Baltimore Orioles facts for kids

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team from Baltimore, Maryland. They play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the American League (AL) East division. The team started way back in 1901 as one of the first eight teams in the American League.

When they first started, they were called the Milwaukee Brewers and were based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1902, the team moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and became the St. Louis Browns. After 52 years in St. Louis, the team moved to Baltimore in 1954. They were bought by a group of Baltimore business leaders.

The team chose the name "Orioles" to honor the Baltimore oriole, which is the official state bird of Maryland. This name had been used by other baseball teams in Baltimore before. People often call the team "The O's" or "The Birds."

The Orioles had their most successful period from 1966 to 1983. During this time, they played in the World Series six times and won three championships (in 1966, 1970, and 1983). Many famous players from this era later joined the Baseball Hall of Fame. These include third baseman Brooks Robinson, outfielder Frank Robinson, pitcher Jim Palmer, first baseman Eddie Murray, shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., and manager Earl Weaver.

The Orioles have won nine division championships, seven American League pennants (including one as the St. Louis Browns in 1944), and made it to the playoffs as a wild card team three times. They were the last original American League team to win a pennant and a World Series.

After a tough period from 1998 to 2011 with many losing seasons, the team started doing better. They made the playoffs three times between 2012 and 2016. In 2014, they won their division and reached the American League Championship Series for the first time in 17 years. However, in 2018, the Orioles had their worst season ever, losing 115 games. The team's current manager is Brandon Hyde, and Mike Elias is the general manager.

The Orioles play their home games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992 in downtown Baltimore. This stadium is famous for its classic design and has inspired many other new ballparks.

History of the Orioles

The story of the modern Baltimore Orioles team goes back to the Milwaukee Brewers of the minor Western League in 1877. This league later changed its name to the American League in 1900.

Early Days: Milwaukee and St. Louis

In 1901, the American League became a major baseball league. The Milwaukee Brewers were one of the few teams that stayed in the league. In their very first game in the American League, they lost to the Detroit Tigers 14–13, even after being ahead by nine runs in the 9th inning! This is still a record for the biggest comeback in a game. In their only season as the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901, they finished last with a record of 48 wins and 89 losses. They played their games at Lloyd Street Grounds in Milwaukee.

After just one year in Milwaukee, the team moved to St. Louis in 1902 and became the St. Louis Browns. For a while, they had some good times, especially in the 1920s with Hall of Fame first baseman George Sisler. However, the team's success faded over time. Another St. Louis team, the St. Louis Cardinals, who shared their stadium, became much more popular and successful.

During World War II, the Browns won only one pennant in 1944. They played against the Cardinals in the 1944 World Series, which was played entirely in their shared stadium, Sportsman's Park. The Browns lost that World Series.

By 1953, the Browns were struggling financially and couldn't even afford to keep their stadium in good shape. The team's owner, Bill Veeck, tried to move the team back to Milwaukee, but other American League owners said no. Instead, Veeck sold the team to a group of businessmen from Baltimore.

Becoming the Baltimore Orioles

The "Oriole Bird," the team's official mascot since 1979.

The new owners quickly renamed the team the Baltimore Orioles. This name was very popular in Baltimore, as it had been used by other baseball teams in the city for many years. One famous player for a previous Baltimore Orioles team (a minor league team) was Babe Ruth, who was from Baltimore. When their stadium burned down in 1944, that minor league team moved to a temporary home, Municipal Stadium. Their large crowds there showed that Baltimore was ready for a major league team.

The new AL Orioles took about six years to become a strong team. Under the leadership of Paul Richards, who was both the manager and general manager, the Orioles slowly started to improve. Even though they only had one winning season in their first five years in Baltimore, they were very popular with fans. In their first season in Baltimore, they drew over a million fans, which was much more than they had ever drawn in Milwaukee or St. Louis.

By the early 1960s, the Orioles' strong farm system (where young players develop) started producing stars like Brooks Robinson, John "Boog" Powell, and Dave McNally. In 1960, the Orioles finished second in the American League, showing they were a team to watch. This was the start of a 26-year period where the team would only have two losing seasons.

The Golden Era of the Orioles (1966–1983)

A statue of Frank Robinson by Antonio Tobias Mendez.

The Orioles' farm system kept producing amazing players and coaches. From 1966 to 1983, the Orioles won three World Series titles (1966, 1970, and 1983), six American League pennants, and five of the first six American League East titles. In 1966, the Orioles became the last of the original eight American League teams to win a World Series.

During this time, the Orioles were known for playing baseball the Oriole Way. This was a special way of doing things, described by coach Cal Ripken, Sr. as "perfect practice makes perfect!" The Oriole Way meant that hard work, being professional, and truly understanding the basics of baseball were the keys to success. It was believed that if every coach taught the game the same way, the team could easily bring up new players who would fit right in. This led to the Orioles becoming the winningest team in baseball during this period.

Many Orioles players won major awards during this time:

• Three players were named Most Valuable Player: Frank Robinson (1966), Boog Powell (1970), and Cal Ripken Jr. (1983).
• Four Orioles pitchers won six Cy Young Awards (given to the best pitcher): Mike Cuellar (1969), Jim Palmer (1973, 1975, 1976), Mike Flanagan (1979), and Steve Stone (1980).
• Three players were named Rookie of the Year: Al Bumbry (1973), Eddie Murray (1977), and Cal Ripken Jr. (1982).

This era also saw the rise of "Weaver Ball," named after manager Earl Weaver. His strategy focused on "Pitching, Defense, and the Three-Run Home Run." As older stars like Frank and Brooks Robinson got older, new ones like Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray stepped up. With other sports teams leaving the Baltimore area, the Orioles' success made them very popular, and they gained a huge fan base at Memorial Stadium.

Moving to Camden Yards and Ripken's Record

The Orioles playing one of their final games at Memorial Stadium in 1991.

After winning the 1983 World Series, the Orioles had a few tough years. In 1988, they started the season by losing 21 games in a row, which was a very difficult start. However, in 1989, the "Why Not?" Orioles surprised everyone by being in first place for most of the summer. They said goodbye to Memorial Stadium, their home for 38 years, at the end of the 1991 season.

The numbers on the Orioles' warehouse changed from 2130 to 2131 to celebrate Cal Ripken Jr. passing Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak.

In 1992, the team moved to their new home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in downtown Baltimore. This stadium was an instant hit because of its classic, old-fashioned design, which inspired many other new ballparks around the country. The Orioles started playing better in their new home, finishing in third place in their division for the first two seasons.

In 1995, a major event happened: Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for playing the most consecutive baseball games. He played his 2,131st straight game on September 6, 1995, in a game that was shown all over the country. This moment was later voted the best baseball moment of the 20th century by fans. Ripken continued his streak to 2,632 games before finally taking a day off on September 20, 1998.

Playoff Years and Recent Times

In 1996, the Orioles returned to the playoffs after 12 years. They had a powerful team that hit a record number of home runs. They won their first playoff series but then lost to the New York Yankees in the next round. In 1997, the Orioles won their division from start to finish. They won another playoff series but then lost to the Cleveland Indians.

After these successful years, the Orioles went through a tough period with many losing seasons. The team struggled to find consistent success. In 2004, another baseball team, the Washington Nationals, moved to nearby Washington, D.C. This created a new local rivalry and made the Orioles work even harder to attract fans.

From 2007 to 2011, the Orioles were rebuilding their team. They traded away some experienced players for younger talent, hoping to build for the future. In 2010, Buck Showalter became the new manager, and the team started to show signs of improvement, giving fans new hope.

The Orioles returned to success under Showalter from 2012 to 2016. In 2012, they won 93 games, a huge improvement from the previous year. They made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, winning a thrilling Wild Card game against the Texas Rangers before losing to the New York Yankees in a close series. In 2014, the Orioles won their division for the first time since 1997 and swept the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs, but then lost to the Kansas City Royals.

In 2015, some games were postponed or played without fans due to events in Baltimore, which was a very unusual situation for Major League Baseball. In 2016, the Orioles made the playoffs again but lost in the Wild Card game.

After 2016, the team had more losing seasons. In 2018, they had a very difficult year, losing 115 games. After that season, manager Buck Showalter left the team. The Orioles then began another period of rebuilding, trading away many star players to get younger talent for the future. In 2022, the team started to show promise again, winning more games and bringing excitement back to Baltimore baseball.

Regular Season Home Attendance

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  The facade of Memorial Stadium

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  Baltimore Memorial Stadium in 1991

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  Camden Yards in 2021

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  Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Logos and Uniforms

The 2012 uniforms. Left to right: home, away, Saturday (away with gray pants), Friday (away with gray pants).

The Orioles' home uniform is white with "Orioles" written across the chest. The away uniform is gray with "Baltimore" written across the chest. These styles have been worn for most of the team's history, with some changes over the years.

• From 1963 to 1965, the home uniforms had "Orioles" in block letters instead of the usual cursive writing.
• The underline below "Orioles" was removed from 1966 to 1988.
• Road uniforms had the team name from 1954 to 1955 and from 1973 to 2008.
• Extra white trim was added to the road and alternate uniforms from 1995 to 2000.

For many years, fans and writers wanted the city name "Baltimore" to return to the away jerseys. This finally happened after decades of requests.

Paul Blair shown with the full-bodied bird logo between 1954–1965

The Orioles also have a black alternate uniform with "Orioles" written across the chest. They first wore black uniforms in 1993 and still do today. They often wear these black jerseys for Friday night games, sometimes with a special "O's" cap.

The team has also worn orange alternate uniforms at different times. The first orange uniforms were used in 1971. A second orange uniform was worn from 1975 to 1987. A third orange uniform was used from 1988 to 1992. In 2012, the Orioles brought back the orange uniforms as a second alternate, and they often wear them on Saturdays.

The Orioles' cap designs have changed between their famous "cartoon bird" logo and a full-bodied bird logo. The full-bodied bird was on the caps from 1954 to 1965. The "cartoon bird" was first used in 1966 and was on the caps until 1988. In 1989, the full-bodied bird returned. In 2012, the Orioles brought back a modern version of the "cartoon bird" for their caps.

In 2013, ESPN held a "Battle of the Uniforms" contest, and the Orioles' uniforms won, showing how popular their look is!

Radio and Television Coverage

Radio

In Baltimore, you can listen to Orioles games on WBAL-AM and WIYY radio stations. Different announcers take turns calling the games, including Geoff Arnold, Melanie Newman, Brett Hollander, Scott Garceau, and Kevin Brown. WBAL sends the games to a network of 36 stations across several states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

WBAL has been the main radio station for the Orioles for most of the team's time in Baltimore. Many former Orioles radio announcers have received the Ford C. Frick Award for their excellent broadcasting, which is a big honor. These include Chuck Thompson, Jon Miller, Ernie Harwell, and Harry Caray (who announced for the St. Louis Browns).

Television

MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) is the main TV channel for the Orioles. It's partly owned by the Orioles and the Washington Nationals. MASN shows almost all of the Orioles' regular season games. Sometimes, games are shown on Fox or ESPN.

Gary Thorne was the main TV announcer from 2007 to 2019. Now, Kevin Brown is the primary TV play-by-play announcer, with others like Scott Garceau, Geoff Arnold, or Melanie Newman filling in. Former Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer and infielder Mike Bordick often provide commentary.

Before MASN, the Orioles' games were shown on other local TV channels like WJZ-TV and WMAR.

Musical Traditions

"O!" in the National Anthem

Since the late 1970s, it's been a tradition at Orioles games for fans to shout out the "Oh" in the line "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave" during "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the U.S. national anthem). This song is very special to Baltimore because it was written during the War of 1812 by Francis Scott Key, who was from Baltimore.

This tradition is also done at other sports events and even non-sports events in the Baltimore/Washington area. For example, fans at Maryland Terrapins games do it. When Cal Ripken Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the crowd, mostly Orioles fans, did the "O!" chant. You can even sometimes hear it at other big events with many Baltimore fans.

When the Orioles play the Toronto Blue Jays, fans have also started to shout out the "O" sounds in "O Canada" (the Canadian national anthem).

"Thank God I'm a Country Boy"

Since 1975, it has been an Orioles tradition to play John Denver's song "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the seventh-inning stretch of every home game.

The song became very popular nationwide in 1975. The Orioles started playing it as a "good luck charm" during a season when they were trying to win their division. After a big comeback win, the team's staff decided to play the song at every game's seventh-inning stretch starting in August 1975.

In 1997, John Denver himself danced to the song on top of the Orioles' dugout. This was one of his last public appearances before he passed away a few weeks later.

Other Orioles Songs

Other songs are also part of Orioles history. "One Moment in Time" was played for Cal Ripken's record-breaking game in 1995. The theme from Field of Dreams was played at the last game at Memorial Stadium in 1991.

A special team song called "Orioles Magic (Feel It Happen)" was created in the 1970s. It used to be played when the team ran onto the field. Now, it's played after the Orioles win a game, often with a video of Orioles stars singing along. The song "Seven Nation Army" is also played as a hype song, with fans chanting the bass riff during exciting moments or after a game-winning hit.

The First Army Band

During the last home games of the season, it's a tradition to display a replica of the 15-star, 15-stripe American flag at Camden Yards. This flag was important during the War of 1812. On the final home game of the season, The United States Army Field Band from Fort Meade performs the National Anthem. They are introduced as the "First Army Band."

PA Announcer

For 23 years, Rex Barney was the voice of the Orioles as the PA announcer. His voice was a familiar sound at both Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards. He was famous for saying "Give that fan a contract" when a fan caught a foul ball, and his distinct "Thank Yooooou..." after every announcement. Rex Barney passed away in 1997.

After Barney, Dave McGowan took over as PA announcer until 2011. Then, lifelong Orioles fan Ryan Wagner became the announcer. As of the 2022 season, Adrienne Roberson is the current Orioles PA announcer.

Postseason Appearances

The Orioles were the last of the original eight American League teams to win the World Series, which they did in 1966 by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers. When the team was the St. Louis Browns, they played in only one World Series in 1944 against the Cardinals. The Orioles won the very first American League Championship Series in 1969. In 2012, they beat the Texas Rangers in the first-ever American League Wild Card game.

Baseball Hall of Famers

Eddie Murray

Jim Palmer

Cal Ripken Jr.

Brooks Robinson

Many great players and people who worked for the Orioles or St. Louis Browns have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ford C. Frick Award (Broadcasters)

This award is given to people who have shown excellence in baseball broadcasting.

Retired Numbers

The Orioles usually retire a player's number only when they are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Cal Ripken Jr. is a special exception. The team has also decided not to use certain numbers after the deaths of other former Orioles.

Frank Robinson RF Coach, Mgr Retired 1972 Brooks Robinson 3B   Retired April 14, 1978 Earl Weaver Coach, Mgr   Retired September 19, 1982 Jim Palmer P   Retired September 1, 1985 Eddie Murray 1B, DH   Retired June 7, 1998 Cal Ripken Jr. SS, 3B   Retired October 6, 2001 Jackie Robinson† All MLB   Honored April 15, 1997

Note: Cal Ripken Sr.'s number 7, Elrod Hendricks' number 44, and Mike Flanagan's number 46 are not officially retired, but the team has not used them since their deaths.

^†Jackie Robinson's number 42 is retired across all of Major League Baseball.

Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame

Many Orioles players have also been inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame

The Orioles also have their own team Hall of Fame, which you can see at Camden Yards. The most recent person inducted was fan Mo Gaba in 2020.

Team Captains

• 33 Eddie Murray, 1B/DH, 1986–1988

Minor League Teams

The Baltimore Orioles have a farm system with seven minor league teams. These teams help young players develop their skills before they play for the main Orioles team.

Team Rivalries

The Orioles have a growing rivalry with the nearby Washington Nationals, often called the Beltway Series. Baltimore currently has a better record against the Nationals.

The Orioles also have a long-standing rivalry with the New York Yankees. This rivalry goes back to when both teams were formed in the early 1900s. It's also special because Yankees legend Babe Ruth was from Baltimore, and Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record against the Yankees.

In recent years, the Orioles have also had rivalries with other teams in their division, like the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2016, the Blue Jays ended the Orioles' playoff hopes in a close game. There have been some tense moments and arguments between the two teams. In 2022, tensions were high, and Orioles second baseman Rougned Odor was often booed by Toronto fans because of his past history with former Blue Jay José Bautista.

Images for kids

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  Earl Weaver with the 1970 World Series trophy

See also

In Spanish: Baltimore Orioles para niños