The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the American League's eight charter teams in 1901,the franchise spent its first year as a major league club in Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Browns in 1902. After 52 years in St. Louis,the franchise was purchased in 1953 by a syndicate of Baltimore business and civic interests,led by attorney and civic activist Clarence Miles and Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. The team's current owner is David Rubenstein. The Orioles' home ballpark is Oriole Park at Camden Yards,which opened in 1992 in downtown Baltimore. The oriole is the official state bird of Maryland;the name has been used by several baseball clubs in the city,including another AL charter member franchise which moved to New York in 1903 and became the Yankees. Nicknames for the team include the "O's" and the "Birds".
Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr.,nicknamed "the Iron Man",is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire 21-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his position's most productive offensive players,Ripken compiled 3,184 hits,431 home runs,and 1,695 runs batted in during his career,and he won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense. He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ripken holds the record for consecutive games played (2,632),having surpassed Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 that had stood for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. In 2007,he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 98.53% of votes,the sixth-highest election percentage ever.
Shortstop,abbreviated SS,is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base,which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically,the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order. Today,shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup. In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays,the shortstop is assigned the number 6.
Miguel Odalis Tejada is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for six teams,most notably the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles,before short stints with the Houston Astros,San Diego Padres,San Francisco Giants,and Kansas City Royals.
John Rikard Dempsey is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 24 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1992,most prominently for the Baltimore Orioles where he played for 10 years and was a member of the 1983 World Series winning team. Dempsey was known for being one of the best defensive catchers of his era. In 1997,he was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
William Oliver Ripken,nicknamed "Billy the Kid",is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987–1998 for the Baltimore Orioles,Texas Rangers,Cleveland Indians (1995),and Detroit Tigers (1998). During his career,he batted and threw right-handed. He is the younger brother of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. He currently serves as a radio host for XM Satellite Radio and a studio analyst for MLB Network.
Omar Quintanilla is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Rockies (2005–2009),Texas Rangers (2011),New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles (2012).
Lenn Haruki Sakata is an American former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1977 to 1987 and was a member of the Baltimore Orioles 1983 World Series Championship team. He was the second Asian American to play Major League Baseball. He is Yonsei. Sakata graduated from Kalani High School in 1971. Sakata played college baseball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of Gonzaga University in Spokane,Washington.
Michael Arthur Kinkade is an American college baseball coach and former Major League Baseball player. He played for the New York Mets,Baltimore Orioles,and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1998 and 2003,and was an assistant coach at California State University,Bakersfield.
Lesli Guillermo Brea is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed relief pitcher,Brea is 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall,and he weighed 170 pounds during his playing career. Some records list his year of birth as 1978,but this figure was subsequently found to be inaccurate.
Freddie Lee Bynum Jr. is an American former professional baseball shortstop and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,Oakland Athletics,and Baltimore Orioles. Bynum also played in Nippon Professional Baseball for Orix Buffaloes.
John Truman Wasdin is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2007,and also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
The 2000 New York Mets season was the 39th regular season for the Mets. They entered the season as defending National League runner ups,losing to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. They went 94–68 and finished second in the National League East,but earned the NL Wild Card. They made it to the World Series where they were defeated by their crosstown rival the New York Yankees. They were managed by Bobby Valentine. They played home games at Shea Stadium.
The 2001 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing fourth in the American League East with a record of 63 wins and 98 losses. It would also be the final season for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
The 2000 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing fourth in the American League East with a record of 74 wins and 88 losses.
The 1997 Baltimore Orioles season saw the Orioles finishing first in the American League East Division with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses. They met the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS,and beat them in four games. However,in the ALCS,they would play the Cleveland Indians,where they would fall in six games. It was the final season for Davey Johnson as manager,as a disagreement with ownership drove him out. It would be their last winning season until 15 years later.
The 1991 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing sixth in the American League East with a record of 67 wins and 95 losses. Cal Ripken. Jr. would be the first shortstop in the history of the American League to win two MVP awards in a career. This was also the Orioles' last year at Memorial Stadium,as they would move into Oriole Park at Camden Yards the following year.
Brad Brach is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres,Baltimore Orioles,Atlanta Braves,Chicago Cubs,New York Mets,and Cincinnati Reds. Brach was an All-Star in 2016.
Michael A. Costanzo is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds.
Drew Hamilton Jackson is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played college baseball for Stanford University. The Seattle Mariners selected Jackson in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics.
