60 Fun Facts About Baltimore Orioles

What is the name of the Orioles' ballpark, opened in downtown Baltimore in 1992?

Its retro design inspired a generation of new ballparks and it hosted the 1993 All-Star Game.

Under what name did the Orioles franchise spend its first American League season in 1901?

They moved to St. Louis a year later and became the Browns for 52 seasons.

What was the franchise called during its 52 years in St. Louis?

The name came from the original 1880s nickname of the club now known as the Cardinals, with whom they shared Sportsman's Park.

In which wartime season did the franchise win its only St. Louis pennant?

They were the last of the original 16 major league teams to reach a World Series.

Which showman bought the St. Louis club in 1951 and tried to move it to Milwaukee and Baltimore?

AL owners blocked him, so he sold to a Baltimore group led by attorney Clarence Miles for $2.5 million.

In which year did the franchise move to Baltimore and become the Orioles?

Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. and attorney Clarence Miles led the effort to bring the majors back to the city.

The oriole is the official state bird of which state?

Baltimore baseball teams have used the name since the 19th century, including the National League Orioles of John McGraw and Wee Willie Keeler.

Which manager also served as GM from 1955 to 1958, the first to do both since McGraw?

He began the slow climb to respectability that produced Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell and Dave McNally.

Which pitcher did the Orioles send to Cincinnati in the 1965 trade for Frank Robinson?

Robinson won the Triple Crown and MVP in his first Baltimore season; the deal is now a byword for lopsided trades.

Frank Robinson's 1966 MVP made him the first to win in both leagues. In which season had he won the NL MVP?

He led the Reds to the pennant that year; in 1966 he also won the Triple Crown for Baltimore.

Which team did the Orioles sweep in the 1966 World Series for their first championship?

They out-duelled Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale; it was the last of the AL's charter teams to win a title.

Which team pulled off one of the great World Series upsets by beating the Orioles in five games in 1969?

That 'Miracle Mets' win came after Baltimore had won the first-ever ALCS.

The 108-win Orioles beat which team in five games in the 1970 World Series?

Brooks Robinson's fielding clinic against the Big Red Machine made him Series MVP; it remains the last title Baltimore clinched at home.

Which right fielder led the Pirates from 0-2 down to beat the Orioles in the 1971 Series?

Steve Blass beat Mike Cuellar 2–1 in Game 7 in Baltimore.

The 'We Are Family' Pirates beat the Orioles in the 1979 World Series after trailing by how many games?

Pittsburgh became only the fourth team to come back from 3–1 and won Game 7 in Baltimore for the second time that decade.

Which team did the Orioles beat in five games to win the 1983 World Series?

Catcher Rick Dempsey was Series MVP in Joe Altobelli's first year as manager after Earl Weaver retired.

Which fiery manager's philosophy of 'pitching, defense and the three-run home run' was named after him?

Told Weaver was a 'push-button manager', a GM replied that Earl 'built the machine and installed all the buttons'.

Which phrase, coined by coach Cal Ripken Sr., summed up the fundamentals-first 'Oriole Way'?

The Oriole Way produced a farm system that made the team the envy of baseball from 1966 to 1983.

How many Cy Young Awards did Jim Palmer win for the Orioles?

He won in 1973, 1975 and 1976; Mike Cuellar, Mike Flanagan and Steve Stone also won for Baltimore.

Which Orioles player won the AL MVP in 1970?

Frank Robinson (1966) and Cal Ripken Jr. (1983) were the other MVPs of the glory years.

How many games did the Orioles lose to open the 1988 season, a major-league record?

Cal Ripken Sr. was fired six games in and Frank Robinson took over; the team finished 54–107.

What nickname was given to the surprising 1989 team, which finished second a year after losing 107 games?

Surprise ace Jeff Ballard led them and Frank Robinson was Manager of the Year.

On which 1995 date did Cal Ripken Jr. break Lou Gehrig's record with his 2,131st straight game?

Fans voted it baseball's most memorable moment; the streak ended at 2,632 in 1998.

At how many consecutive games did Cal Ripken Jr. voluntarily end his streak in 1998?

He sat out the final home game of the season against the Yankees.

Why did the Orioles refuse to field replacement players during the 1994–95 strike?

They were the lone dissenters and sat out spring training instead.

Which Baltimore attorney won the Orioles in bankruptcy court in 1993, with Tom Clancy as partner?

His family sold the team to David Rubenstein's group in 2024, days after Angelos died at 94.

How many home runs did the 1996 Orioles hit to set a then-major league single-season record?

Brady Anderson hit 50 of them, 12 leading off games; they lost the ALCS after Jeffrey Maier's interference on a Derek Jeter fly ball.

Which 12-year-old fan turned a Derek Jeter fly ball into a home run in the 1996 ALCS?

The Yankees won that Game 1 and the series.

The 1997 Orioles won the AL East 'wire-to-wire'. What does that mean?

They then lost the ALCS to Cleveland with every defeat coming by one run, and Davey Johnson quit after a dispute with Peter Angelos.

How many consecutive losing seasons did the Orioles endure between 1998 and 2011?

The streak ended with the 93-win 2012 team that went 29–9 in one-run games.

Which two-time AL Manager of the Year, hired in 2010, led the Orioles to three playoff trips in the 2010s?

He replaced Juan Samuel, who had taken over from Dave Trembley after a 15–39 start.

The 2012 Orioles ended a 15-year playoff drought thanks partly to what extra-inning record?

They also went 29–9 in one-run games and Jim Johnson saved 51.

Which Orioles closer set the franchise record with 51 saves in 2012?

He finished with a 2.49 ERA in a bullpen that carried the team.

The Orioles beat which team in the inaugural AL Wild Card Game in 2012?

Joe Saunders outpitched Yu Darvish before Baltimore lost a five-game ALDS to the Yankees.

How many games did the Orioles lose in 2018, the most in franchise history?

They became the first team since the 2003 Tigers to win fewer than 50 games.

Which unanimous 2023 AL Rookie of the Year was the Orioles' first winner since Gregg Olson in 1989?

He and Rutschman both won Silver Sluggers as Baltimore won 101 games and the AL East.

What was the Orioles' record in 2023, their first 100-win season since 1980?

They were swept in the ALDS by the eventual champion Texas Rangers.

Which Carlyle Group founder led the group that bought the Orioles for $1.7 billion in 2024?

Cal Ripken Jr., Grant Hill and Bloomberg are among his partners.

Which announcer did the Orioles suspend in 2023 for noting their poor record at Tropicana Field?

Rival broadcasters mocked the move as 'minor league'; Brown returned and stayed as lead TV voice.

What is the Camden Yards splash zone where 'Mr. Splash' hoses down fans called?

It grew out of the 2023 team's water-themed celebrations.

Which John Denver song has been the Orioles' seventh-inning-stretch anthem since August 1975?

Denver danced to it atop the dugout in September 1997, weeks before his death.

Which word do Orioles fans famously shout during 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?

The tradition started with Wild Bill Hagy's 'Roar from 34' in the 1970s and follows Baltimoreans everywhere, including the Rio Olympics.

What was PA announcer Rex Barney's trademark line whenever a fan caught a foul ball?

He also said 'Thank yooooou' after every announcement; the night he died in 1997 the game was played without a PA announcer.

Which logo did the Orioles bring back to their caps in 2012 after using a realistic version from 1989?

The cartoon bird had first appeared in 1966 and lasted through 1988.

The Orioles won ESPN's 2013 'Battle of the Uniforms' despite entering as which seed?

They beat the top-seeded Cardinals in the final.

Which company became the Orioles' first-ever jersey sponsor in June 2024?

The circular sleeve patch features the investment firm's bighorn sheep logo.

The Orioles' 2026 City Connect uniform features which shortened nickname across the chest?

The cream, dark green and orange design honours Camden Yards and carries the phrase 'From the Stoop to the Yards'.

The Orioles' 2023 City Connect cap and jersey feature which colour as the base?

'BALTIMORE' runs across the chest with colours and shapes representing the city's neighbourhoods.

Which network, co-owned with the Nationals since 2005, carried almost all Orioles games?

The Orioles held a majority stake, around 80 percent in the mid-2010s, and a rights-fee dispute with the Nationals ran from 2012 into the 2020s.

Which Orioles broadcaster became the voice of the Giants and won the Frick Award?

Six former Orioles announcers have won the Frick Award, including Harry Caray from his Browns days.

Who holds the Orioles single-season record with 53 home runs, set in 2013?

Frank Robinson's 49 in 1966 remains the record for a right-handed hitter.

Which Orioles pitcher won a franchise-record 25 games in 1980, taking the Cy Young Award?

Palmer's 25 complete games and 10 shutouts in 1975 are also franchise records.

Which shortstop stole a franchise-record 57 bases for the Orioles in 1964?

The Hall of Famer later returned to the White Sox.

Which Orioles hitter posted a franchise-record 30-game hitting streak in 1998?

He did it the year after being treated for colon cancer.

What is the name of the Orioles' regional rivalry with the Washington Nationals?

Baltimore leads the series 55–39.

Which two players are the only ones to have won Rookie of the Year for the Orioles in the 1970s?

Ripken followed in 1982 and Gregg Olson in 1989.

Which film's theme was played at the Orioles' final game at Memorial Stadium in 1991?

That farewell season also revived 'Magic to Do' from the musical Pippin to salute 'Orioles Magic' on 33rd Street.

Which mayor joined attorney Clarence Miles in the 1953 syndicate that brought the franchise to Baltimore?

D'Alesandro's daughter, Nancy Pelosi, would later become Speaker of the US House.

Which rookie closer debuted for the Orioles in 2022 alongside catcher Adley Rutschman?

By August 2023 the young core of Rutschman, Henderson, Bautista and Bradish had the club in first place in the AL East.

Which general manager partnered with Buck Showalter during the Orioles' three playoff runs of the 2010s?

The 2014 team won the division and reached the ALCS for the first time in 17 years.