It had begun back in 1954, the year the Browns decided to leave St. Louis for just the Cardinals. The American League would be out of St. Louis but coming to Baltimore. Things didn't immediately improve for the Orioles, but by the mid-1960s, all the pieces were falling into place.
Once such piece was Jim Palmer. The right-handed pitcher had some setbacks in the form of injuries, which limited his time with Baltimore in 1967 and '68, but Jim had made his mark. In only his second season at the big-league level, Palmer won fifteen regular season games, and then beat Sandy Koufax in the second contest of the World Series that year. Baltimore ended up sweeping Los Angeles.
Four more World Series trips later, and Palmer and the O's were in the 1980s, and looking for more. There had been some heartbreak for Baltimore. In 1979, the team looked poised to finish off the Pittsburgh Pirates (Who'd beaten them in seven games eight years earlier) in the World Series, only to see the Bucs battle back. A 4-1 loss in the seventh contest at home was hard to swallow for the team. Jim Palmer had pitched well in games two and six, only to come away without a win in either outing.
Another great performer was catcher Rick Dempsey. Dempsey hit .286 in the 1979 Fall Classic, sharing some surprising honours among pleasant surprises that fall with Kiko Garcia.
But by 1983, Kiko was on the Philadelphia Phillies, who'd face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. Dempsey was still catching, but hitting just .231. Palmer seemed to be heading for retirement, as he appeared in just fourteen games, going 5-4. Jim now found himself relegated down the totem pole of Baltimore starters. Scott McGregor had lost that game seven against the Pirates four years earlier, but was now an eighteen game winner. Storm Davis won thirteen. Mike Boddicker won sixteen. Mike Flanagan had wins in twelve contests.
Another starter, Dennis Martinez, had fallen a bit. He'd led the American League in wins in a strike-shortened season of 1981 with fourteen. But just two years later, Dennis was staring at an earned run average over five.
One of the new faces of Baltimore seemed like an outcast from the rest of the team. Missing from the Orioles dugout was one of my favourite characters in baseball: Earl Weaver! Earl had been skipper of the Orioles since 1968, and now Joe Altobelli might have seemed out of his league trying to replace Weaver.
However, if Palmer and Martinez couldn't get the job done, then Mike Boddicker sure did. Baltimore disposed of the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in the American League Championship Series, with Boddicker walking off with the Most Valuable Player honours. His game two, 4-0 win was Mike's only ALCS appearance that year, but it helped propel Baltimore into the Fall Classic.
It got off on the wrong foot. The home team, Baltimore, wasted a good effort by Scott McGregor. The Orioles starting pitcher took a tough 2-1 loss. But while Scott, with help from the bullpen, held the Phillies to just four hits and two earned runs over eight frames, his performance was matched. There was John Denny, who'd been 0-1 in the National League Series, pitching a gem of a ballgame. Each team finished the contest with just five hits.
Rick Dempsey called the right pitches, but didn't do anything with the bat. 0-2. In fact, in what would prove to be a most interesting move in hindsight, the catcher was removed for pinch hitter John Shelby in the eighth. Shelby fanned, but would go on to appear in every game and hit .444 in the 1983 World Series.
Truth be told, the game was lost on a pair of solo home runs. Jim Dwyer had hit for Baltimore, but that got more than matched by Joe Morgan and Garry Maddox. Maybe hurting the most was the year, 1983. An odd-numbered year. That meant no designated hitter. Joe Altobelli would have to play his cards right.
But still, McGregor had started a reoccurring theme in this Fall Classic for Baltimore: Good pitching and timely hitting!
So in the second contest, Mike Boddicker expanded on his LCS heroics. He beat Philly 4-1 on a fine three-hitter. Here's where Rick Dempsey started to contribute. But at first, Philly didn't seem to have a problem with the Baltimore catcher.
Charles Hudson got him to pop up in the bottom of the third, part of a 1-2-3 inning. Hudson himself looked great through four, just one hit by Baltimore. Better still, Philadelphia got on the board in the top of the fourth.
Mike Boddicker managed to minimize the damage in that frame, as Joe Morgan was the only Phillies player to get a hit in an inning where the run was manufactured on a stolen base, bunt, an error and a sac fly.
But Baltimore's big inning came not long after. John Lowenstein led off the fifth for the home side, and cleared the wall in centre for a round-tripper. The Orioles weren't done. Two singles followed. And then a two-bagger by Rick Dempsey put Baltimore ahead to stay. Even pitcher Mike Boddicker got into the act. His sacrifice fly scored Todd Cruz with an insurance marker.
Hudson was removed, but Baltimore wanted more. Although John Shelby fanned against new pitcher Willie Hernández (Who would have one excellent season the following year), the Orioles loaded the bases. A hit by pitch moved Dempsey into scoring position. Cal Ripken Jr. coaxed a full-count walk. Dempsey to third, Dan Ford to second. A hit here would end any doubt. But Willie Hernández got Eddie Murray on a fly.
It was still 3-1 for Baltimore in the bottom of the seventh when Rick Dempsey faced Larry Andersen. Dempsey had no chance. Three pitches later, he fanned. Mike Boddicker lasted four pitches, and grounded out.
But it was singles by Shelby and Ford that were the catalyst for one final tally. Cal Ripken Jr. came up with two down and runners on the corners. He cashed in Shelby with a base hit to right.
The Orioles had one last chance to score in the bottom of the eighth. John Lowenstein again led off an inning with a hit, albeit just a single. Tito Landrum came on to run for Lowenstein. Rich Dauer tried to get him over, but ended up pushing it foul to left with two strikes.
The substitution proved smart by Joe Altobelli as Landrum stole second. One out, runner in scoring position. But when Todd Cruz was retired on a popup to Pete Rose at first, the inning was losing steam.
Still, Rick Dempsey came up with a chance to drive home a fifth Oriole run. The Phillies too the bat out of his hands and put him on first.
So here's where the manager has a tough choice: You are ahead three runs, and need only three more outs in the top of the ninth...So, do you pinch hit for the hurler and bring in your ace closer? Or do you let Boddicker bat for himself, essentially ending the inning?
Well, Altobelli elected to bring his pitcher back for the ninth. Here, in the last out the eighth, Mike Boddicker was the last out, flying out to Greg Gross in centre.
In any event, the move was justified as Philly went down in order in the ninth. The 1983 World Series was heading to the City of Brotherly Love, all tied, 1-1.
It seemed like the Orioles had all of the momentum. Sure, the Phillies got two early home runs off Mike Flanagan, but both were solo shots, and that was it. Flanagan struggled, but would get some fine relief.
Jim Palmer made his first postseason appearance of 1983 in the bottom of the fifth. He had not appeared in a game since September 30th. In Palmer's last four appearances on the season, he posted a 7.56 earned run average. Was this a desperation move? Jim had pitched well on the 30th, beating the Yankees 3-2, pitching seven innings of two-hit ball. It was his fifth win on the season, and his 268th of his career.
Not an easy situation. Joe Morgan greeted him first. Palmer got Morgan to pop up. After a single by Sixto Lezcano, the dangerous Mike Schmidt was up. In this second battle of all-time greats in the bottom of the fifth, it was the pitcher that prevailed. Schmidt popped to the catcher. Gary Matthews forced Lezcano.
The next inning was a bit tougher for Jim Palmer. Tony Perez, the third Hall-of-Famer to face the Baltimore pitcher, flied out. Garry Maddox grounded out to shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., and there was quickly two outs. The Orioles had closed to within a run of the Phillies in the top of the sixth inning via a Dan Ford home run. And now Palmer seemed to be cruising.
But Bo Diaz ended the euphoria by singling. Jim Palmer seemed to be unravelling as he threw a wild pitch, then walked Ivan de Jesus. It was time for another Hall-of-Famer to face Palmer. This one in the form of his opposing pitcher. Palmer made it, four Hall-of-Famers faced, four Hall-of-Famers retired when fanned Carlton. It had been a bit of a struggle, but Jim Palmer had thrown two scoreless innings.
And Baltimore, seeing their veteran pitcher do the job, were inspired. Steve Carlton shook off the Palmer encounter by getting the first two batters out.
And then the roof caved in.
Rick Dempsey kept the top of the seventh going with a two-bagger. "That little tiger can drive you crazy," said Howard Cosell up in the ABC broadcast booth. Benny Ayala batted for Palmer, and on the third pitch to him, Carlton drove some Philly fans crazy. He threw a wild pitch that moved Dempsey to third.
Benny Ayala got a clutch base hit, and this game was all tied up! Steve Carlton was sent in to test the water in the clubhouse. The Oriole onslaught continued on new pitcher Al Holland. A John Shelby single. An error by Ivan de Jesus on a grounder. 3-2, Baltimore.
From here, there was no scoring. The game was now in the hands of the bullpen. Sammy Stewart and Al Holland were both sharp. Holland got Baltimore in order in both the eighth and ninth, keeping his team in the game. Stewart made sure Philadelphia didn't score either, allowing just a walk in the seventh. But in the ninth, the Orioles first went with Tippy Martinez to get pinch hitter Joe Lefebvre. The Phillies countered with The Hit King to bat against Martinez, Pete Rose. Rose grounded out.
Tippy got the next two batters out. So the Orioles had a slim 3-2 win, and a likewise slim 2-1 lead in the Fall Classic. This insured at the very least, that Baltimore regained home field advantage. Philly could still go back to Baltimore up 3-2, though. Game four was big.
John Denny, who'd won game one, looked poised to even this up. He stopped the Orioles through three innings. In the fourth, Baltimore opened up a 2-0 lead. Three straight singles started the inning. John Lowenstein, who was having a great series, fanned. Rich Dauer plated two runners with a single.
But Todd Cruz became Denny's second strikeout victim of the inning, and it was up to Rick Dempsey to keep it alive. Dempsey was retired first time up on a fly to centre, but here had runners on the corners. A third run would come in handy. Alas, Denny took nothing for granted, and walked Dempsey intentionally.
This brought pitcher Storm Davis to the plate. Although he'd surrendered two runs this inning, John Denny averted further trouble by makin Davis his third strikeout victim of the frame.
This proved to be crucial. Philadelphia came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth. After Denny had an easy 1-2-3 fifth, the Phillies went back to work on Storm Davis in the next inning.
John Denny was sure finding ways to hurt Baltimore. He singled home the tying run. With two away, Pete Rose drove him home with a double.
It would prove to be a see-saw battle. The Orioles, despite the setback, eyed a sixth inning comeback. Eddie Murray flew out, but then John Lowenstein's sizzling bat continued to, well, sizzle. He'd had three hits in game two, then watched the third contest from afar. But here, the Orioles had John Lowenstein's hot bat back in the lineup!
It was John's single that started a rally. Rich Dauer doubled Lowenstein to third. A pinch hitter was summoned by the name of Joe Nolan. And intentional walk loaded the bases. The batter was scheduled to be Rick Dempsey, but he exited stage right. Ken Singleton batted for him, and drew a walk, squaring this at three. There were more ducks on the pond. John Denny's time on the mound was up. Willie Hernández replaced him. The Baltimore manager decided to make a third straight substitution. Keep those pinch hitters, coming! And it would be John Shelby driving home Dauer with the go-ahead run via a sac fly to left, on which Gary Matthews made an amazing catch. Baltimore had to be content with two runs, but they did have the lead.
The O's added another in the top of the seventh, but the Phillies weren't going down without a fight. Philadelphia scratched across another run in the last of the ninth, closing to within a run despite being down to their last out. That's where Joe Morgan was out on a liner to second to end it.
It certainly had been on tough World Series for Baltimore despite a 3-1 lead. That's what made game five a let-down for Philly. They'd battled the Orioles pretty even, but their last game at home wasn't anything to write home about. Well, by anyone on the Phillies.
There were still some players from three years ago on Baltimore that had seen a 3-1 advantage evaporate. The Orioles were looking at the same scenario here. They needed one more win, and in case they didn't get in here, games six and possibly seven would be back home.
So Eddie Murphy hit a home run in the top of the third. Rick Dempsey probably wished he'd been able to do more in the crucial fourth contest, but this was another day. Another chance. He'd been with Baltimore in 1979 when Pittsburgh won the last three games. He was asked prior to this last game in Philadelphia if "Any memories haunting you about what happened to you in '79?"
"It was the first thing that crossed my mind after we won the game yesterday. It was, 'Here we are in the same position we were in 1979.' We thought that, uh, a least one of the three [games] was going to be easy, but I think Pittsburgh had something else in mind." he would reply to Howard Cosell, who'd also been in the booth when that debacle had occurred.
By stroking a home run in the top of the third off Charles Hudson, Rick put a huge dent into any comeback thoughts by Philly.
Baltimore was inspired. Another long ball by Eddie Murray in the fourth, his second of the day, was also deadly. The two-run shot made it 4-0. Murray had come into the game hitting .125 in the Fall Classic, but now his bat was thumping 'em!
Rick Dempsey wasn't done let either. It was the Dempsey and Murray show so far, with Scott McGregor doing the job on the hill. Scott's batterymate, batted in front of him in this one-sided contest. It was there, in the top of the fifth, that Rick Dempsey led off with a deep drive to left. It hit the wall instead of going over it. So close to joining Eddie Murphy with two home runs. No matter, Rick had himself a double. And Charles Hudson had thrown his last pitch. The Philly crowd at Veterans Stadium was not happy.
McGregor was shutting out the opposition, but here, he had to bat. He somehow got the bunt out in front of the plate, despite an 0-2 pitch. Catcher Bo Diaz couldn't come up with it though. Rick Dempsey had held on second.
So Al Bumbry would try Scott McGregor's approach: Bunt!
But before Bumbry coudl get it down, a wild pitch by Marty Bystrom resulted in both members of the Baltimore battery moving into scoring position. This was shaping up to be a big inning for the Orioles. They settled for one run as Bumbry delivered a sacrifice fly to left.
Up five runs, McGregor had more than enough offence. He'd actually lost the seventh game in '79, but was more than atoning for it here.
Philly had Willie Hernández tasked with keeping the red-hot Baltimore bats at bay. Giving a preview of what was to come from him in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers, Willie was wonderful. He retired all nine batters to face him. Rick Dempsey had pushed his batting average in the 1983 World Series to a remarkable .417 with his double in the fifth. Willie Hernández dropped that to .385 as he got Dempsey to fly out in the seventh.
Eddie Murray started the ninth with a single against new pitcher Ron Reed. Rick Dempsey was the fifth scheduled batter that inning. Gary Roenicke made a bid for turning this into a big inning by sending one just to the left of centre. Just a long, loud out, as Gary Maddox was there. Rich Dauer and Todd Cruz were retired, with Reed needing to use up just two more pitches. Manager Paul Owens had been outclassed by his Baltimore counterpart. Philadelphia's bullpen allowed no runs and one hit over five innings in this contest, but Owens had stuck with his starter for too long.
The Orioles' starter, Scott McGregor, did not need a bullpen. On just eleven pitches, Philly went down 1-2-3 in the ninth, as Rick Dempsey had been calling 'em so well all afternoon. McGregor had himself a five-hit shutout!
And the man behind the dish walked off the field with the World Series MVP. And the Babe Ruth Award for "The best performance in the postseason." Rick Dempsey couldn't have asked for more.
Another ring for Jim Palmer. But, for so many other Orioles, like McGregor, Dempsey and Eddie Murray, it was their first sip of the champagne. And let's not look past their new manager, who'd done a job that would surely have made Earl Weaver proud.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.
Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. St. Martin's Press, 1992.
--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, 1990.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Publications International, 1993.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 10 Mar. 2023.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/ .10 Mar. 2023.
YouTube, Google, www.youtube.com/. 10 Mar. 2023.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/ .10 Mar. 2023.
YouTube, Google, www.youtube.com/. 10 Mar. 2023.
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