The fastest Orioles teams to reach 30 games over .500

[Frobby]

I previously posted a thread about the fastest Orioles teams to reach 20 games over .500, and reviewed what their history was after reaching that mark.  While there were 22 Orioles teams (including this one) to reach 20 games over .500, only 13 of those teams reached 30 games over .500.   Here's when they did it, and how they did after reaching that mark:

Year     Games    Record   Subs.       Final record

1964    116          73-43    24-22      97-65 (3rd in AL)

1966     84          57-27     40-36     97-63 (1st in AL)

1969     64          47-17     62-36    109-53 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1970     114         72-42     36-12    108-54 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1971     120          75-45    26-12     101-57 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1973    154          92-62      5-3         97-65 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1977     152         91-61       6-3         97-64 (tied for 2nd in AL East)

1979      78          54-24    48-33     102-57 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1980     142        86-56     14-6        100-62 (2nd in AL East)

1983     140        85-55     13-9          98-64 (1st in AL East )

1997     108        69-39     29-25        98-64 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

2014     150        90-60       6-6          96-66 (1st in AL East)

2023     124        77-47      ??-??        ??-??

The 2023 O's were the 8th-fastest O's team to reach 30 games over .500.  All previous 12 teams finished the season at 30 games over or better, though several of those teams cooled very considerably after reaching the 30 games over mark.   The 1964 team, in fact, was leading the AL pennant race by three games on the day it reached 30 games over; it went only 24-22 the rest of the season, finishing in third place, 2.5 games behind the pennant winning Yankees.  The other "coasters" were the teams from 1966 (40-36), 1997 (29-25) and 2014 (6-6), but all those teams had sizeable leads and won the division title or the pennant.  The 1977 and 1980 teams failed to make the postseason, but not because they coasted.  In all, 9 of the previous 12 teams to reach 30 games over made the playoffs, and the three that didn't all pre-date the wild card era.  Seven of those teams had the best record in the American League, and another two won the AL East.   

Hopefully the 2023 O's will run hard through the tape, as most of these Orioles teams did.  

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Frobby

[Sports Guy]

That 1969 team was stupid good.

Brooks told me that was the best team he ever played on. Shame they didn’t win or else it may be recognized as one of the greatest teams ever.

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

That 1969 team was stupid good.

Brooks told me that was the best team he ever played on. Shame they didn’t win or else it may be recognized as one of the greatest teams ever.

That was so horrific, losing to the Mets.  Thank god they came back and won the next year, which took some (not all) of the sting out of it.  

The ‘72-74 A’s that won three straight World Series were nowhere near as good as the 1969-71 O’s, but they were well constructed for the postseason and came through when it counted most.  
 

[Jim'sKid26]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

That was so horrific, losing to the Mets.  Thank god they came back and won the next year, which took some (not all) of the sting out of it.  

The ‘72-74 A’s that won three straight World Series were nowhere near as good as the 1969-71 O’s, but they were well constructed for the postseason and came through when it counted most.  
 

This type of conversation will trigger my childhood derived Post Traumatic Stress disorder. I was 7 years old and scarred for life. Please stop!    

[Uli2001]

50 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I previously posted a thread about the fastest Orioles teams to reach 20 games over .500, and reviewed what their history was after reaching that mark.  While there were 22 Orioles teams (including this one) to reach 20 games over .500, only 13 of those teams reached 30 games over .500.   Here's when they did it, and how they did after reaching that mark:

Year     Games    Record   Subs.       Final record

1964    116          73-43    24-22      97-65 (3rd in AL)

1966     84          57-27     40-36     97-63 (1st in AL)

1969     64          47-17     62-36    109-53 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1970     114         72-42     36-12    108-54 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1971     120          75-45    26-12     101-57 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1973    154          92-62      5-3         97-65 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1977     152         91-61       6-3         97-64 (tied for 2nd in AL East)

1979      78          54-24    48-33     102-57 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1980     142        86-56     14-6        100-62 (2nd in AL East)

1983     140        85-55     13-9          98-64 (1st in AL East )

1997     108        69-39     29-25        98-64 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

2014     150        90-60       6-6          96-66 (1st in AL East)

2023     124        77-47      ??-??        ??-??

The 2023 O's were the 8th-fastest O's team to reach 30 games over .500.  All previous 12 teams finished the season at 30 games over or better, though several of those teams cooled very considerably after reaching the 30 games over mark.   The 1964 team, in fact, was leading the AL pennant race by three games on the day it reached 30 games over; it went only 24-22 the rest of the season, finishing in third place, 2.5 games behind the pennant winning Yankees.  The other "coasters" were the teams from 1966 (40-36), 1997 (29-25) and 2014 (6-6), but all those teams had sizeable leads and won the division title or the pennant.  The 1977 and 1980 teams failed to make the postseason, but not because they coasted.  In all, 9 of the previous 12 teams to reach 30 games over made the playoffs, and the three that didn't all pre-date the wild card era.  Seven of those teams had the best record in the American League, and another two won the AL East.   

Hopefully the 2023 O's will run hard through the tape, as most of these Orioles teams did.  

 

 

 

Good research. Finishing the season strong is essential, I think. I recall that 1997 team very well. All the hype about the wire-to-wire but they scuffled to the finish line. It was a big surprise to me that they beat the Mariners in the ALDS, in fact. We all know what happened in the ALCS.

[spiritof66]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

That was so horrific, losing to the Mets.  Thank god they came back and won the next year, which took some (not all) of the sting out of it.  

The ‘72-74 A’s that won three straight World Series were nowhere near as good as the 1969-71 O’s, but they were well constructed for the postseason and came through when it counted most.  
 

What's this about losing to the Mets? That's been disturbing. I've been telling myself for 53+ years that the World Series was canceled that year because of um, I think Woodstock, or maybe something Nixon did. Not gonna look it up.

[Frobby]

10 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

What's this about losing to the Mets? That's been disturbing. I've been telling myself for 53+ years that the World Series was canceled that year because of um, I think Woodstock, or maybe something Nixon did. Not gonna look it up.

Whatever you do, don’t ever watch the movie Frequency.  

[Jagwar]

The 1984 Tigers did it in 40 games at 35-5.

[Malike]

Which of those was the fastest to get back to 29 games?

[BohKnowsBmore]

41 minutes ago, Malike said:

Which of those was the fastest to get back to 29 games?

Just an opportunity to be the 9th fastest to 30-above as well 

Edited August 24, 2023 by BohKnowsBmore

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Malike said:

Which of those was the fastest to get back to 29 games?

Several went briefly backwards. 

[Malike]

Just now, Frobby said:

Several went briefly backwards. 

I'm sure, was just goofing around a bit.

[Roll Tide]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

I previously posted a thread about the fastest Orioles teams to reach 20 games over .500, and reviewed what their history was after reaching that mark.  While there were 22 Orioles teams (including this one) to reach 20 games over .500, only 13 of those teams reached 30 games over .500.   Here's when they did it, and how they did after reaching that mark:

Year     Games    Record   Subs.       Final record

1964    116          73-43    24-22      97-65 (3rd in AL)

1966     84          57-27     40-36     97-63 (1st in AL)

1969     64          47-17     62-36    109-53 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1970     114         72-42     36-12    108-54 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1971     120          75-45    26-12     101-57 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1973    154          92-62      5-3         97-65 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1977     152         91-61       6-3         97-64 (tied for 2nd in AL East)

1979      78          54-24    48-33     102-57 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

1980     142        86-56     14-6        100-62 (2nd in AL East)

1983     140        85-55     13-9          98-64 (1st in AL East )

1997     108        69-39     29-25        98-64 (1st in AL East, best in AL)

2014     150        90-60       6-6          96-66 (1st in AL East)

2023     124        77-47      ??-??        ??-??

The 2023 O's were the 8th-fastest O's team to reach 30 games over .500.  All previous 12 teams finished the season at 30 games over or better, though several of those teams cooled very considerably after reaching the 30 games over mark.   The 1964 team, in fact, was leading the AL pennant race by three games on the day it reached 30 games over; it went only 24-22 the rest of the season, finishing in third place, 2.5 games behind the pennant winning Yankees.  The other "coasters" were the teams from 1966 (40-36), 1997 (29-25) and 2014 (6-6), but all those teams had sizeable leads and won the division title or the pennant.  The 1977 and 1980 teams failed to make the postseason, but not because they coasted.  In all, 9 of the previous 12 teams to reach 30 games over made the playoffs, and the three that didn't all pre-date the wild card era.  Seven of those teams had the best record in the American League, and another two won the AL East.   

Hopefully the 2023 O's will run hard through the tape, as most of these Orioles teams did.  

 

 

Wow we were really good in the 60s and 70s. 

[now]

4 hours ago, Frobby said:

Whatever you do, don’t ever watch the movie Frequency.  

I never heard of that movie until yesterday when I ran across it quite randomly and noticed the reference to the '69 WS. How weird that you would mention it here the very next day! (Thx, I won't bother to watch it now).

[now]

8 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

That 1969 team was stupid good.

Brooks told me that was the best team he ever played on. Shame they didn’t win or else it may be recognized as one of the greatest teams ever.

I know what you mean, but I don't think a little shoe polish and some freak OF acrobatics tarnishes the fact that it was one of the greatest teams ever, by every other measure.