Grandpa, Tell Me About the 1983 World Series Team

[Billy F-Face3]

With the 40th Anniversary festivities going on at Camden Yards right now, what are some of your favorite memories of the 1983 World Series Championship Team? If you were talking to a much younger Orioles fan, what knowledge about the 1983 team would you like to share with them and pass down to the younger generation? What players, highlights, games, situations, or moments would you want the younger generation to remember?

 

As a side note, I thought it was really cool to see Grayson Rodriguez getting involved with the 1983 Vets and catching Eddie Murray's pitch. Gives me hope he has interest in the legacy and building on that legacy with his own, current, Orioles teammates.

I think it's great to pass knowledge and memories onward to the next generations.

[Greg Pappas]

I'm embarrassed, in one respect, to share that I, a big O's fan, barely watched the World Series in '83.  Why?  Because I was 18 and in love for the first time! lol   I spent as many waking hours with her as possible and everything, including my beloved team, was secondary.  Did see the last game, so at least I have that. 

[vab]

Lenn Sakata behind the plate and all three outs on pickoffs. Then Sakata hits a walk-off HR in the bottom of the inning. I think I can safely say I'll never see that again. 

[25 Nuggets]

2 hours ago, Greg Pappas said:

I'm embarrassed, in one respect, to share that I, a big O's fan, barely watched the World Series in '83.  Why?  Because I was 18 and in love for the first time! lol   I spent as many waking hours with her as possible and everything, including my beloved team, was secondary.  Did see the last game, so at least I have that. 

I also barely remember the '83 World Series - and that is because I was 3.

[yark14]

Love the interviews with the guys.  John Shelby really stood out...such a salt of the earth gentleman.

Edited August 6, 2023 by yark14

[Jagwar]

Two Orioles finishing 1-2 in the MVP vote. 

[pdiddy]

I was 10 - old enough to vaguely remember 79 and be disappointed in 82. 
It was a fun season to track in the games I was allowed to stay up and watch and every morning in the Washington Post sports section for the ones I wasn’t.  I listened to game 5 on the radio in my bedroom. It was awesome! - and I was sure we were going to win again soon.

[Aristotelian]

I can't believe it's been 40 years. I was only 8 at the time so I can't tell you much about the team that you haven't read somewhere already. I will say at the time what was really special was the organization had a culture, called the Oriole Way, which centered on developing players in the minors and teaching them Earl's system. This current club with it's homegrown core reminds me of that culture, even more so than the '97 and '12-16 teams which were heavily supplemented with free agents. Maybe Elias is just being cheap but his approach to the organization reminds me of those days more so than any GM we have had since. It's a great brand of baseball to root for as a fan and happens to be successful to boot.

[Grady]

I saw a picture of the group. Was Cal there?

went to all the games in both 79 and 83 WS, went to the DH and Sunday final ( Earls last game) in 82

[Jagwar]

My dad bought box seats to game 6 of the 83 World Series. Game 5 might have been the only game I ever rooted against the O's  (for selfish reasons).

[Jagwar]

I was 16 years old. My sister (3 years older) put me in the car after the O's won game 5 to take me to Memorial Stadium to welcome the O's back to Baltimore. Don't remember much except for singing/shouting "Na na na na.... na na na na... hey hey hey.. Phils die!"

Edited August 6, 2023 by Jagwar

[Frobby]

I have many memories of that season.   One of the best was September 18, 1983, when I went with a group that took a bunch of underprivileged kids to a game against the Brewers.   These kids loved Eddie Murray and all the way up to Baltimore from DC they were talking about Eddie.  The O’s very quickly fell behind 7-0, but clawed their way to 7-3 after 7.  Then in the 8th, the O’s scored 2 and loaded the bases for Eddie.  The crowd was shouting “Edd-ie, Edd-ie!” at a deafening level, and these kids I’m with were going nuts.  Sure enough, Eddie launched a massive grand slam and the O’s go ahead 9-7.   Then the O’s coughed up 2 runs in the top of the 9th, but the O’s won it 10-9 on a walk-off hit by little-used John Stefero in the bottom of the 9th.  I’m sure it was one of the best days of those kids’ lives, and it was a very memorable day for me, too.  
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL198309180.shtml

[RZNJ]

My memory is that Joe Altobelli beat Tippy Martinez like a rented mule but as a fan winning the WS was worth it.    

[Royle]

The O’s were 69-52 in late August and led the division by a half a game.  Then they ran off a 25-5 streak to run away with the division.  
Mike Boddicker was 6-1 during that stretch while allowing only 6 runs in 57 innings, and tossing 4 CG and 2 shutouts.  It only got better from there when his first two postseason starts were legendary.  A complete game shutout with 14 K’s to even the best of 5 ALCS at 1-1.  And a complete game without allowing an earned run to even the World Series at 1-1.

[SteveA]

I always felt that team wasn't quite as good as the 1979, 1980, or 1982 teams, in terms of pure talent.   Guys like Singy and Bumbry and Palmer were definitely declining with age.

But after the brutal disappointments of 1979 and 1982, plus the 1980 team winning 100 games and missing the playoffs, I think these guys knew it was their last rodeo,   The team was full of guys who grew up with the "Oriole Way", savvy veterans who knew what it takes to win and a savvy young RIpken who was mature beyond his years in that department too.

They just weren't going to be denied.   The team had a couple 7 game losing streaks, a major injury to a starting pitcher, but they overcame it all to put a cap on the 1977-1983 era which had a large central core of the same guys.