From 1966 to 1983, the Orioles played in six World Series and won three.
They went to the World Series in three straight seasons: 1969, 1970 and 1971. They upset the new New York Mets in ’69, beat the early Big Red Machine in ’70 and beat them again as favorites of the Pittsburgh Pirates in ’71.
The Orioles came back in 1979 but again lost to the Pirates despite again feeling like they were the better team. After big runs in the 1980s, strikeouts in 1981 and 1982, they made a comeback and won the 1983 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
For me, I don’t see any chance that the Orioles can’t go back to some times in the ’80s and ’90s. But other than that two-year window in ’96 and ’97 and again maybe from ’12 to ’16, there was no limit to the run from 1966 to 1983. The club remained stuck in the general six World Series appearances and three World Series wins.
It’s against the backdrop of the club’s 40th anniversary celebration weekend (Aug. 4-6) that we tackle the current team’s chances of getting through this upcoming gauntlet and winning the World Series.
I take at least a grain of salt how many members of the ’83 band of brothers are hopeful that this team has the right thing. Separate panels of three to four players from the ’83 team were presented to the local media for questions, and while most of the questions were about that team four decades ago, some writers sharpen their pencils to make comparisons.
I think, I think the current team lacks one major characteristic that the ’83 team had – a pedigree of being a winning team for the better part of a decade.
But paying close attention to what many of the returning players said, they talked about how motivated they were by the Pirates’ World Series loss in ’79. The strike-shortened season cost them one more chance, and then the ’82 team went on a wild run to tie the Brewers for the AL East lead at 161 games, only to lose Don Sutton.
Much of what drove this team in ’83 was born out of the pain of losing big spots. The ’23 Orioles weren’t hardened to anything like that. It doesn’t mean they can’t win now. It just means that this club will be driven by a very different dynamic.
The other side of that coin is how the ’83 Orioles didn’t have any in-season tryouts. They lost twice in a seven-game losing streak and in between those losing streaks in May and August came a four-game losing streak.
Compare that to these Orioles: As of early August, they had never been swept in a two-plus game series in 75 tries. That statistic was posted by the great baseball researcher Sarah Langs, who listed the Orioles as fourth on the all-time list:
1942-1944 Cardinals: 125
1903-1906 Giants: 106
1922-1924 Yankees: 83
2022-2023 Orioles 77 (mid-August)
1904-1906 Athletics: 74
It’s something special for sure, and it’s something the Orioles are adding to their DNA slowly but surely, day by day, one series at a time.
If I knew what was going to happen to it, I would empty my pockets and keep betting. But with age comes wisdom as well as an expanding waistline. Forty years removed from 1983, I remember what I believed all year – that this team could and would win the World Series.
The 1983 season brought a lot of excitement to the town and fan base. It was my first year on the radio (at the flagship station AM 1300 WFBR).
Every weekend, after every game I filled the airwaves with my little knowledge of baseball before but a bold idea that I was right all the time.
The 40th reunion was like entering a short trip in a time machine for me. I had flashbacks to some of the games. I remember Dan Ford’s big home runs and Mike Boddicker’s incredible pitching performances. I remember Cal Ripken Jr. who became a Hall of Famer right before our eyes. There is the consistent and wonderful Eddie Murray. And of course there’s Ken Singleton, the veteran of all veterans, working the pitchers he faces every at-bat. I also met Jon Miller, probably the greatest player of all time. OK, maybe Vin Scully is better.
I think back to riding my bike from WFBR to Memorial Stadium after doing the postseason pregame shows and making that trip back at 11pm to get to our studios on 20th Street just above. on North Avenue to do the postgame talk.
I don’t host pre- and postgame talk on any station right now. That ship has sailed.
But every day during baseball season, I still put on my game face and pull out a scorecard and get ready to root for the Orioles. And nothing can change that.
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox
Issue 282: August/September 2023