Baltimore Orioles 1966-1971: The Dynasty

number 20 he energized and transformed this ballclub by his mere presence christmas came early to Baltimore in December of 65 when Cincinnati traded Frank Robinson whom they considered to be an old 30 along with this wonderfully gifted baseball talent came four pennants in the next six years Frank said Thank You Baltimore by hitting a homer in each of the first three games on Mother's Day he hit the granddaddy of them all Louise T out of the Indians served up a pitch and Frank sent it over the left-field stands where it took up a premium parking space without a ticket henceforth the blast was marked by the simple banner reading here Neeson for the first time in Russ night was on base the first pitch fastball down in the end of that get it real good and it was a home run there's no doubt about that that I had no idea our part was going and I served from the bases and came back in the dugout everybody's kind of excited saying what were they so excited I was just all run them won the game yet and then they were telling me the ball went completely out the stadium I said now gone I thought they were joking again you know pulling my leg I said no no come on you guys are gonna tell me this in era as the season progressed there was little doubt that mr. Robinson was going to be the league's MVP Frank did the job with both lumber and leather one of the most dramatic plays came at Yankee Stadium on June the 20 the birds were trying to protect the to run lead in the bottom of the ninth New York had two men on with a switch-hitting Roy white at that I think he may have it let's say I had trouble getting out of that because those ways between the seats in the wall wait for the official ruling on fares with tugging at me trying to get the ball out of the glove and everything I pull myself back out in the umpire looked in the glove call the hitter out Frank repeated his performance the next time the Orioles went to the Bronx that season this time the scene was left field and the victim Clete Boyer Frank's timely and targeting would result in the Triple Crown and by late September under his leadership a pennant was within reach on September the 22nd young Jim Palmer faced the KCAs with a chance to clinch as dick Greene batted my partner of 16 years the late bill O'Donnell made the call a ball well hit out to left centerfield and chased by Snyder and let's see if he got it or not Snyder to get it in left-center field and the birds whoops Frank and Boone what glorious years they enjoyed and what joy they brought to this old ball yard young John Powell an outfielder had come on the scene in 1962 and had exploded two years later with 39 home runs in 1969 and 70 the Jolly slugger put together back-to-back years with i popping numbers how about a 304 average with 37 homers and a hundred and twenty-one RBI that was in 69 and what a year it was the Orioles were off to the races or at least to the first league championship series hit Earl Weaver's first full season with a club the fiery skipper led them to a hundred and nine wins with Don Buford playing regularly in the outfield the birds had traded former Rookie of the Year kurt bleffary to the houston astros for a screwball throwing southpaw named Mike Cuellar Crazy Horse would be the Orioles winningest pitcher over the next six years including 23 that summer of 69 and Powell himself Legg doubt an inside-the-park home run in 69 and you just knew it had to be the year of the bird won on August 13 Jim Palmer just off the disabled list threw a no-hitter and I remember just getting as small as I could be hard to play to try to get him down in the strike zone because he was wild mostly up that day and with three and one and dick green I think it was in dick green sprung it what would have been ball four he popped it up in that end of the ball game he just pitched an intelligently smart game and The Closer that it got to to a no-hitter the more careful he was people say it wasn't a good ball game but when you shed I mean no hit a ball club like the Oakland A's in those days it was an accomplishment just a year earlier Oriole fans enjoyed a no-hitter tossed in April against the Red Sox by Baltimore Ian Tom fevers Tommy Phoebus has pitched a no-hitter Minnesota had won the West in 1969 the first year of two divisions and took a three-to-two lead going into the night of the first playoff game in Baltimore here's Perry winding delivers three and two fly ball deep right field back is Oliva one one to fall Frank Robinson studies perranoski from the on deck area Claire enough she now studies his catcher he stretches and throws above coming out in front of the plate Blanchard the excitement did not subside the next day either when dave mcnally pitched a gutsy 11 inning shut up the birds wanted with a run in the bottom of the 11 the Orioles won the finale 11 to 2 keeping the twins at home to watch the World Series on TV with 109 regular season wins and three more in the playoffs the Orioles were ready for the 1969 World Series or so they thought Don Buford led off the by facing Tom C mike cuellar went to distance in a four-to-one win little did fans realize that it would mark the high point of the series for the birds the amazing Mets behind the pitching of Jerry Koosman Tom Seaver Gary Gentry and a youngster named Nolan Ryan stopped the birds so did some amazing defense but the Orioles found revenge next season they slipped a bit from 109 wins to a mere 108 boobs numbers and 70 included a 297 average 35 homers and a hundred and fourteen RBI numbers that made him the third bird to win the league's Most Valuable Player Award in seven years Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally had 24 victories of teeth while Jim Palmer reached the 20 mark for the first of eight times winning the division by 15 games the birds met the Minnesota Twins in the American League playoffs once again this time none of the games was closed and when it was over Jim Palmer had pitched the third of his four Tenet clinchers there they stood like members of a club a special club indeed looking at them it was 1971 all over again pitching was the story of that team Dave McNally Jim Palmer Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson all won 20 games or more though not necessarily in the best of fashion Frank Robinson enjoyed a special September moment that year Sherman to the stretch he sets looks to check Powell at first delivers fly ball well hit deep left field it is going to be the 500 has done it for the third year in a row the Orioles won more than 100 games and again swept their opponents this time the Athletics the league championship series then the Orioles played host to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first two games of the World Series with Dave McNally and Jim Palmer posting victories the favorite Birds looked like they were on their way to another sweep unfortunately for Baltimore fans the Pirates had a pitcher named Steve Blass and a right fielder by the name of Clemente last through a three hitter in the third game provoking a three-game sweep at Three Rivers Stadium after tying the series in game six the Orioles faced Blass in the decisive finale but in a cold gray rainy day Blass stifled the birds with a four header and the Pirates won the series a marvelous season only to end by losing the seventh game of the World Series at home to the Pittsburgh Pirates little did anyone know that the next pennant winning Oriole season would have exactly the same result

Channel: Baltimore Orioles Baseball

Views: 60,228

Rating: 4.9270835 out of 5

Keywords: Baltimore Orioles, 1966 baltimore orioles, 1969 baltimore orioles, 1969 new york mets, miracle mets, 1970 baltimore orioles, 1971 baltimore orioles, 1969 world series, 1971 world series, boog powell, brooks robinson, frank robinson, earl weaver

Id: ncccSGdeoH4

Length: 10min 2sec (602 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 17 2012