1969 Baltimore Orioles season
Encyclopedia
The 1969
Baltimore Orioles
season was a season in American baseball. In the first season after the American League
was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East
title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the runner-up Detroit Tigers
.
After the regular season, the Orioles went on to the inaugural American League Championship Series
, where they faced the Minnesota Twins
. They swept the Twins in the 1969 ALCS
, but lost the World Series
to the upstart National League
champion New York Mets
in five games.
The team was managed by Earl Weaver
, and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
.
1969 in baseball
-Expansion:Four expansion teams joined Major League Baseball for this season: the San Diego Padres, the Kansas City Royals, the Seattle Pilots, and the first MLB team in Canada, the Montreal Expos. To accommodate the additional teams, the two leagues were split into two divisions of East and West...
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
season was a season in American baseball. In the first season after the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the runner-up Detroit Tigers
1969 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished a distant second in the newly-established American League East with a record of 90-72, 19 games behind the Baltimore Orioles.- Offseason :...
.
After the regular season, the Orioles went on to the inaugural American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
, where they faced the Minnesota Twins
1969 Minnesota Twins season
Led by new manager Billy Martin, the Minnesota Twins won the newly formed American League West with a 97-65 record, nine games over the second-place Oakland Athletics...
. They swept the Twins in the 1969 ALCS
1969 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn the opener, 20-game winner Jim Perry held a 3–2 lead over the Orioles entering the ninth inning, Boog Powell tied the score with a smash over the right-field fence. Reliever Ron Perranoski, who worked in all three games,...
, but lost the World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
to the upstart National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
champion New York Mets
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
in five games.
The team was managed by Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
, and played their home games at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
.
Offseason
- October 15, 1968: Wally BunkerWally BunkerWallace Edward Bunker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Bunker pitched for the Baltimore Orioles from to and Kansas City Royals from to .-Biography:...
was drafted from the Orioles by the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
with the 25th pick in the 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft1968 Major League Baseball expansion draftThe 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball which would begin play in the 1969 season....
. - December 4, 1968: Curt BlefaryCurt BlefaryCurtis Le Roy Blefary was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Baltimore Orioles , Houston Astros , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres...
and John Mason (minors) were traded by the Orioles to the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for Mike CuellarMike CuellarMiguel Ángel Cuellar Santana [KWAY-ar] was a Cuban left-handed starting pitcher who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and California Angels...
, Enzo HernándezEnzo HernándezEnzo Octavio Hernández [er-NAN-dez] is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers ....
, and Elijah Johnson (minors). - December 2, 1968: Bobby DarwinBobby DarwinArthur Bobby Lee Darwin is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Los Angeles Angels , Los Angeles Dodgers , Minnesota Twins , Milwaukee Brewers , Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs .Darwin began his career as a pitcher, appearing in one game with the Angels at the age of 19...
was drafted from the Orioles by the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the 1968 rule 5 draftRule 5 draftThe Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. - January 20, 1969: Ron StoneRon Stone (baseball)Harry Ronald Stone is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors, between and , for the Kansas City Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies.-Sources:...
was traded by the Orioles to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Clay DalrympleClay DalrympleClayton Errol Dalrymple was a professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles . Dalrymple was known for his strong throwing arm and solid defensive skills...
. - March 31, 1969: Gene BrabenderGene BrabenderEugene Mathew Brabender , nicknamed "Lurch", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent before the 1961 season. He pitched for the Baltimore Orioles , Seattle Pilots , and the Milwaukee Brewers...
and Gordy Lund were traded by the Orioles to the Seattle PilotsMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Chico SalmonChico SalmonRuthford Eduardo "Chico" Salmon was a Panamanian Major League Baseball utility player. He played for the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles...
.
Notable transactions
- June 5, 1969: 1969 Major League Baseball Draft1969 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Washington Senators tabbed slugging outfielder Jeff Burroughs of Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA as the nation's number one pick...
- Dave SkaggsDave SkaggsDavid Lindsey Skaggs is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played all or part of four seasons, from until , for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels.-Sources:...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 6th round. - Dave WinfieldDave WinfieldDavid Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 40th round, but did not sign.
- Dave Skaggs
- August 16, 1969: Bob GalassoBob GalassoRobert Joseph Galasso is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched in three seasons in the major leagues between and .-External links:...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Orioles.
Roster
| 1969 Baltimore Orioles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases| Pos | Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 105 | 295 | 36 | 72 | .244 | 12 | 38 | 0 | |
| 1B | 152 | 533 | 83 | 162 | .304 | 37 | 121 | 1 | |
| 2B | 142 | 511 | 52 | 143 | .280 | 7 | 57 | 3 | |
| 3B | 156 | 598 | 73 | 140 | .234 | 23 | 84 | 2 | |
| SS | 150 | 530 | 76 | 152 | .287 | 2 | 50 | 14 | |
| LF | 144 | 554 | 99 | 161 | .291 | 11 | 64 | 19 | |
| CF | 150 | 625 | 102 | 178 | .285 | 26 | 76 | 20 | |
| RF | 148 | 539 | 111 | 166 | .308 | 32 | 100 | 9 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases| Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 217 | 29 | 54 | .249 | 3 | 26 | 1 | |
| 95 | 190 | 27 | 47 | .247 | 4 | 25 | 6 | |
| 78 | 120 | 8 | 29 | .242 | 3 | 10 | 2 | |
| 52 | 91 | 18 | 27 | .297 | 3 | 12 | 0 | |
| 56 | 89 | 15 | 27 | .303 | 6 | 21 | 3 | |
| 39 | 84 | 7 | 17 | .202 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 37 | 80 | 8 | 19 | .238 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |
| 7 | 18 | 2 | 6 | .333 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 268.2 | 20 | 7 | 3.22 | 166 | |
| 39 | 290.2 | 23 | 11 | 2.38 | 182 | |
| 35 | 202 | 14 | 7 | 3.52 | 117 | |
| 26 | 181 | 16 | 4 | 2.34 | 123 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 137.2 | 6 | 7 | 3.60 | 64 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 71 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 1.65 | 46 | |
| 44 | 57.1 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 2.20 | 54 | |
| 39 | 65.2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1.92 | 31 | |
| 37 | 94 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2.49 | 37 | |
| 27 | 69.1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4.41 | 57 | |
| 12 | 19.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.29 | 13 | |
| 6 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.50 | 2 | |
| 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | |
| 2 | 2.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
Game 1
October 4, 1969 at Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| W: Dick Hall Dick Hall Richard Wallace Hall was a Pitcher and part-time Outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies .-Biography:He helped the Orioles win the 1966 and 1970 World Series and 1969 and 1971 American League... (1-0) L: Ron Perranoski Ron Perranoski Ronald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through .... (0-1) |
|||||||||||||||
| HR: MIN – Tony Oliva Tony Oliva Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed... (1), BAL – Frank Robinson Frank Robinson Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues... (1), Mark Belanger Mark Belanger Mark Henry Belanger was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles... (1), Boog Powell Boog Powell John Wesley Powell is a former major league first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers... (1) |
|||||||||||||||
Game 2
October 5, 1969 at Memorial Stadium| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |
| W: Dave McNally Dave McNally David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League... (1-0) L: Dave Boswell Dave Boswell David Wilson Boswell was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the American League for the Minnesota Twins from 1964-1971.... (0-1) |
|||||||||||||||
| HR: None | |||||||||||||||
Game 3
October 6, 1969 at Metropolitan StadiumMetropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| W: Jim Palmer Jim Palmer James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and... (1-0) L: Bob Miller (0-1) |
||||||||||||
| HR: BAL – Paul Blair Paul Blair (baseball) Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds... (1) |
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1969 World Series
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
| 1 | Mets - 1, Orioles - 4 | October 11 | Memorial Stadium | 50,429 |
| 2 | Mets - 2, Orioles - 1 | October 12 | Memorial Stadium | 50,850 |
| 3 | Orioles - 0, Mets - 5 | October 14 | Shea Stadium | 56,335 |
| 4 | Orioles - 1, Mets - 2 (10 innings) |
October 15 | Shea Stadium | 57,367 |
| 5 | Orioles - 3, Mets - 5 | October 16 | Shea Stadium | 57,397 |