Baltimore Orioles

During this stretch, three MVP Awards (Frank Robinson-1966, Boog Powell-1970, Cal Ripken Jr.-1983), 6 Cy Young Awards (Mike Cuellar-1969, Jim Palmer-1973, 1975, 1976, Mike Flanagan-1979, Steve Stone-1980), and three Rookies of the Year (Al Bumbry-1973, Eddie Murray-1977, Cal Ripken Jr.-1982) were given to Baltimore Orioles players.

=Weaver Ball

= During this rise to prominence, Weaver Ball came into vogue. Named for fiery manager Earl Weaver, Weaver Ball is defined by the Oriole trifecta of "Pitching, Defense, and the Three-Run Home Run."

When an Oriole GM was told by a reporter that Earl Weaver, as the skipper of a very talented team, was a "push-button manager" he replied "Earl built the machine and installed all the buttons!"

As the Robinson boys grew older, newer stars emerged including multiple Cy Young Award winner Jim Palmer and switch-hitting first baseman Eddie Murray. With the decline and eventual departure of two local teams - the NFL's Baltimore Colts and baseball's Washington Senators, the Orioles' excellence paid off at the gate, as the team cultivated a large and rabid fan base at old Memorial Stadium.

The Collapse and Redemption

After winning the World Series in 1983, the Orioles' organization finally began to decline. In 1986 the Orioles recorded their first losing record since 1967. The Orioles started the 1988 season unceremoniously by losing the first 21 contests, and ended the year at 54-108, the worst record for the franchise since 1939. The next year, the O's sported a new look, replacing the cartoonish bird with a more realistic one. The 1989 squad, led by surprise ace Jeff Ballard, rebounded to finish in 2nd place behind the Toronto Blue Jays with an 87-75 record, staying in contention until the last week of the season and earning the nickname "Why Not?" Orioles. Two years later, Cal Ripken, Jr. won MVP honors in the final season at Memorial Stadium.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

In 1992, with grand ceremony, the Orioles began their season in a brand new ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and thus retiring Memorial Stadium in the major league baseball world. The name of the new park though did have much controversy in it. Many felt that since the Orioles' new home was so close to Babe Ruth's birthplace that the new park should have been named after Ruth instead of being indirectly named after the Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt, who was a Britisher who never set foot on American soil. There was also the superficial connection to the fact that Ruth played for the Orioles early in his career, but the Orioles team that Ruth played for was in no way related to the Orioles team that moved to Baltimore from St. Louis.

In 1993, Peter Angelos bought the Baltimore Orioles, which returned the team to local ownership. However, Angelos' ownership resulted in a number of controversies. The Orioles also hosted the 1993 All Star Game.

1995: Ripken Breaks the Record

In the season when baseball returned from the devastating players' strike, Cal Ripken, Jr. finally broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak of 2,130 games. This was later voted the all-time baseball moment of the 20th Century by fans from around the country in 1999. Ripken would finish with 2,632 straight games, finally sitting on September 20, 1998.

1996/1997: Playoffs

Angelos hired Pat Gillick as GM for the Orioles in 1996. Gillick went on to bring in several premium players like B.J. Surhoff, Randy Myers, and Roberto Alomar. Under Gillick and manager Davey Johnson, the Orioles finally returned to postseason play by winning the American League's wild card spot in the 1996 season. The team set a major league record for home runs in a single season, with 257, and upset the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series before falling to the New York Yankees in a controversial American League Championship Series (famous for the fan, Jeffrey Maier, interfering with a ball and allowing the Yankees win game 1). The Orioles followed up by winning the AL East Division title in 1997, going "wire-to-wire" (being in first place from the first day of the season to the last). After sweeping the Mariners in the opening round, the team lost again in the ALCS, this time a heartbreaker to the underdog Indians, in which each Oriole loss was by 1 run. After the Orioles failed to advance to the World Series in either playoff, Johnson resigned as manager following a dispute with Angelos, with pitching coach Ray Miller taking his place.

1998/1999: Beginning of a Downturn

With Miller at the helm, the Orioles found themselves not only out of the playoffs, but also with a losing season. When Gillick's contract expired in 1998, it was not renewed. Angelos brought in Frank Wren to take over as GM. The Orioles added volatile slugger Albert Belle, but the team's woes continued in the 1999 season, with stars like Rafael Palmeiro, Roberto Alomar, and Eric Davis leaving in free agency. After a second straight losing season, Angelos fired both Miller and Wren. He named Syd Thrift the new GM and brought in former Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove. In 1998, the Orioles updated the Bird in their logo, and then once again in 1999 to bring it to its present form.

2000-2004

Going into the 2006 season, the Orioles have had eight consecutive sub-.500 seasons due to the combination of lackluster play on the team's part, a string of ineffective management, and the ascent of the Yankees and Red Sox to the top of the game - each rival having a clear advantage in financial flexibility due to their larger media market size. Further complicating the situation for the Orioles is the relocation of the Montreal Expos franchise to nearby Washington, D.C. - for which Angelos has demanded compensation from Major League Baseball. The new Washington Nationals threaten to carve into the Orioles fan base and television dollars. There is some hope that having competition in the larger Baltimore-Washington metro market will spur the Orioles to field a better product to compete for fans with the Nationals.

Beginning with the 2003 season, big changes began to sweep through the organization to try to snap the losing ways. General manager Syd Thrift was fired and to replace him, the Orioles hired Jim Beattie as the Executive Vice President and Mike Flanagan as the Vice President of Baseball Operations'. After another losing season, manager Mike Hargrove was not resigned and Yankees coach Lee Mazzilli was brought in as the new manager. The team signed powerful hitters in SS Miguel Tejada, C Javy Lopez, and former Oriole 1B Rafael Palmeiro. The following season, the Orioles traded for OF Sammy Sosa.

2005

The 2005 season may go down as one of the most controversial in the Orioles' history. The Orioles began the season with a tremendous start, holding onto first place in the AL East division for 62 straight days. However, turmoil on and off the field began to take its toll as the team started struggling around the All-Star break, dropping them close to the surging Yankees and Red Sox. Injuries to Luis Matos, Javy Lopez, Brian Roberts, Sammy Sosa, and Larry Bigbie came within weeks of each other. The team was increasingly dissatisfied with the front office's and manager Lee Mazzilli's "band-aid" moves to help the team through this period of struggle. Various minor league players such as Single-A Frederick outfielder Jeff Fiorentino were brought up in place of more experienced players such as David Newhan, who batted .311 the previous season.

=Palmeiro downfall

=On July 15, 2005, Rafael Palmeiro collected his 3,000th hit in Seattle; but 15 days later he was suspended for a violation of MLB's drug policy, after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. The Orioles continued tumbling, falling out of first place and further down the AL East standings. This downfall cost Lee Mazzilli his managerial job in early August, allowing bench coach and 2003 managerial candidate Sam Perlozzo to take over as interim manager and lead the team to a 23-32 finish. The Orioles called up Dave Cash from the Ottawa Lynx to serve as the team's first base coach.

=Collapse of the season

=The Orioles' 32-60 second half record is, from a percentage standpoint, the worst in baseball history after playing .600 ball for the first 70 days. The club's major offseason acquisition, Sammy Sosa, posted his worst performance in a decade, with 14 home runs and a .221 batting average. The Orioles did not attempt to resign him, considering his exorbitant salary, his miserable performance, and his stormy relationship with batting coach Terry Crowley and teammates including Miguel Tejada. The Orioles also allowed Rafael Palmeiro to file for free agency and publicly stated they would not resign him. On August 25, pitcher Sidney Ponson was arrested for DUI and on September 1 the Orioles moved to void his contract and release him. The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance on Ponson's behalf and the case was sent to arbitration and has yet to be resolved.

2005-2006 offseason

=Front office changes

= Following the disappointing 2005 season, it was clear major changes needed to be made within the Orioles. In the front office, Executive VP Jim Beattie was not re-signed, allowing Mike Flanagan to become the sole GM of the Orioles. Shortly after, Jim Duquette was hired as Vice President of Baseball Operations, which was Flanagan's previous position. Duquette made it clear at his signing that he reported to Flanagan, so the "two-headed GM" will not exist anymore. The Orioles also fired assistant General Manager Ed Kenney and asked for the resignation of Dave Ritterpusch, Director of Baseball Information Systems.

=Coaching staff changes

= There was also drastic changes in the Orioles coaching staff. Perlozzo was named the new manager, and unlike Mazzilli, was given full freedom to name his coaching staff. Perlozzo led off strong by convincing Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone, who had revolutionized the careers of many pitchers in Atlanta, to become the pitching coach for the Orioles. He retained hitting coach Terry Crowley and first base coach Dave Cash. Former base coach and 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey replaced the late Elrod Hendricks as the bullpen coach, who was designated for assignment leading to his death, with Tom Trebelhorn resuming third base coach. Perlozzo rounded out his staff with former Cubs and Phillies manager Lee Elia as the bench coach.

=Roster changes

= The roster changes of 2005 were prefaced with Peter Angelos' comments: "We are coming back strong next year. I know you have heard that tune before, but this time it will literally come true." The Orioles knew they had to try to sweep away many of the negative influences from the previous era, and so they allowed Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, and B.J. Surhoff to become free agents. They also set their wishlist: An everyday first baseman, an experienced starter, a closer, a defensive catcher, outfield help, more defense, and more speed. However, their offseason moves showed no differences from past years. The Orioles were not able to resign closer B.J. Ryan, who signed a landmark deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. They were also locked out in bids to sign first baseman Paul Konerko, outfielder Johnny Damon, and starter Paul Byrd. The Orioles were rumoured to have a deal with outfielder Jeromy Burnitz, but his agent balked, supposedly at language regarding the physical, which was deemed by legal experts to be rather standard, and Burnitz signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Orioles chose not to enter the bidding for players like A.J. Burnett and Kevin Millwood, whose asking prices were far beyond what the Orioles were willing to pay. The only target the Orioles managed to sign was catcher Ramon Hernandez.

Locked out of pursuits to sign top-tier players, the Orioles decided to make several moves to allow minor league prospects more time to develop. This led to bringing in players like Jeff Conine and Kevin Millar, both of whom are known for their positive presence in the clubhouse. The Orioles also made several trades to bring in needed players. They first traded disgruntled reliever Steve Kline for LaTroy Hawkins, then traded for outfielder Corey Patterson, who brings speed and defense to the outfield, and traded former closer Jorge Julio and John Maine for experienced starter Kris Benson. The Orioles also addressed future free agents by extending the contract of outfielder Jay Gibbons and discussing contract extensions with second baseman Brian Roberts and third baseman Melvin Mora. The team's Opening Day roster featured top prospect Nick Markakis, a potential A.L. "Rookie of the Year", the best young position player the Orioles' farm system has produced since Brian Roberts. Markakis represents the revival of the Orioles' once proud farm system, which features four players listed in Baseball America's 2006 list of the top 100 prospects in minor league baseball.

=Miguel Tejada

= The Orioles' lack of movement over the course of the offseason frustrated many, including Miguel Tejada. This led to him stating, controversially, that he "wanted to play for a winner", and "perhaps a change of scenery is needed." The Oriole front office began to talk to many teams interested in Tejada as a trade. It was rumored that the Boston Red Sox offered All-Star outfielder Manny Ramirez for Tejada, though no Orioles officials confirmed this. There were also talks of Mark Prior being offered for Tejada. After several weeks, teammate Melvin Mora facillitated a conference call between the Orioles and Tejada where Tejada backed down and said his comments were intended to motivate the Orioles to make more moves in free agency.

"O!"

Since the 1970s, it has been a tradition at Orioles games for fans to accent the line of "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave" in the "The Star Spangled Banner" by yelling "O!" This tradition carries on to this day. "O" is not only short for "Oriole", but the vowel is also the most stand-out aspect of the Baltimorean accent. Some consider the yell to be disrespectful to the national anthem. However, since Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem in the Harbor of Baltimore during the War of 1812, Baltimoreans have felt they have the right to sing the song in the manner that they please. This tradition is even carried out during the Orioles' spring training home games in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The tradition is so strong and beloved, that it is carried out at many other sporting events, both professional and not, throughout the Baltimore/Washington area, notably at Baltimore Ravens and Maryland Terrapins games. The tradition has also sparked many high schools and universities in the Baltimore/Washington area to ask crowds to not do the chant while the national anthem is sung (to little effect).

The "O!" created a bit of controversy in the spring of 2005 when some fans performed the "O!" cry at Washington Nationals games at RFK Stadium. Some believed that the cry was out-of-place at RFK, while others noted that many Washingtonians were still Orioles fans (the Orioles were the closest team to Washington after the Senators' relocation). A June 10, 2005, story in the Washington Post, by David Fahrenthold, noted that the "O" cheer was "faint to nonexistent" by early summer.

Music

It has been an Orioles tradition since 1980 to play John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. During the bridge of the song, in which Denver holds a long note, fans yell "Ooooooooh!" Similar to the "O!" yell.

This tradition is so strong, such that, in instances where other songs are performed during this time, such as "God Bless America," that "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" will usually be played and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" skipped.

Other musical traditions include taking the field to the song "Oriole Magic," playing a sample from The Wizard of Oz of soldiers yelling "Oh-wee-oh! We-oh-oh," playing Yello's "O Yeah" after a good play by the Orioles, playing Get Back from The Beatles when an opposing batter has to return to the batter's box after he headed to first base on a ball that went foul, and playing Hit the Road Jack after when an opposing pitcher leaves.

Some songs from special events include "One Moment in Time" for Cal Ripken's record-breaking game. For his last game, the theme from Pearl Harbor, "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill, was featured. The theme from Field of Dreams was played at the Last Game at Memorial Stadium in 1991.

In the 2006 season, the song "Elevation," by U2, is played following a home run.

The World Baseball Classic

In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, the Orioles contributed more players than any other major league team, with eleven players suiting up for their home nations. Erik Bedard and Adam Loewen pitched for Canada; Rodrigo López and Geronimo Gil played for Mexico; Daniel Cabrera and Miguel Tejada for the Dominican Republic; Javy Lopez and Luis Matos for Puerto Rico; Bruce Chen for Panama; Ramon Hernandez for Venezuela; and John Stephens for Australia.

Quick facts

:Founded: 1893, as the Milwaukee, Wisconsin franchise in the minor Western League. In 1900, that league became the American League, which achieved major league status in 1901. The original Baltimore Orioles of the National League moved to become the New York Yankees.:Formerly known as: Milwaukee Brewers, 1894-1901. St. Louis Browns, 1902-1953.:Home ballpark: Oriole Park at Camden Yards 1992-present:Prior home parks: Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) 1954-1991, Sportsman's Park (St. Louis):Uniform colors: Black and Orange:Logo design: An oriole bird; the Baltimore Oriole is the official Maryland state bird:Playoff appearances (11): 1944, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1996, 1997:Local Televison: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, WJZ-TV (channel 13), WNUV-TV (channel 54), WDCW-TV (channel 50):Local Radio: WBAL (1090 AM)

Postseason appearances

Year	ALDS		ALCS
1944 (St. Louis)	St. Louis Cardinals	L
1966 (Baltimore)	Los Angeles Dodgers	W
1969	Minnesota Twins	W	New York Mets	L
1970	Minnesota Twins	W	Cincinnati Reds	W
1971	Oakland Athletics	W	Pittsburgh Pirates	L
1973	Oakland Athletics	L
1974	Oakland Athletics	L
1979	California Angels	W	Pittsburgh Pirates	L
1983	Chicago White Sox	W	Philadelphia Phillies	W
1996	Cleveland Indians	W	New York Yankees	L
1997	Seattle Mariners	W	Cleveland Indians	L