World Series: Did You Know?

The Baltimore Orioles are 5-1 lifetime in game one. However, this has not always led to a championship.

The O's first made it to the World Series in 1966. But they were up against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. But the Orioles had some pitching, too.

The Orioles, though, had some pitching of their own. Playing the first game on the road, they sent out Dave McNally to face Drysdale. Don was roughed up.

The Robinsons, Frank and Brooks, went back-to-back in the top of the first after Russ Snyder had walked. The teams then traded runs in the top of the third, as the Dodgers got a home run off from Jim Lefebvre got into the long ball act. The Dodger kept coming at McNally.

Dave lost control in the bottom of the third. After getting the first batter out, he walked three straight to load the bases. That ended his day as Moe Drabowsky came in from the bullpen. Well, he fanned Wes Parker for the second out. But when he walked Jim Gilliam, it was 4-2, Baltimore. He got Johhny Roseboro on a pop up to end the inning. Moe then went on to give up just one hit over 6 2/3 innings, fanning 11. Baltimore, who scored the games' last run, won 5-2. The Dodgers ended up being swept.

Three years later, the Orioles were at home against the upstart New York Mets. New York may have been the underdog, but they trotted out the great Tom Seaver to the hill for game one. Mike Cuellar opposed him.

Cuellar got through the top of the first without a run scoring. The same could not be said of Seaver. The Orioles wasted no time in getting to him. Don Buford, the first batter of the game for Baltimore, took Tommy out of the yard. The Orioles didn't stop there. They added three more in the bottom of the fourth, while all the Mets could do is score once off Cuellar the whole game. Baltimore made it look easy.

The Mets seemed so overmatched. But back they came! The took game two behind Jerry Koosman, 2-1. They went home and closed out Baltimore with three wins at home. The Miracle Mets had done it!

But in 1970, there would be no miracle for the Baltimore Orioles opponents. It was poor Cincinnati that got it. The Orioles were the guests at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, but they were bad company.

The Reds went out there in the opening tilt to defend their turf. And they actually started out quite well. They scored once in the bottom of the second, and two more times in the third as Lee May went yard. The Orioles had no intention of losing this one, however.

Boog Powell hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth to make it a one-run game, 3-2. The Orioles then tied it at three as Elrod Hendricks hit a solo shot in the top of the fifth. The Reds looked like they might get more as May started the bottom of the second with a grounder that looked like it was heading down the third base line. However, Brooks Robinson snared it with a backhand stab, and threw him out. It was a big play.

Brooksie then hit a home run in the top of the top of the seventh. Jim Palmer made that stand up and the Orioles won a hard-fought opener. The Reds were close in game two, and won game four, 6-5. However, Baltimore won in five games. Brooks Robinson was all over the plate. He also had several key hits.

And the O's looked like they'd repeat in 1971. Not only did they win game one at home, they also won the second contest. Damon Buford hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-3 tie in the first game. Their opponents, however, the Pittsburgh Pirates, came storming back. They won games three, four and five at home. Baltimore forced a game seven with a clutch win in game six, only to lose 2-1 in the grand finale.

The Pirates weren't through with the Orioles. The two teams met again in 1979, although the O's started it off on the right foot. Baltimore won game one by a score of 5-4. The Pirates, however, trailed 5-0 after just one inning, so they showed plenty of perseverance. After winning game two, Pittsburgh was all even. The Orioles won games three and four in Three Rivers Stadium, before the Pirates stayed alive with a 7-1 win in game five. Going back home, Baltimore more have felt confidence. However, it was Pittsburgh with a 4-0 shutout victory over Jim Palmer in game six. Trailing 1-0 in game seven, Willie Stargell hit a two-run home run off Scott McGregor in the top of the sixth inning to overcome that. Two more runs in the top of the ninth gave Pirate reliever Kenny Tekulve the cushion he needed to close out the Orioles, 4-1.

Baltimore then faced Philadelphia in the 1983 Fall Classic. Philly had won it all in 1980 and were looking for their second World Series win of the decade. And game one seemed to pave the way for that. Scott McGregor was there on the mound again. Again he seemed to have things all under control for the home team. The Orioles scored first in the bottom of the first.

McGregor had a fine two-hitter going through five, but Philadelphia tied the game on a solo home run by Joe Morgan (Formally of the Cincinnati Reds). Scott had a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, but again was nailed by the long ball in the top of the eighth. Garry Maddox, first pitch swinging, got the big hit to start the top of the of inning. McGregor was removed in favour of a pinch hitter in the bottom of the frame. Baltimore got the tying run to second via a double by Al Bumbry. That was as close as the O's came to winning the game. They were retired in order in the last of the ninth.

Baltimore, however, came back to win the next four games, winning the Fall Classic for the third straight decade.


References

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.

Sports Reference LLC.  Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.

Retrosheet. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.  <www.retrosheet.org>

World Series: Did You Know?

Jim Palmer pitched in every Fall Classic the Baltimore Orioles have ever played in.

Well, at least until the O's make it back. But that will be 2014 or beyond.

Palmer happens to be one of this blogger's favs on the mound. And while he pitched 4 years past my birth, I never got a chance to see him pitch live.

In any event, a rather sad goodbye overshadowed his first World Series win.

Only 20 years old, he took the hill in game 2 of the 1966 World Series. The Dodgers' hadn't faced Palmer before, but Jim made sure they'd never forget. Jim tossed a fine game: 4 hits and 3 walks over 9 innings a no runs allowed!

The O's won 6-0. But that isn't what I remember. It was the last game Sandy Koufax pitched. The O's went on to win the Series in 4 straight.

In 1969, it was the Mets turn to face Baltimore. Palmer started game 3 and didn't pitch too badly. But New York took advantage of his wildness. Palmer walked 4 batters in only 6 innings. That, plus 5 hits were enough for 4 earned runs and a 5-0 Met win. Palmer never got another start. New York won it, 4 games to 1.

So the next year it was Baltimore's turn to win again. And reverse 1969 by winning it in 5. The Balimore Orioles wouldn't have won the 1970 World Series without Palmer.

In game 1, Big Jim (Palmer was 6' 3") gave up 5 hits and 5 walks in 8 2/3 innings. The Cincinnati Reds scored 3 times off him. But a fine play by Brooks Robinson in the 8th (stopping a Lee May hard hit ball down the line) sealed the Reds fate. Palmer ended up winning 4-3.

After 6 innings in game 4, which was Palmer's second start, the O's were up 5-3. Brooks Robinson took a ground ball and stepped on third to force out Bernie Carbo. This happened in the top of the third to retire the side. Brooksie didn't make a putout, an assist or an error other than that. But at the plate, Robinson went 4-4 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. The Reds actually rallied on a 3-run home run by Lee May in the top of the 7th to win. Palmer was out of the game by then. Baltimore lost this game but took game 5, 9-3, to wrap up the Series.

It was the Pirates' turn in 1971 and '79 to face Palmer.

Jimmy won game 2, 11-3. He went 8 innings, walked 8 but K'd 10. The Orioles were up 2-0 in the Series. But they proceeded to lose 3 straight.

Back in Baltimore for game 6, Palmer kept his team's hope alive by going 9, giving up just 2 earned runs and fanning 5. The O's were tied at this point. They won it in extras, but Palmer didn't get a decision. The Pirates took game 7, alas.

8 years later, same 2 teams.

Palmer left after 7 with the score tied at 2, in game 2. The O's lost the game and the Series was now tied.

When the Orioles won the next 2 games, it looked all but over. The great Baltimore offence was about to die in the last two games.

Getting just one run in game 6, the O's lost.

Palmer looked like he was ready to bring Baltimore it's third World Series title in game 6, however.

Nothing but zeros from Jim and Pirate John Candelaria through 6. Baltimore, with it's home field advantage, looked primed for a breakthrough, though.

Instead, it was the Pirates that scored twice in the top of the 7th. Candelaria was gone for a pinch hitter, but the O's could do nothing with Ken Tekulve, who came in a blanked Baltimore for the last 3 innings. Palmer was nailed for 2 more runs in the top of the 8th. The O's got 1 hit off Tekulve. It was down to the wire.

The O's seemed to have it figured out as they led the finale, 1-0. But then Willie Stargell smacked a towering 2-run blast in the top of the 6th.

The Orioles loaded 'em up in the bottom of the 8th, but Tekulve was too good again. 2 more runs by the Bucks and a 1-2-3 9th by Teke finished Baltimore off for good.

Palmer struggled in '83, going just 5-4 with an ERA of 4.23. He was 37 years old, but clearly past it.

His great manager, Earl Weaver, was gone. His replacement, Joe Altobelli, kept Palmer on the postseason roster. It was time for one last moment in the sun.

The other team from Pennsylvania, Philadelphia were making a crack at their second World Series win of the 80s. A win in game 1 got the Philadelphia Phillies off to the right star. Baltimore took game 2.

In game 3, Mike Flanagan was knocked out early by the Phillies. The O's seemed down and out. 2-0, Philly. Palmer picked Flanny up for the next 2 innings. The Orioles scored 3 runs and held on to win. Palmer had pitched his last World Series game, and gone out with a victory. The O's then won the next two games.

Palmer won his first World Series start, and now his last. Plus his teams had won the last four games of his first and last World Series. Neither his first or last World Series team was managed by Earl Weaver.

But those are just a few footnotes to this remarkable World Series performer.


References


Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Snyder, John S. World Series! Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. Dec 12. 2013.