Orioles History

2000 was a phase of innovation for the Orioles as the rookies and youngsters shared their duties with the veteran players under manager Mike Hargrove. Cal Ripken obtained registered his 3,000th hit. However the season was snowed under injuries and Ripken missed half of the season. He played 83 games while Albert Belle posted a career ending hip injury. 2001 was a milestone season for the Orioles since it marked the end of the Ripken era in the Major Leagues. Ripken played his final game on Oct. 6, 2001 and declared a new award after his name in his nobility to be awarded to the players who don't miss a game. In 2002, the raw yet talented bunch of young Orioles played unbelievingly beyond expectations. Rodrigo Lopez with 14 wins was named Team MVP and the Sporting News American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Orioles closed the season with the fifth consecutive fourth place finish. The Orioles were placed in the same division where the teams like New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays had already made a niche for themselves. In 2003, though they showed some signs of improvement but eventually ended the season with a 6th straight 4th place finish.

Following the season the Orioles dismissed manager Mike Hargrove and introduced first-year manager Lee Mazzilli who helped them to improve their records with a 78-84 record, their best since 1999. In 2005, the team fortified its roster trading Jerry Harriston Jr. and acquiring Sammy Sosa from the Chicago Cubs. On September 28, 1953, baseball's owners including Bill Veeck agreed to move the St. Louis Browns to Baltimore. The Orioles were originally Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, who in 1902 became the St. Louis Browns. The Orioles finished their first season with a 7th Place finish. Though the team lost 100 games but it managed to pull its millions of admirers in 67 home games. The Orioles finished the 1957 season at .500 with a record of 76-76 for the first time. Veteran Connie Johnson anchored the Orioles pitching staff. The Orioles became competitive in 1960s with players such as Brooks Robinson, John "Boog" Powell, and Dave McNally. In 1981, the O’s finished the season with a record of 95-67. The Orioles were in bottleneck competition with the Yankees and White Sox to win the pennant, but the luck favored the Bombers, who won their 11th straight pennant.

In 1966, the Orioles acquired slugging outfielder Frank Robinson from the Cincinnati Reds, who went on to become the first player to win the Most Valuable Player award for establishing a record in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, and Boog Powell all drove in over 100 runs with an excellent pitching staff. They won their first AL Championship and their first World Series after besting the Los Angeles Dodgers. ya The following season, the Orioles struggled to retain their prominence but finished the season in 6th place with a disappointing 76-85 record. In 1969, the Orioles dominated the AL East with a record of 109-53. They swept the Minnesota Twins in the first American League Championship series. The Orioles were heavily favored in the World Series against the New York Mets, who were not considered to be the serious contenders. The underestimated Mets removed all the doubts in last game of the series and shocked the Orioles by winning the Fall Classic title, which was perhaps the greatest upset in World Series history. The Orioles became a persistent leading team in the 70's, going to three World Series'. In 1970, the Birds subjugated the Cincinnati Reds. They threw Twins out of the action in the ALCS for the second straight year and won the Fall Classic title against the Big Red Machine behind the rocking performance of MVP Brooks Robinson. The O's returned after registering 97-65 in the division faced the powerhouse A's in the ALCS. In the decisive final game Jim "Catfish" Hunter clinched the title for Oakland under manager Earl Weaver who was voted Manager of the Year for the first time.

In the 1979 season as the Birds once again showed their wizardry for the sport where the won the ALCS with a record of 102-57. On May 30, 1982, Weaver introduced Cal Ripken, Jr., into the lineup, who went on to become AL rookie of the year. 1983 second-year shortstop Ripken led the AL in hits, runs, and doubles and steered the Orioles to the East Division title and a World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. He earned AL most valuable player (MVP). The following season, the Orioles failed to defend their World Championship. Until 1983, the O’s were at their organizational best. In the following 5 years, the O’s remained a mediocre team with a last place 73-89 finish in 1986. They set a Major League record for the most losses to start a season in 1988. In 1989, the team dramatically became a headline when Frank Robinson won the American League Manager of the Year for leading the into a pennant chase with a second-place finish. In 1992, the team called Oriole Park Camden Yards their new home. The All-Star Game returned to Baltimore for the first time since 1958. In 1996 the Orioles hit 257 home runs under the direction of first-year manager Davey Johnson the playoffs as a wild Card team but lost to the New York Yankees. In 1999, the Orioles became the first American team to play in Cuba in 40 years, with a 3-2 win. The Orioles finished the 1999 season in fourth place in the AL East for the second consecutive season.