Baltimore Orioles All-Time Team

The 2023 Major League Baseball season is underway, and so is The Collector's All-Time Teams series!

Let's head out to Camden Yards in beautiful Baltimore, Maryland for our first All-Time roster.

The Baltimore Orioles last won a World Series in 1983. They were World Champions in 1966 and again in 1970, when Hall of Fame Manager Earl Weaver established "The Oriole Way."

Here's the starting lineup for the All-Time Orioles.

Well, it looks like Weaver will be sticking with the same starters here. Are there any new faces on the Baltimore bench?

Boog Powell and Adam Jones easily retain their roster spots. The others were an open competition:

	Orioles stats	WAR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
	*Rick Dempsey	21.2	0.238	0.319	0.355	0.674	89
	Gus Triandos	13.1	0.249	0.326	0.424	0.751	107
	*Manny Machado	31.9	0.283	0.335	0.487	0.822	121
	Harlond Clift	40.1	0.277	0.394	0.453	0.847	116
	*Brady Anderson	34.9	0.257	0.364	0.430	0.794	110
	Nick Markakis	24.8	0.290	0.358	0.435	0.793	113

Machado holds off a hard charge from Harlond Clift based on his advantage in power and defense. Anderson's power, speed, and longevity give him the slight edge over Nick Markakis. Dempsey was initially chosen for his work behind the plate, but Earl Weaver can no longer tolerate his weak bat. Gus Triandos earns the backup catcher job.

This one is not going in the album.

On the pitching side, there was a lot of competition for the fifth starter and middle relief roles.

The top three starters are secure, including a pair of Hall of Fame hurlers.
 

Urban Shocker struggled in Spring Training but managed to hold on to his spot as the fourth starter. The fifth starter competition was heated, and in the end Earl Weaver decided to make a change.

	Orioles stats	WAR	ERA	ERA+	K/BB	WHIP
	*Mike Cuellar	17.1	3.18	109	1.68	1.188
	Milt Pappas	21.7	3.24	113	1.78	1.225
	Jack Powell	31.5	2.63	109	1.82	1.152
	Mike Flanagan	21.4	3.89	100	1.75	1.323
	Scott McGregor	20.2	3.99	98	1.75	1.291

Incumbent Mike Cuellar loses his fifth starter spot to Jack Powell, a standout star from the early days of the franchise. [Oh no, does that mean I have to track down a Powell card? Crud.]

Now let's take a look at the Baltimore bullpen, where Tippy Martinez has been knocking on the door:

The O's would love to have another lefty in the 'pen, and Stu Miller does have eligibility with another team. However, this is a case where the stats call the shots:

	Orioles stats	SV	ERA	ERA+	K/BB	WHIP
	*Dick Hall	60	2.89	124	3.96	1.005
	*Eddie Watt	74	2.74	123	1.97	1.133
	*Stu Miller	99	2.37	145	2.44	1.120
	Tippy Martinez	105	3.46	112	1.60	1.370

Miller was much more effective as an Oriole than he was as a Giant; there's no guarantee he'd make the San Fran roster. Martinez has the longevity (second among Orioles in appearances, fourth in saves, first in games finished) but the production gap between him and the incumbents is too much to overcome. The bullpen stays as-is.

Looking ahead, there aren't any current Orioles who can push for a spot on this All-Time roster. Adley Rutschman could get there one day, not only for his limitless potential but because he happens to be a catcher - one of Baltimore's weakest positions.


TL; DR: Two changes from the original roster. Cuellar and Dempsey out, Powell and Triandos in.


Come back tomorrow for our next All-Time Team, the Boston Red Sox.


Thanks for reading!


 
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All-Time Teams: Orioles

All this month, The Collector is celebrating 150 years of professional baseball with the All-Time Teams series - a 25-man roster of the best players by position in each MLB franchise's history. Today we'll look at the All-Time Team for the Baltimore Orioles.

Manager: Earl Weaver   Home: Camden Yards

Leading off for the Orioles.. the Second Baseman.. Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts was one of the fastest players in the long history of the Orioles. A two-time All-Star, Roberts compiled three seasons of 50 doubles or more, and his 50 stolen bases led the American League in 2007. He's third on the O's all-time stolen base list, eighth in runs scored, and his 80.1% steal success rate is higher than any full-time player in team history. Roberts played over 1,400 regular season games but did not participate in a single postseason contest.


 


Batting second for Baltimore.. the First Baseman.. George Sisler

One of the greatest pure hitters in baseball history, George Sisler batted above .400 twice, and led the majors both times. His career .340 average is tied with Lou Gehrig for 16th all-time. Sisler holds franchise records for triples (145) and stolen bases (351), which would make him an ideal #1 or #2 hitter. George was awarded AL MVP honors in 1922, after leading the Browns to within one game of the Yankees for the pennant.


 


Batting third.. the Left Fielder.. Ken Williams

Back-to-back Browns in the top of the order is a bit surprising considering the lack of team success in St. Louis, though Ken Williams is well-deserving of a starting spot. In ten seasons with the Browns, Williams posted a slash line of .326/.403/.558. His career On-base, slugging, and OPS averages are first or second in team history. Ken Williams led the AL in home runs, RBI, and total bases in 1922 - the only non-Yankee to do so while Babe Ruth was in his prime.





Batting fourth.. the Designated Hitter.. Eddie Murray

Eddie Murray won three Gold Gloves at first base, but his 573 games at DH is why I have him here. One of only six players in history to collect 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, "Steady Eddie" was a tough out from either side of the plate. He's 11th all-time in runs batted in and total bases, and played more regular-season games than all but five players. Murray played in a World Series in three different decades (1979, 1983, and 1995) and hit at least one home run in each Fall Classic.




Batting fifth.. the Shortstop.. Cal Ripken Jr.

Some of these roster decisions were difficult. Others were so obvious I didn't even bother to look at the stats. When I got to the Orioles' shortstop slot I entered Cal Ripken's name and moved on. The Iron Man played 3,001 games (8th all-time, appropriately enough) and his consecutive games streak is legendary. Ripken was a 19-time All-Star, a two-time AL MVP, and is in the top three all-time in WAR, hits, home runs, and RBI among players whose primary position was shortstop.





Batting sixth.. the Right Fielder.. Ken Singleton

Currently a Yankees announcer, Ken Singleton collected over 2,000 hits and 1,000 RBI in a sterling 15-year career. A three-time All-Star for the Baltimore Orioles from 1977-1981, Singleton finished in the top three in AL MVP voting in two of those All-Star seasons - 1977(3rd) and 1979(2nd). His home run total and oWAR as an Oriole rank just ahead of Frank Robinson. [Spoiler alert: Robinson will be starting for Cincinnati.]





Batting seventh.. the Third Baseman.. Brooks Robinson

There may have been better hitters who played third base for this franchise, but no one played third base better than Brooks Robinson. The "Human Vacuum Cleaner" was a legendary defender, especially in the 1970 World Series in which he was named MVP. The 18-time All-Star and 16-time Gold Glove winner was also the 1964 AL MVP and finished in the top three in three other seasons. Brooks was no slouch at the plate, posting six 20-home run seasons and over 2,800 career hits.

Batting eighth.. the Catcher.. Chris Hoiles

The weakest position for this storied franchise, Chris Hoiles was slightly better offensively than the more decorated catchers I considered. Hoiles was never an All-Star but he slashed a respectable .262/.366/.467 over a ten-year career and hit 151 home runs in just 894 games. Gus Triandos was a four-time All-Star with similar numbers. However Hoiles rates higher in WAR and OPS+ and his career slash line is superior to Triandos' .249/.326/.424 as an Oriole.





Batting ninth.. the Center Fielder.. Paul Blair

With defensive stalwarts like Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, and Paul Blair, Baltimore may have been one of the best run-prevention teams of all-time. Blair gets the nod over a more offensive-minded center fielder thanks to eight Gold Gloves and four World Series rings (two with the O's). A two-time All-Star, Blair was an average hitter throughout his career - though he had standout seasons in 1967 and 1969.





The Starting Pitcher for the Orioles.. Jim Palmer

The franchise leader in games pitched, games started, wins, strikeouts, and several other categories, Jim Palmer won three Cy Young awards in a four-year span (1973-'76). A World Series winner in three different decades, Palmer was outstanding in the 1966 series. Making his postseason debut at age 20, Palmer shut out Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers 6-0 in Game 2. The first-ballot Hall of Famer is currently a color commentator for the Orioles.

 Now let's look at the Orioles' bench and bullpen:

Catcher: Rick Dempsey
1st Base: Boog Powell
Infielder: Manny Machado
Outfield: Adam Jones
Outfield: Brady Anderson
 
Dempsey's defense gives him the nod over Triandos as the backup catcher (I try to pick an offensive catcher and a defensive catcher whenever possible.) Jones just missed a starting spot for the same reason, and Manny Machado's brief Baltimore tenure was too good to ignore.




#2 starter: Mike Mussina
#3 starter: Dave McNally
#4 starter: Urban Shocker
#5 starter: Mike Cuellar
 
No shocker here - Mussina pitched ten years for the O's and ranks second in franchise history in wins, strikeouts, and K-BB ratio. McNally and Cuellar were workhorses for Baltimore; McNally allowed the only two runs O's pitchers surrendered in the 1966 World Series. Urban Shocker won 20+ games in four straight seasons for the Browns (1920-'23.)



RH reliever: Eddie Watt
RH reliever: Stu Miller
RH reliever: Dick Hall
RH reliever: Jim Johnson
LH reliever: Zack Britton
RH reliever: Gregg Olson

Left-hander Tippy Martinez just missed the cut, so Zack Britton (formerly known as Zach) will be the only southpaw in the 'pen. I enjoyed finding quality pre-1969* relievers such as Hall and Miller - who also qualified as a Giant but was better in Baltimore.


*when the save became an official stat




Come back tomorrow for our next All-Time Team, the Boston Red Sox.


Thanks for reading!




 
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Sports Card Tour 2018 - Baltimore

The Collector's Sports Card Tour 2018 is just getting started. Today the tour stops in Baltimore, birthplace of Babe Ruth.

Baltimore is home to two bird-themed pro sports teams - the Orioles and the Ravens.

The Orioles have won three World Series titles since relocating from St. Louis in 1954, but haven't appeared in the fall classic since their last title in 1983. The Ravens were victorious in Super Bowl 35 and won their second title a dozen years later.

Ray Lewis headlines this year's class of inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The legendary linebacker is the only member of both Ravens Super Bowl winning teams. Lewis was the franchise's first-ever draft pick after Art Moddell moved the original Cleveland Browns to Baltimore - but he nearly fell to the Packers with the next pick. This Bowman Chrome refractor isn't actually a rookie card; it's from a 2001 insert set of 1996 rookies.


The Orioles also have a Hall of Famer who contributed to each of their championships - pitcher Jim Palmer.

I have an album full of 8 x 10 photos, but only a few of them are autographed. Palmer signed this for me about eight years ago at the last card show I attended, the East Coast National in White Plains, NY. He was in his sixties at the time, but didn't look a day over 45.


When I was about 7 years old and my (much) older brother was teaching me about baseball, he named some of the great players the Orioles had in the 1960's and 70's. I don't remember if he mentioned Palmer, but I know he mentioned Brooks and Frank Robinson - because I immediately assumed they were brothers. 

I've had a few Frank Robinson cards pass through my fingers since then, but this is the only vintage issue currently in my collection. This 1967 Topps card cost me $4.15 on COMC.

I had a bit of a Brooks Robinson PC going at one point, and even planned to complete a run of his Topps cards - until I saw the price of his 1967 Topps card. Darn high numbers!

This dual relic was a blaster box pull from Dave & Adam's. I've offered it for trade, and I've considered selling it- mostly because it might lose half its appeal once Manny Machado signs with the Yankees. But I do love 2017 Topps Heritage, and the hand numbering is a nice touch.

I don't have any Ravens relics. I don't have many football relics at all, and I never really liked the Ravens. Ripping the Browns out of Cleveland is the main reason most fans dislike the team, but I was a 15 year-old baseball fan from New Haven when the Browns moved. I was so mad that they stole our name I called them the Baltimore Football Franchise until I was old enough to get over it.

Thanks to the generosity of one Jay Barker fan, I have an autographed item from the original Baltimore football franchise.

And, in a way, its presence in my collection helped me add one Moore auto.

I searched for Hall of Famer autographs during COMC's Black Friday sale, sorting by lowest price. Moore's auto was the cheapest card I recognized, this low-numbered card was only $8.25 due to a dinged corner. Buying slightly damaged cards on COMC is a great way to get the most out of a meager budget - if you don't mind a little flaw or two. Personally I’m more picky about condition flaws on vintage cards (which is admittedly a little backwards.)

While pulling out my football boxes for Ravens I flipped through my Indianapolis Colts cards to see if there were any Baltimore players tucked away within my boxes or binders. I only found one base card and one (half) insert card of the Baltimore era Colts:

I recently learned from CommishBob's blog that Alan Ameche owned a drive-in restaurant in Baltimore back in the day. When Johnny Unitas passed away in 2002, Peyton Manning wanted to wear high-top black sneakers to honor him. The NFL wouldn't allow it, citing some bs about how Unitas was a Baltimore Colt and only a Ravens player could do so. (That's why it's called the No Fun League, folks.)


Back to baseball... have I mentioned that I love color matching refractors? I love color matching refractors. Here are a pair I picked up while prospecting:

Chance Sisco had a strong cup of coffee with the O's last September. He's in line to be their catcher of the future. Hunter Harvey has been slowed by a slew of injuries over the past three seasons. He's still only 23 so the upside is there if he can stay healthy (famous last words.)


You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned Cal Ripken. That's because I don't have any special items of the Ironman. Just a couple inserts and a silver Sterling SP from 1996 Finest.

I've got plenty of Ripken base cards though. Here are my eight favorite base cards of number 8:

Both Baltimore teams have players with ties to New Jersey. My wife won a Pack War game by pulling a card of a player who attended the closest college.  

Unfortunately it was Rutgers alum Ray Rice.

Tony Siragusa played high school football in nearby Kenilworth; his mother went to school with my mother in-law. Jeffrey Hammonds was drafted higher than Derek Jeter in 1992 - and if you saw him play American Legion ball like my wife and father in-law did, you'd understand why.

Also, current Ravens receiver Jeremy Maclin lived in the same south Jersey development as my wife’s best friend when he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.


Final thoughts...

Baltimore native (and Ravens fan) Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all-time. This should not be a question. His 28 total medals and 23 gold medals are by far the most of any Olympic competitor. So why do some ESPN talking heads insist that Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is the greatest Olympian ever? Bolt is an incredible athlete, no doubt. I enjoy watching him run more than I enjoy watching Phelps swim - mostly because I prefer Bolt's flamboyant but fun personality over Phelps' stone cold killer shtick. But even my five year old knows that 23 gold medals is a lot more than 9.

Favorite Orioles player: Adam Jones
Favorite Ravens player: Maclin or Terrell Suggs

Orioles card I’d like to own: the 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken is a popular choice, but I’m going with this 1971 Topps World Series highlight card, with Brooks Robinson diving for a ground ball on Tatooine.

Ravens card I’d like to own: A Jeremy Maclin base card

Colts card I'd like to own: Any Johnny Unitas item, especially the Starting Lineup card/figure from 1989.

The next two tour stops are very exciting for me: Boston and Brooklyn.


Thanks for reading!


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