Off to one of its best starts since 1997, the baltimore orioles are giving their long suffering fans something to cheer about as the Orioles (4-0) have not yet trailed, haven’t given up more than one run in a game and have outscored the competition 17-4. They can tie the 1943 St. Louis Cardinals with their next win and their opponent doesn't score more than 1 run. The Orioles have endured 13 straight losing seasons, haven't been in the playoffs since 1997, nor been in the world series since winning it all in 1983.
In a period where teams who are able to afford it, some really open their wallets to get players to play for their teams, as notably the N.Y. Yankees and Boston Red Sox have done recently. There are teams who've won the world series without spending a massive fortune, as chemistry of a team plays a large factor during any playoff run. The San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals are solid examples of teams winning the world series without excessive spending.
I've followed the Orioles since the 1970's, when Earl Weaver managed the team, they consistently won year in and year out. This years team has the potential to have a solid season with the group of players currently on the squad. The pitching staff may bring back memories of yesteryear when Oriole pitchers were amongst the best in baseball. I hope the loyal fans of this once proud franchise are able to experience a winning season, possible entry into the playoffs and perhaps one of these years bring another world series back to Baltimore.
Here are a list of pitchers who were with the team, the last time they played and won the world series.
1) Scott McGregor (18-7, 3.18)
2) Mike Boddicker (16–8, 2.77)
3) Storm Davis (13–7, 3.59)
4) Mike Flanagan (12–4, 3.30)
Dependable Tippy Martinez posted a career high with 21 saves while Sammy Stewart added nine wins out of the bullpen as the O's pitching led the A.L. in shutouts (15) and was second in wins (98) and ERA (3.63).
Baltimore ended up winning the world series over Philadelphia 4 games to 1 with Scott McGregor pitching masterfully in the deciding game. After winning the 1983 World Series, the Orioles spent the next five years in steady decline, finishing 1986 in last place for the first time since the franchise moved to Baltimore. The team hit bottom in 1988 when it started the season 0–21, en route to 107 losses and the worst record in the majors that year. The Orioles surprised the baseball world the following year by spending most of the summer in first place until September when the Toronto Blue Jays overtook them and seized the A.L. East title on the final weekend of the regular season. The next two years were spent below the .500 mark, highlighted only by Cal Ripken, Jr. winning his second A.L. MVP Award in 1991. The Orioles bade farewell to Memorial Stadium, the team's home for 38 years, at the end of the 1991 campaign.
Cal Ripken Jr played his entire career with the Orioles, concluding it in 2001 and passing Lou Gehrig's all time record of consecutive games played (2130) in a row without a day off. Ripken finished his streak with 2,632 straight games, finally sitting on September 20, 1998, against the Yankees at Camden Yards. His record 2,632 straight games spanned over seventeen seasons, from May 30, 1982 to September 20, 1998. There's little doubt Ripken's consecutive game streak will be broken anytime soon, however, should it be broken by a player fortunate enough to remain free of major injuries over 17 straight seasons, it'll be another memorable moment in baseball for future generations of fans.
When inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, Cal Ripken Jr was a first ballot inductee with the third highest voting percentage (98.53%) in Hall of Fame history, behind Tom Seaver (98.84%) and Nolan Ryan (98.79%)
Here's hoping that teams who have struggled in recent years as the Orioles have, are able to have a better season this year returning to respectability amongst their fans and peers.
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