1976 Baltimore Orioles season
Encyclopedia
The 1976 Baltimore Orioles
season was a season in American
baseball
. It involved the Orioles finishing second in the American League East
with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.
that an Oriole other than Brooks Robinson
got the most starts at third base
, with Doug DeCinces
taking over the position for the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer.
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. It involved the Orioles finishing second in the 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...
with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.
Offseason
- January 7, 1976: Wayne KrenchickiWayne KrenchickiWayne Richard Krenchicki is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played all or part of eight seasons in the majors from until . He is currently the manager of the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 1st round (7th pick) of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft1976 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by many to be the best collegiate team ever, played a major role in the draft. Floyd Bannister was picked number one...
Secondary Phase. - April 2, 1976: Don BaylorDon BaylorDonald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
, Mike TorrezMike TorrezMichael Augustine Torrez is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:Torrez had an 18-year career from 1967 to 1984. He played for the St...
, and Paul Mitchell were traded by the Orioles to the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Reggie JacksonReggie JacksonReginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, Ken HoltzmanKen HoltzmanKenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
and Bill VanBommell (minors).
Regular season
1976 marked the first time since 19571957 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1957 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 76 losses.-Offseason:* February 8, 1957: Jim Brideweser was purchased by the Orioles from the Detroit Tigers.- Notable transactions :...
that an Oriole other than Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
got the most starts at third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, with Doug DeCinces
Doug DeCinces
Douglas Vernon "Doug" DeCinces is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the California Angels in 1982 to make room for Cal Ripken Jr. after having begun his career as the successor to Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson...
taking over the position for the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer.
Notable transactions
- April 8, 1976: Bobby BrownBobby Brown (outfielder)Rogers Lee "Bobby" Brown , is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield in the major leagues from -. Brown played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres In 502 games, Brown accumulated 313 hits, 26 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .245 batting...
was released by the Orioles. - June 8, 1976: Dallas WilliamsDallas WilliamsDallas McKinley Williams is a former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, and one season in Nippon Professional Baseball in 1988...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 1st round (20th pick) of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft1976 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by many to be the best collegiate team ever, played a major role in the draft. Floyd Bannister was picked number one...
. - June 15, 1976: Doyle AlexanderDoyle AlexanderDoyle Lafayette Alexander is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detroit Tigers...
, Jimmy FreemanJimmy FreemanJimmy Lee Freeman is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who made two brief appearances with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1970s. He batted and threw left handed....
, Elrod HendricksElrod HendricksElrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks was a catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Hendricks played during a 12-year career that lasted from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees...
, Ken HoltzmanKen HoltzmanKenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
, and Grant Jackson were traded by the Orioles to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Rudy MayRudy MayRudolph May, Jr. is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from to for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos...
, Tippy MartinezTippy MartinezFelix Anthony Martinez , is a retired professional baseball pitcher. Martinez, who threw left-handed, pitched fourteen seasons in Major League Baseball between 1974 and 1988, primarily as a relief pitcher...
, Dave PaganDave PaganDavid Percy Pagan is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball from 1973 until 1977, and was a member of the Seattle Mariners' 1977 inaugural season roster....
, Scott McGregor, and Rick DempseyRick DempseyJohn Rikard Dempsey is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 24 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the Baltimore Orioles...
. - October 1, 1976: Dave JohnsonDave Johnson (1970s pitcher)David Charles Johnson is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball between 1974 and 1978 for the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was purchased from the Orioles by the Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
Roster
| 1976 Baltimore Orioles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 93 | 284 | 58 | .204 | 4 | 17 | |
| 1B | 148 | 530 | 137 | .258 | 25 | 109 | |
| 2B | 144 | 518 | 138 | .266 | 13 | 54 | |
| 3B | 129 | 440 | 103 | .234 | 11 | 42 | |
| SS | 153 | 522 | 141 | .270 | 1 | 40 | |
| LF | 154 | 544 | 151 | .278 | 13 | 70 | |
| CF | 145 | 375 | 74 | .197 | 3 | 16 | |
| RF | 134 | 498 | 138 | .277 | 27 | 91 | |
| DH | 73 | 220 | 48 | .218 | 6 | 25 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | 450 | 113 | .251 | 9 | 36 | |
| 136 | 326 | 74 | .227 | 1 | 30 | |
| 71 | 218 | 46 | .211 | 3 | 11 | |
| 59 | 174 | 37 | .213 | 0 | 10 | |
| 28 | 79 | 11 | .139 | 1 | 4 | |
| 46 | 77 | 18 | .234 | 1 | 7 | |
| 33 | 61 | 15 | .246 | 0 | 5 | |
| 11 | 39 | 4 | .103 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | 32 | 7 | .219 | 1 | 4 | |
| 27 | 22 | 5 | .227 | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 | 22 | 2 | .091 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | 20 | 4 | .200 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | 6 | 2 | .333 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 315 | 22 | 13 | 2.51 | 159 | |
| 24 | 152.1 | 11 | 7 | 3.78 | 71 | |
| 28 | 136.2 | 8 | 7 | 3.95 | 41 | |
| 26 | 107 | 4 | 13 | 4.96 | 32 | |
| 13 | 97.2 | 5 | 4 | 2.86 | 35 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 232.1 | 20 | 7 | 2.67 | 113 | |
| 20 | 85 | 3 | 5 | 4.13 | 56 | |
| 11 | 64.1 | 3 | 4 | 3.50 | 17 | |
| 20 | 46.2 | 1 | 4 | 5.98 | 34 | |
| 4 | 27.2 | 1 | 2 | 2.60 | 18 | |
| 3 | 14.2 | 0 | 1 | 3.68 | 6 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2.94 | 37 | |
| 28 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2.59 | 31 | |
| 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2.04 | 24 | |
| 13 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5.12 | 14 |