Top 50 Baltimore Orioles
While it would seem to many that the Baltimore Orioles were a charter American League team, that was far from the case.
An inaugural team of the American League in 1901, the organization was initially known as the Milwaukee Brewers (no, not those Brewers). The association in Wisconsin lasted for only one season, as they relocated to St. Louis, and would be renamed as the Browns.
This change of scenery would last for over 50 years, but the Browns were not a powerhouse in the AL. They would only win the Pennant once in 1944, but they would not be able to win it all.
The competition with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League would finally be their undoing, and they would move to Baltimore in 1954. The first few seasons were the same as they had been in St. Louis, but they methodically built a defensive gem of a team. The turning point would be a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, that netted them, Frank Robinson. Baltimore would win their first World Series in 1966, and secured their second title in 1970.
Baltimore would win their third World Series Championship in 1983.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 regular season.Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
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The selection of Cal Ropken Jr. at the top was straightforward. Cal Ripken Jr. is without question the greatest Baltimore Oriole ever, and also one of the best baseball players that existed.
Signed as an amateur free agent in 1955, Brooks Robinson debuted that year in Baltimore as an 18-year old. It was clear from the beginning that he was a wizard with the glove, but it took him some time to develop his hitting game. In 1960, he did that, and throughout the decade and beyond, he was considered the best Third Baseman in the game.
Playing his entire Major League career with the Baltimore Orioles, Jim Palmer overcame a lot of early arm trouble to become one of the best hurlers in the 1970s.
It takes a special kind of player to hit 3,000 Hits and 500 Home Runs over a career. Eddie Murray was just that.
At one time, we are going to do the greatest players of defunct/relocated teams. When we get to the St. Louis Browns, it will be without question, George Sisler. As the Browns relocated to Baltimore to become the Orioles, Sisler has his spot here, and we will have quite a few players on this list that never played professionally in Baltimore.
Mike Mussina played his first ten years in baseball (1991-00) with the Baltimore Orioles, and by his second season, the former USC Trojan was one of the better Pitchers in the American League.
Before the 1966 season, Frank Robinson was traded to Baltimore from the Cincinnati Reds. With Cincinnati, Robinson was a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and had five 30 Home Run seasons. Despite this success, the Reds owner, Bill DeWitt, engineered trading him to Baltimore for Jack Baldschun, Milt Pappas, and Dick Simpson. DeWitt defended his decision, calling Robinson an "old 30." The legendary outfielder would respond with the greatest season of his career and put the Orioles on the map for good.
The greatest pitcher (in our eyes) when the franchise was located in St. Louis, is Urban Shocker, who also owns one of the best names in baseball.
Boog Powell was one of the power men of the great Orioles teams of the late 60s and early 70s, and when you are named Boog, how can you not be a fan favorite?
After eight seasons as a professional baseball player, Bobby Wallace jumped from the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League to the St. Louis Browns of the American League. The jump happened in 1902, and Wallace could very well be the best defensive Shortstop of the first decade of the American League's existence.
Ken Williams' contract was purchased from Portland of the Pacific Coast League in June of 1917, but he was drafted into the military in early 1918, so it was not until 1919 where he played 65 Games with a .300 Batting Average. That wasn't bad, but e a breakout season the year after was about to come.
The Baltimore Orioles of the 1960s and 1970s were loaded with defensive talent, and while Brooks Robinson may have received the most attention, Mark Belanger could match him play for play.
Paul Blair is another one of the great defensive gems that the Orioles had in the 1960s and 1970s, and he patrolled the Centerfield position at an elite level for years.
Playing at Third Base, Harlond Clift debuted in the Majors for the Browns in 1934, and he had a nice rookie year with 14 Home Runs and a .260 Batting Average. He did lead the American League in Strikeouts, however, but unlike many baseball players who have done so, he was able to reduce that part of his game, and would swat at flies less and draw free passes more.
Best known for his sideburns and that inexplicable (actually, many think they can explain it) 50 Home Run Season in 1996, Brady Anderson played 14 seasons for the Orioles.
Adam Jones was one of five players traded by the Seattle Mariners for Canadian Pitcher, Erik Bedard, in the Winter of 2008. Had it just been straight-up Bedard for Jones, the Mariners still would have lost the trade.
The Montreal Expos were the second team that Ken Singleton played for, which was where he established himself as a bona fide everyday baseball player. The Expos traded him (which they would regret) to Baltimore, and he would do even better playing in the state of Maryland.
Dave McNally debuted at 19 for Baltimore in 1962, and he would spend the next few years as a mid-level starter and helped Baltimore win the 1966 World Series. From 1968 to 1971, McNally was a three-time All-Star, and he would never have less than 20 Wins, and he led the American League in that stat with 24. That year, he again won a World Series Ring as the Orioles won it all. In 1970 he finished second in Cy Young voting, and he was fourth the year before and after. McNally had two more 16 Win Seasons for Baltimore.
The favorite of many sabremetricians, Bobby Grich, is known more for his latter stay with the California Angels, but he cut his teeth initially with the Baltimore Orioles.