The Best Orioles Teams Ever

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The Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore. But the team wasn’t always known as the Orioles. Their roots can be traced back to 1901 when they were called the Milwaukee Brewers. Baseball is such a cool sport. There are mascots, insanely athletic players, and let’s not forget about the faithful fans. And speaking of faithful fans, check out the online sportsbook to bet on your next baseball game. Right, back to the Orioles. The Orioles’ home ground is found at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and has hosted many of our favorite Orioles teams. Let’s look at who those great teams are.

1966

This was the team’s first-ever World Series win, and man, was it a good one! Their World Series fairytale began after the team completed the regular season with an MLB best record, 97-63. The squad consisted of some legendary athletes such as Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, and Brooks Robinson. Frank also had some career bests during the season and hit .316 and smashed 49 home runs with 122 RBIs. Impressive.

But Frank wasn’t the only one pulling out all the stops. Boog Powell hit 34 home runs with 109 RBIs. And with such great statistics on their side, it’s no wonder the team beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to be crowned World Series Champions!

1969

A whopping 53 years ago, the Orioles played in their first divisional – the American League would be split in two before the 1969 season began. It was a phenomenally successful year, with the team claiming the American League East title and a record of 109 wins. But that’s not all. This was a wonderful season. After clinching the American League East title, they won the American League Championship Series. This team was led by manager Earl Weaver.

1970

Continuing with Weaver, the Orioles’ reputation was at its peak. They were highly feared at the time, with opposing teams already giving up even before the game began. That says a lot! And the 1970 squad sure delivered. This was the second year the team won the World Series; let’s look at how they made it a reality.

Overall, they finished the season with a 108-54 record, with their regular season translating to 7-1 postseason. They also recorded an insane run differential of +218 with a total team batting line of .257/.344/.401. While the batting was on point, the team’s pitching stood out too. The team ERA was 3.15 for the regular season, and we know how important the pitchers are in terms of strategy.

1979

This year would be known as the year the Orioles Magic truly began. While they did not win the World Series in 1979, it did set them up for a win a few years later. So why was this team a great one? They earned a reputation for late comeback wins and heroics.

The 1979 team won the American League East once again and was led by Mike Flanagan, Eddie Murray, and Ken Singleton. This was quite a young team at the time, with Flanagan saying, “we were a young team. I looked it up once; we averaged 27.3 years of age, which is even younger than the team now. We won 90 games the year before but finished fourth and were never even a factor. So here we were coming off that year, and I think we were ready.”

1983

This would sadly be the last time the team snatched the World Series title. But this title was no easy feat. Previously, the Orioles won their last title back in 1970. So, for 13 years, they were working hard to finally catch a break again. Just look at these figures:

• In 1979, they led the Pittsburgh Pirates three games to one in the World Series. But they lost their last three games straight thereafter.
• Then, in 1980, they won 100 games. Just three games fewer than the New York Yankees.
• By 1982, Earl Weaver, the legend, bowed out. Then 1983 came.

With a new manager at the helm, the players were eager to prove themselves and were vying for the title. Again, it wasn’t easy, but the Orioles took it in their stride and managed to pull off a win. This was a first for the new manager, Joe Altobelli. It was a truly remarkable story with a magical comeback recorded in the history books.