles won 6-0.

On Saturday, October 8, postseason baseball came to Baltimore for the first time ever.  Oriole starter Wally Bunker pitched a complete game 6 hit shutout.  Dodger starter Claude Osteen was nearly as good, but he allowed a 5th inning home run to Paul Blair, which turned out to be the only run of the game.  THe Orioles won 1-0 and were one game away from the World Championship.

Game 4 matched McNally and Drysdale again.  They would both pitch complete games and each would allow only 4 hits.  And once again it would be a 1-0 game.  Frank Robinson's home run in the 4th inning was the only run of the day and McNally made it stand up.  When McNally got Lou Johnson to fly out with 2 outs and 2 on in the 9th inning, the Orioles were Champions of the World for the first time ever!

Oriole pitching allowed just 3 runs in the series, all in the first 3 innings of game 1.   They shut out the Dodgers for hte last 33 innings, a feat that has never been matched in World Series history and probably never will.  Frank Robinson added to his many honors with a World Series MVP.  The Orioles were the first AL team other than the Yankees to win a World Series in 18 years.  

Twelve years after arriving in Baltimore, the Orioles were on top of the baseball world and would remain at or near the top for the next 18 years.

[Moose Milligan]

Didn't realize they were the first AL team other than the Yankees to win a WS in 18 years.

Always liked that Palmer defeated Koufax in Koufax's last game.  Not sure if there's ever been a WS matchup equal to that, with a rookie pitcher who'd go on to win 3 Cy Youngs matching up against a true legend in his last start.  

[Moshagge3]

It probably helped a lot that the Dodgers were in a much tighter race and didn't actually clinch the NL pennant until the last day of the season, a doubleheader in which Drysdale pitched the first game and Koufax pitched the second game. Therefore, Drysdale was pitching on two days' rest in Game 1 and Koufax on three days' rest in Game 2 (this after Koufax had already pitched on two days' rest in that doubleheader!). I'm sure Sandy K. was secretly relieved the Series didn't go to a Game 5.

[Pheasants]

32 minutes ago, Moshagge3 said:

It probably helped a lot that the Dodgers were in a much tighter race and didn't actually clinch the NL pennant until the last day of the season, a doubleheader in which Drysdale pitched the first game and Koufax pitched the second game. Therefore, Drysdale was pitching on two days' rest in Game 1 and Koufax on three days' rest in Game 2 (this after Koufax had already pitched on two days' rest in that doubleheader!). I'm sure Sandy K. was secretly relieved the Series didn't go to a Game 5.

In those days, three days rest was normal--4 man rotations.

[Redskins Rick]

59 minutes ago, Pheasants said:

In those days, three days rest was normal--4 man rotations.

Pitching on 2 days rest for a big game, was not that uncommon in that ERA. Gibson did it and I am many others.

[Number5]

1 hour ago, Moshagge3 said:

It probably helped a lot that the Dodgers were in a much tighter race and didn't actually clinch the NL pennant until the last day of the season, a doubleheader in which Drysdale pitched the first game and Koufax pitched the second game. Therefore, Drysdale was pitching on two days' rest in Game 1 and Koufax on three days' rest in Game 2 (this after Koufax had already pitched on two days' rest in that doubleheader!). I'm sure Sandy K. was secretly relieved the Series didn't go to a Game 5.

The Dodgers' pitchers did fine.  Excellent, in fact.  It's just that the Orioles' pitchers were unbelievable.  The Dodgers never scored after the third inning of the first game.  Really an astounding performance by the Orioles pitching staff that will probably never be matched in a World Series.

[Redskins Rick]

Found this gem:

 

[Frobby]

20 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Pitching on 2 days rest for a big game, was not that uncommon in that ERA. Gibson did it and I am many others.

I remember that Jim Lonborg went on 2 days’ rest in Game 7 of the 1967 Series, and Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich each went on 2 days’ rest in Games 6 and 7 of the 1968 Series.    Both Lonborg and Lolich faced Gibson, who was going on regular 3 days’ rest each time.    Pitching on 2 days’ rest isn’t something you want to make a habit of.

Koufax pitched 66 innings between Sept. 3 and Oct. 2, preceding his WS start, pitching five complete games in his final six starts (and 8 innings in the other).    Alston rode him very hard.    

 

[Redskins Rick]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

I remember that Jim Lonborg went on 2 days’ rest in Game 7 of the 1967 Series, and Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich each went on 2 days’ rest in Games 6 and 7 of the 1968 Series.    Both Lonborg and Lolich faced Gibson, who was going on regular 3 days’ rest each time.    Pitching on 2 days’ rest isn’t something you want to make a habit of.

Koufax pitched 66 innings between Sept. 3 and Oct. 2, preceding his WS start, pitching five complete games in his final six starts (and 8 innings in the other).    Alston rode him very hard.    

 

I remember Randy Johnson pitching on short rest, and even throwing relief inning, if my memory doesn't fail me.

Alston rode him hard, and Koufax put on his superman cape and carried the team on his back, too.