Felix Hernandez signs with O’s

[LTO's]

50 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Most overrated player ever.   But he did beat the Colts in SBIII, to my everlasting chagrin.   

It's crazy for someone who didn't watch football in that era to go back and look at QB stats. Terry Bradshaw had 2 more career TDs than INTs and had 6 seasons where he threw more INTs than TDs. Even Johnny U had a couple seasons with more INTs than TDs. If you even come close to that nowadays you're on the bench by your third game.

[DrungoHazewood]

31 minutes ago, LTO's said:

It's crazy for someone who didn't watch football in that era to go back and look at QB stats. Terry Bradshaw had 2 more career TDs than INTs and had 6 seasons where he threw more INTs than TDs. Even Johnny U had a couple seasons with more INTs than TDs. If you even come close to that nowadays you're on the bench by your third game.

Slingin' Sammy Baugh was -14 on TD-INT.  His rookie year ('37) he led the league in completions, attempts, yards, TD%, yards/attempt, yards/catch and yards/game, in a year where he was 81-for-171 in 11 games.  So in an average game he was 7-for-16 for 102 yards, with less than one TD and more than one INT.  That was arguably the best QB in the league.

It's also fun to look at old NFL kicking stats.  In 1940 the Cleveland Rams were 1-of-7 on field goals, a 23-yarder.  And 16-of-25 on extra points. It looks like the 1944 Bears didn't attempt a field goal all year, and that same year the Packers, Brooklyn Tigers, and the Chicago-Pittsburgh Cardinal-Steelers (war thing?) didn't make a field goal all year.

[Number5]

1 hour ago, LTO's said:

It's crazy for someone who didn't watch football in that era to go back and look at QB stats. Terry Bradshaw had 2 more career TDs than INTs and had 6 seasons where he threw more INTs than TDs. Even Johnny U had a couple seasons with more INTs than TDs. If you even come close to that nowadays you're on the bench by your third game.

Different rules made it a completely different game.  Defensive backs could hit the receivers all the way down the field until the pass was on its way.  No 5-yard illegal contact penalty.  Offensive linemen couldn't use their hands.  The standard way if blocking today was holding back then.  Heck, the officials today don't even call holding under today's rules most of the time.  (Unless the team I'm rooting for scores a touchdown.  )  The quarterbacks weren't protected from hits the way they are today.  Even throwing the ball away took skill, as a receiver had to be in the area to avoid intentional grounding.  No "outside of the tackle box."  For that matter, even encroachment was called differently.  If a defensive player jumped and got back before the snap, he was OK, as long as he didn't contact anybody.  If he caused an offensive player to move, the offensive player was called for a false start.  Those old rules favored the defense and today's rules are safer in general.  We really can't compare statistics between eras when the rules and conditions were so completely different.

[LTO's]

6 minutes ago, Number5 said:

Different rules made it a completely different game.  Defensive backs could hit the receivers all the way down the field until the pass was on its way.  No 5-yard illegal contact penalty.  Offensive linemen couldn't use their hands.  The standard way if blocking today was holding back then.  Heck, the officials today don't even call holding under today's rules most of the time.  (Unless the team I'm rooting for scores a touchdown.  )  The quarterbacks weren't protected from hits the way they are today.  Even throwing the ball away took skill, as a receiver had to be in the area to avoid intentional grounding.  No "outside of the tackle box."  For that matter, even encroachment was called differently.  If a defensive player jumped and got back before the snap, he was OK, as long as he didn't contact anybody.  If he caused an offensive player to move, the offensive player was called for a false start.  Those old rules favored the defense and today's rules are safer in general.  We really can't compare statistics between eras when the rules and conditions were so completely different.

Yeah, wow, that puts it into perspective. Most of those rules never made sense, but this one takes the cake for me. It always boggled my mind that this was ever a thing.

 

[OFFNY]

15 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

 

 

Reminds me of the great HOF Joe Namath and his legacy as a Los Angeles Ram.

 

o

 

10 years ago, Moose Milligan made a very interesting observation. He noted that seeing players like Joe Namath in a Rams uniform, Willie Mays in a Mets uniform, and Pete Rose in an Expos uniform were all examples of great players that were clearly past their primes that were just hanging on in the end of their careers ...... but seeing Reggie Jackson in an Orioles uniform was significantly different than those examples, because Reggie was in his prime while sporting that very unusual-looking uniform. Reggie had an excellent season for the Orioles that year. Even though he missed the first month of the season due to a contract holdout, he still led the American League in Slugging Percentage (.502), OPS+ (155), Power-Speed Combination (27.5), challenged for the league lead in Home Runs (27), and set a career-high in Stolen Bases (28.)

o

 

On 2/25/2011 at 8:15 AM, Moose Milligan said:

 

I remember being like, 11 or 12 when this card came out:

 

 

I remember seeing it and thinking it had to be a misprint, that upper deck was playing a joke or something. I asked my parents if Reggie ever played for the Orioles, they didn't remember. I forgot how I did my research at the time, but remember being shocked that it was true.

By all accounts, Reggie did play hard. Palmer has a couple anecdotes about him in that book he did about him and Earl Weaver, "Together we were eleven foot nine." Reggie called Palmer "Diamond Jim" and was clear to him that he knew he'd be in Baltimore for just one year.

Those pics in the OP are great. It's crazy seeing him in an Orioles uniform. Kinda like seeing Unitas in the Chargers powder blues, or Jim Brown in a Raiders uniform.

 

 

Or perhaps Willie Mays in his final days playing for the Mets.

 

This is pretty different, though.This is a HoF player who spent one year of his prime in one city. The ones I listed above were guys hanging on at the end of their careers ...... or in Brown's case, attempting a comeback. I think the thread title is perfect, it really is Reggie's forgotten season.

I can't think of anyone having a season that compares, really. One thing that did come to mind is Mike Piazza playing for the Marlins for about a week.

 

 

 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

22 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

10 years ago, Moose Milligan made a very interesting observation. He noted that seeing players like Joe Namath in a Rams uniform, Willie Mays in a Mets uniform, and Pete Rose in an Expos uniform were all examples of great players that were clearly past their primes that were just hanging on in the end of their careers ...... but seeing Reggie Jackson in an Orioles uniform was significantly different than those examples, because Reggie was in his prime while sporting that very unusual-looking uniform. Reggie had an excellent season for the Orioles that year. Even though he missed the first month of the season due to a contract holdout, he still led the American League in Slugging Percentage (.502), OPS+ (155), Power-Speed Combination (27.5), challenged for the league lead in Home Runs (27), and set a career-high in Stolen Bases (28.)

o

 

 

Mark Texeria's one season (which consisted about one calendar year over the course of two season) as a Brave and one third of a season as an Angel before signing with the evil empire compares closely to Reggie's stint as an Oriole.

[InsideCoroner]

At least we got to see some legends retire as Orioles. Ron Kittle, Greg Walker, and Keith Moreland all spring to mind. 

And while he didn’t retire as an Oriole, anyone remember reliever John Pacella, who appeared in 6 games for the O’s in 1984? He was the guy whose hat would fall off with each pitch. Almost every... single... pitch. I think the umpires only allowed it because he often got shelled. Too bad, they could have done a nice bobblehat figure for him. 

[VaBird1]

4 hours ago, InsideCoroner said:

At least we got to see some legends retire as Orioles. Ron Kittle, Greg Walker, and Keith Moreland all spring to mind. 

And while he didn’t retire as an Oriole, anyone remember reliever John Pacella, who appeared in 6 games for the O’s in 1984? He was the guy whose hat would fall off with each pitch. Almost every... single... pitch. I think the umpires only allowed it because he often got shelled. Too bad, they could have done a nice bobblehat figure for him. 

Don’t forget Jimmy Key!  And you  might want to forget Vlad

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

On 2/5/2021 at 12:53 PM, Number5 said:

Different rules made it a completely different game.  Defensive backs could hit the receivers all the way down the field until the pass was on its way.  No 5-yard illegal contact penalty.  Offensive linemen couldn't use their hands.  The standard way if blocking today was holding back then.  Heck, the officials today don't even call holding under today's rules most of the time.  (Unless the team I'm rooting for scores a touchdown.  )  The quarterbacks weren't protected from hits the way they are today.  Even throwing the ball away took skill, as a receiver had to be in the area to avoid intentional grounding.  No "outside of the tackle box."  For that matter, even encroachment was called differently.  If a defensive player jumped and got back before the snap, he was OK, as long as he didn't contact anybody.  If he caused an offensive player to move, the offensive player was called for a false start.  Those old rules favored the defense and today's rules are safer in general.  We really can't compare statistics between eras when the rules and conditions were so completely different.

Legal hits by defensive players back in the 1970's would get players suspended for the season in the NFL today. Even up through the 90's and 2000's players would get concussed and keep playing in during the game. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

4 hours ago, InsideCoroner said:

At least we got to see some legends retire as Orioles. Ron Kittle, Greg Walker, and Keith Moreland all spring to mind. 

And while he didn’t retire as an Oriole, anyone remember reliever John Pacella, who appeared in 6 games for the O’s in 1984? He was the guy whose hat would fall off with each pitch. Almost every... single... pitch. I think the umpires only allowed it because he often got shelled. Too bad, they could have done a nice bobblehat figure for him. 

Keith Moreland looked like he was being forced at gunpoint to play after being traded to the Orioles. He should have just retired or refused the trade. 

[OFFNY]

On 2/5/2021 at 1:25 PM, LTO's said:

Yeah, wow, that puts it into perspective. Most of those rules never made sense, but this one takes the cake for me. It always boggled my mind that this was ever a thing.

 

o

 

I saw that happen live on TV, when I was in 2nd grade in January of 1973.

The receiver (Jerry Smith) was open for the touchdown, but the goalposts became the Dolphins' 12th man on that particular play. 

Incidentally, the Redskins wound up losing that game by 7 points.

 

o

[OFFNY]

o

 

This information is from another thread, in regard to when Kirk Cousins set multiple Redskins/Washington Football Team records in the 2015 season. It not only notes the major rule changes for quarterbacks and their receivers which began in the 1974 season, but it also takes into consideration the fact that fewer games were played in the past. Prior to 1978, the NFL (and the AFL) played 14-game seasons  ........ something to keep in mind when considering Joe Namath being the first quarterback ever to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season in 1967, and OJ Simpson gaining more than 2,000 yards rushing in a single season (to this day, Simpson remains the only running back ever to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in only 14 games. Everybody who has done it since did so in either the 15th or the 16th game of the season.)

 

https://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/index.php?/topic/23222-kirk-cousins-redskins-qb-history/#comments

 

 

A) ) Prior to 1974, a defensive player could hit a receiver an unlimited number of times downfield, so long as the ball was not in the air.

Starting in 1974, the most severe rule change regarding pass receivers and defenders was enacted ...... a player could only make contact one time beyond 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. This makes one appreciate what Otto Graham, Johnny Unitas, Fran Tarkenton, Bart Starr, Sonny Jurgensen, etc. accomplished. These quarterbacks all had most or all of their careers played prior to the 1974 season.

B)  ) In 1977, the rule was amended to aid the pass receivers yet again. Starting that season, a defender could only make contact with a receiver one time overall ...... whether it be within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage or further downfield.

C)  ) In 1978, the rule was amended to aid the pass receivers yet again. Starting that season, a defender could make contact with a receiver only one time, and within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. If the defender made contact with a receiver 6 yards or more from the line of scrimmage, it was now considered pass interference, even if the ball was not yet in the air.

 

*****************************************

 

Since the early-to-mid 2000's, more rule changes protecting both the receivers and the quarterbacks has allowed offensive statistics to increase even higher than they already had been.

 

 

REDSKINS FRANCHISE RECORDS )))))) (1932-2015)

 

AT LEAST 1 TD PASS IN EVERY GAME IN A SEASON

Kirk Cousins (2015)

Sonny Jurgensen (1967) ) *

* )  14-Game Season

 

300-YARD GAMES IN A SEASON

Kirk Cousins - 7 (2015)

Mark Rypien - 5 (1989)

Jay Schroeder - 5 (1986)

Sonny Jurgensen - 5 (1967) )  *

* )  14-Game Season

 

MOST PASSING YARDS IN A SEASON

Kirk Cousins - 4,166 (2015)

Jay Schroeder - 4,109 (1986)

Brad Johnson - 4,005 (1999)

Mark Rypien - 3,768 (1989)

Sonny Jurgensen - 3,747 (1967) )  *

Joe Theismann - 3,714 (1983)

* )  14-Game Season

 

MOST COMPLETIONS IN A SEASON

Kirk Cousins - 379 (2015)

Jason Campbell - 327 (2009)

Brad Johnson - 316 (1999)

Jason Campbell - 315 (2008)

 

o

[Sports Guy]

 

[OldNewGuy]

Prior to 1962 the NFL played a 12 game season. Season was over after the new year started. Left an almost three month stretch before spring training got under way and some sport might be on the 13" B&W tv in April. Those were tough days.

[Moose Milligan]

On 2/6/2021 at 10:39 AM, InsideCoroner said:

At least we got to see some legends retire as Orioles. Ron Kittle, Greg Walker, and Keith Moreland all spring to mind. 

And while he didn’t retire as an Oriole, anyone remember reliever John Pacella, who appeared in 6 games for the O’s in 1984? He was the guy whose hat would fall off with each pitch. Almost every... single... pitch. I think the umpires only allowed it because he often got shelled. Too bad, they could have done a nice bobblehat figure for him. 

Dwight Evans.  I was 9 when they got him but I was very excited.  I realized he was old, but not THAT old and at the end of his line.  That became glaringly apparent in the summer of '91.