Grandpa, Tell Me About the 1983 World Series Team

[draggan]

I was at the Brewers game when Eddie hit the grand slam. That 10-9 win completed a weekend sweep against the Brewers a year after the dreaded final game loss in what turned out to be Earl’s farewell.

My other favorite memory from the ‘83 season was a Saturday night in September at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees had beaten the Orioles on Friday in the first of a critical four-game set. That Saturday there was a twi-night doubleheader (they had those back then). In the first game the Yankees went up 2-0 but the Orioles clawed back to tie it. With the score deadlocked at 2-2 in the top of the ninth, the Yankees brought in their imposing star closer Goose Gossage, who had been the Felix Bautista of his day. The O’s got to him to go ahead 4-2. And then with the bases loaded John Lowenstein stunned Yankee Stadium with a mammoth grand slam off Gossage to dead center. The AL East race was effectively over and the rest is history!

[Carllamy]

I'll tell you my memories of the 1983 World Series.

My friend Tony and I got tickets for game 1, upper deck of Memorial Stadium, behind home plate. It was a chilly, windy night with a drizzly rain that wouldn't stop. My 1983 World Series scorecard has a big water stain on it because of the rain.

The Orioles offense hardly did anything, and we lost 2-1. Whatever network was showing it had sent the Goodyear Blimp for aerial shots, and it was directly over our heads behind home plate. It was struggling to stay where it wanted to in the wind, and it was flying so close to the stadium that my friend kept saying that it was going to crash into the light stanchions and drop onto our heads. And frankly, I had to agree that it looked like it was a possibility.

As the Orioles proceeded to win the World Series by sweeping the next 4 games, it was the only O's loss of that series, and I paid good money to be cold, wet and scared of being killed by a crashing blimp to have the honor of seeing the only game loss of that series.

[tntoriole]

I was in the upper deck with my now ex brother in law for game 2 of the Series .. i had just started my residency at Hopkins that summer and was living In Linthicum. 
 

Mike Boddicker was so on that game.  He had everything working and Os evened the Series 1-1. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

The Orioles lost the first game of the ALCS and World Series, but then pulled off gentleman's sweep each time. The Orioles pretty much dominated that postseason as the pitching staff completely made the White Sox and Philles bats go silent.

Also in September that year Channel 2 News game to our elementary school to do a feature on how the fans were amped up for the playoffs.

Edited August 6, 2023 by OsFanSinceThe80s

[Ridgway22]

During the '83 World Series, I was in US Air Force Basic Training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. I didn't get to so much as listen to a single inning. But, what me worry? The O's had been in 6 WS in the last 17 years, there will be plenty more. (Ooops)

[Frobby]

7 hours ago, draggan said:

I was at the Brewers game when Eddie hit the grand slam. That 10-9 win completed a weekend sweep against the Brewers a year after the dreaded final game loss in what turned out to be Earl’s farewell

Your memory is off in one minor respect.  After that 10-9 Sunday game, the O’s played the Brewers again on Monday, completing a 4-game sweep with an 8-7 walk-off win.   (I have no memory of that game, I just saw it when I was looking up the 10-9 box score on BB-ref).   

Edited August 6, 2023 by Frobby

[foxfield]

In 1983 I was an Oriole fan AND a Redskin fan.  It seemed at the time that my teams were just always going to be successful. That failure was losing in the WS. 
 

In 83, the Orioles didn’t seem old to me, I mean, Palmer was gonna pitch forever and Cal and Eddie were the new Frank and Brooks. And Earl. 
 

In 1983, I took success for granted. And 40 years later here we are.

 

[yeoledugger]

Mike Boddicker just dazzled the opposition hitters with his off-speed pitching and control during the post season. He won the Orioles’ first game in both the Chicago series and the Philadelphia series. He was truly magnificent and turned around the momentum established by the Sox and Phillies with each winning the first game of their respective series.

[stillofan]

Tonight let it be Lowenstein.  Gary Roenicke and John Lowenstein platooning in 1982 through 1983.

[harp6]

1982:  I was a freshman in college in Pennsylvania in 1982, when the Orioles lost to the Brewers 10-2 on the final day of the season.  The Orioles won the first three games of the series against the Brewers for a tie at the top, but lost the last game with Palmer on the mound.  That was very disappointing to say the least.

1983:  Since I was in Pennsylvania, there were many Phillie fans.  Of course I was a big Orioles fans and all these Phillie fans knew it.  There were no cell phones back then, so students would put a small white board on their door for people to leave notes.  I was watching the first game in another room that had a better TV.  The size and quality of TVs were not close to what they are today.  The Phillies won the first game 2 to 1.  I did not return to my room right away.  When I did return, not only were there Phillie messages on my white board, but there were Phillie messages all over my door.  Comments like, "One Down, Three to Go."   Cocky Phillie fans.

The Orioles won the next four, so I had the last laugh.

[JimGinSP]

I married my first wife in April 1983, we became newlywed homeowners in late June,  but nothing rocked our waterbed(!) like the night listening to the radio to Tippy Martinez & Lenn Sakata’s heroics that August!   
(yeah, yeah, probably explains the first wife part)

[btdart20]

Bumping because I want to read more stories!

In 1983 I was living my 8 y/o golden years in New Orleans with no baseball connection at all.  We moved to MD in 1985.  I didn’t really get into the O’s or baseball in general until the Why Not season.  

This thread makes me want to ask my father in law about it though.  

[Hallas]

In 40 years I hope grandpa is telling us about the 2023 Orioles.

[ShoelesJoe]

My memory of that ‘79 to ‘83 group was that the team that won it all wasn’t even the best Orioles team of that era. IMO the ‘79 and ‘82 teams were slightly better, but just snake bit at the end. The 1983 squad was certainly a good team, but they also benefited from good luck, especially in the ALCS. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, ShoelesJoe said:

My memory of that ‘79 to ‘83 group was that the team that won it all wasn’t even the best Orioles team of that era. IMO the ‘79 and ‘82 teams were slightly better, but just snake bit at the end. The 1983 squad was certainly a good team, but they also benefited from good luck, especially in the ALCS. 

And getting a real manager!