Having attended the first-ever night game at Camden Yards, I grabbed a picture of the stadium and added my favorite Orioles of all-time. To qualify, I would have had to have watched them play so that took out Brooks and Frank Robinson, Hoyt Wilhelm, Boogs Powell, and a few others. Jim Palmer was not a great pitcher when I started watching him in the early ’80s so he doesn’t make my list but he is the greatest Oriole pitcher ever based on stats. I couldn’t do Brady Anderson because I think his 50-homer year with his muscled-up body was questionable. I gave preference to players in the 1980s. My list includes 4 starting pitchers – 2 lefties in the bottom left and 2 righties in the bottom right along with 2 closers in between them. Top left is the DH (from the Eastern Shore of Maryland!) and top right is the manager – the little rascal himself. Can you name them? 15 players and 1 manager. Answers below.
One of my places of comfort is memories of listening to Orioles games from 1982-1989 on my Walkman while delivering papers or cutting grass (or watching them on Channel 2 WMAR with Keith Demko).
1st – Eddie Murry
2nd – Brian Roberts
SS – Cal Ripken Jr.
3rd – Melvin Mora
Left – John Lowenstein
Center – Al Bumbry
Right – Adam Jones
Catcher – Rick Dempsey
Starters – Mike Mussina, Mike Flanagan, Mike Boddicker, & Scott McGregor
Relievers – Gregg Olson, Darren O’Day
DH – Harold Baines (loved Larry Sheets too!)
Manager – Earl Weaver
Deep Thoughts on Higher Ed 