The Baltimore Orioles

Sports affiliations, part 3: today we look at my favorite team in Major League Baseball (MLB), the Baltimore Orioles.

The Origin of Fandom

This one's easy: my dad was a big Orioles fan, and I inherited his fondness for the team.  Growing up 80 miles from Baltimore, it wasn't hard to root for them.

Recent History

Being born in 1980, I wasn't cognizant of the accomplishment when the Orioles last won the World Series in 1983.  I first remember being a fan in 1988, when the Birds had the "distinction" of starting the season 0-21.  Yes, the Orioles of my youth were not very good teams (they hovered around .500), but they did have my favorite player: Cal Ripken, Jr. (pictured below).

Cal Ripken, Jr.

Cal played with the team for 21 years- 1981-2001- and was a phenom.  Originally a shortstop, he moved to third base in the twilight of his career.  His most notable achievement was starting 2,632 straight games, well surpassing the previous "Iron Man" record of 2,130 games held by Lou Gehrig.  But, Cal wasn't just dependable- he also had great stats, finishing with over 3,000 hits, 400 HRs, a .276 batting average, 19 all-star selections, two MVPs, and two gold gloves.  Having long since given up my baseball cards, I kept all the ones I had of Cal- and I had amassed about 120 by the time I stopped collecting.

But enough about Cal- back to the team at large.  After mediocre performances from '86-'91, things looked up for a few years for the Orioles.  In 1992, their new home, Camden Yards, was completed.  A "throwback" stadium, it was (and is) a gem, its style imitated in several parks thereafter.  In 1993, Peter Angelos bought the team.  He initially spent money, and some of those "big money" Orioles I'll remember fondly include Mike Mussina, Scott Erickson, Bobby Bonilla, Rafael Palmeiro, Brady Anderson, Roberto Alomar, B.J. Surhoff; the list could go on.  Those initial Angelos years were big-spending ones, and baseball was fun in Baltimore again- they made the playoffs two times, advancing as far as the American League Championship  in '96 and '97.   Unfortunately, it didn't last.

After some good years, for whatever reason Angelos decided he didn't want to keep spending at that pace, and the Orioles became a small-market team, quickly sliding into mediocrity, then past that into the AL East basement.  There they stayed for 14 straight years ('98-'11- view records by year here), until last year's team- the '12 Orioles- made a surprise run, making the playoffs and advancing past the wildcard round.  This year's team has started well, giving hope in Baltimore where none existed.  The current manager, Buck Showalter, has been given due credit for his part in the turn-around, and I hope it continues. 

Final Thoughts

Sharing an AL East with big-spending Boston and New York, it is difficult for me to see the Orioles doing consistently well.  Still, the current team of castoffs and unknowns is fun to watch and support.  I love how they're winning without the big names- I hope that continues. 

Finishing with some odds and ends: the Orioles logo has undergone several variations over the years; a few of them are below.  The current, the "happy bird," is a classic, and my favorite- I was very happy to see it return last year.  Good luck this year, Orioles.