The Best Orioles Moments of All Time

It’s fair to say that 2021 wasn’t a vintage year for the Orioles. There wasn’t much to cheer about as highlighted by sports journalists from ESPN openly commenting on the disappointing season at Camden Yards.

That being said, it’s not all doom and gloom as there’s the 2022 draft to come with the first pick heading the way of The O’s, and there are experts from CBS and more expecting prospects like Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez to make a stir in the MLB. So, while The Orioles are likely to be rank outsiders to lift the World Series title in the Ladbrokes betting markets this season, the draft and those talented youngsters coming through gives hope for the fans who can dream of brighter days ahead. After all, plenty of events from history suggests that the O’s are more than capable of mixing it with the big boys.

So, while we wait to see what 2022 will hold for fans at Oriole Park, let’s look back at some of those past triumphs as inspiration, and these few may do the trick.

World Series winners – 1966

The first World Series win for the Orioles was as dominant a display as you will ever see, and what made it even more remarkable was that many expected them to struggle with a supposed weak pitching lineup. How they made people eat their words as The O’s smashed their way to a straight four-game winning run, giving up just two runs in the entire series, in short, they were simply brilliant.

A third World Series title – 1983

The third title for the Orioles was to come in the early eighties’ courtesy of a raft of Hall of Famers in the roster. After losing the first game of the series to the Phillies, which was the first time they’d lost the first World Series game in six previous showpiece events, they were to turn the screw on their opponents and win the series with another four-game streak. The fifth and final game saw legends Rick Dempsey and Eddie Murray tie up the title as the pair scored all five runs, which won the game.

Cal Ripkin Jr, the record-breaker – 1995

When Lou Gehrig hung up his bat and glove for the final time back in the late 30s, he may be thought that his record of 2,130 straight appearances would stand the test of time. However, Ripkin Jr, already famed for his prowess with the bat, was to go on an unbelievable run spanning some 13 years to usurp Gehrig from the top of the list. The eyes of the nation were on the Memorial Stadium as Ripken Jr and the team took to the field against the California Angels, and he didn’t disappoint, smashing home a 4th Inning solo homer.

Title number two – 1970

The 1970 World Series was the one where Brooks Robinson truly stood out as an Orioles star; the legendary third baseman continued his form in denying the opposition any opportunity to get ahead of steam. He’d already played a massive part in the Orioles leading the American League in the fewest runs allowed in the regular season. He was at it again in the first game against the Cincinnati Reds. In the sixth inning, Robinson showed all his athleticism to deny Lee May a chance to score by somehow stopping the line drive. He then poured on the misery for the Reds by hitting the winning run and building the platform for another historic O’s World Series win.

We hope you enjoyed our look back at some of the most memorable moments in O’s history. Maybe this time next year, we’ll be adding another one to that list. Will it be a memorable pitching performance from John Means? Or will it be a whole team effort to upset the formbook throughout the season? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, it’s never a middle-of-the-road experience being an O’s fan!