Current Collection - 1970

This year's collection will be a priority, since it portrays the team I first remebering rooting for and watching play on television, in the year I collected my first cards, all those years ago, racing out of kindergarten to arrive home to watch hopefully the last inning or two of each of that year’s World Series games. I can still vividly remember having a certaint feeling (as naive as it may have been) that in rooting for the Orioles that year that there was no way they would lose. For some reason in my young mind, despite the menacing Reds' lineup, the Orioles seemed invincible(obviously I was blissfully unaware of the events just one year prior). Fortunately, it played out just that way as the Orioles wrapped up the Series in five, were crowned champions, and solidified a very pleasant memory that still lasts 40 years later.

I'm now in pretty good shape with this year's collection, just missing a few key pieces, all of which should be fairly attainable (read: affordable) - save for Frank Robinson, who in addition to being a star also has a very high number, and thus is a more rare card, on the back. Front-page sheet looks like this:

LF - Don Buford
CF - Paul Blair
RF - Merv Rettenmund
SS - Mark Belanger
SP - Jim Palmer
RP - Eddie Watt
3B - Brooks Robinson
C - Elrod Hendricks
1B - Boog Powell

Needed on this sheet, in addition to F. Robinson is second baseman Davey Johnson and possibly catcher Andy Etchebarren (need to research if he or Ellie was the primary catcher that season).

Among my favorites there is perhaps an unlikely one, since he's not as well known as many of the many other names - virutally all really - etched forever in Oriole lore: Eddie Watt. Why? His was one of the very first baseball cards I ever got, and can still remember holding it like a precious jewel when I was a young kid, even taping it (gasp! I know...but gasp even greater when you realize I also taped a Roberto Clemente card to the display table) to the wall as you went down the stairs to the cellar, into my "Baseball Card Hall of Fame." Being that he was an Orioles pitcher, from such a great team, I figured then his card must hold quite a high value. While maybe my perception of the card was a little misplaced, particularly in light of many of his teammates, I did later discover when looking back on his career that he was, as one of his cards pronounced on the back, "the ace of the bullpen."

Second sheet so far contains:

IF - Chico Salmon
Mgr - Earl Weaver
Rookies: Fred Beene (P) Terry Crowley (OF)
A.L. Playoff Game 1 - Orioles Win a Squeeer!
TSN 1969 World Series - Game 1: Buford Belts a Leadoff Homer

I also have a card from 1975 that shows the two MVPs of 1970, the A.L. one being Powell (Johnny Bench was the N.L. MVP.)
Rookies

Current Collection - 1969

Fortunate to have a number of cards already in the 1969 set, the first of three dominating years for the Orioles, where they eclipsed the 100-win mark each year, made three World Series appearances, and won one of them. While the memory from this year will well be the deflating five-game Series loss to the Mets, this 109-win regular season team, remains one of the team's and baseball's best of all time.

I don't quite remember how I acquired most of these cards, since the first year I collected as a kid was in 1970. Somewhere over the years I came into the good fortune of being given many from the list below, several of which are the team's prime players, including the starting outfield of Buford, Blair and Robinson, shortstop Belanger, and two aces in Cuellar and McNally. Thus, the sheet currently looks as follows:

LF - Don Buford
CF - Paul Blair
RF - Frank Robinson
SS - Mark Belanger
SP - Mike Cuellar
2B - Dave Johnson
RP - Eddie Watt
OF - Dave May
SP - Dave McNally
RC - Mike Adamson (P) and Merv Rettenmund (OF)

Among the most difficult I anticipate to acquire on the wish list will be those missing in my collection from the starting lineup:

1B - Boog Powell
3B - Brooks Robinson

As well as:

SP - Jim Palmer
C - Elrod Hendricks
Mgr - Earl Weaver

And would very much like this year's special card:

Bird Hill Aces, featuring Tom Phoebus, Jim Hardin, McNally and Cuellar

What about Andy Etchebarren? Was he the catcher this year, and does he have a card for the year?

Also would be nice to add some of the pitching staff, such as Tom Phoebus and Pete Richert. (Were they both still on the team?)

Current Collection - 1968

So far, just one from this year in the collection: a Jim Palmer, with a crease running right across the center of it, dividing the pitcher's face, in the head and shoulders picture on the card (will get the photo of it uploaded one day).

Front-sheet targets on the wish list:

C- Andy Etchebarren or Ellie Hendricks
1B - Boog Powell
2B - Davey Johnson
SS - Mark Belanger
3B - Brooks Robinson
CF - Paul Blair
RF - Frank Robinson
LF - Curt Blefary or Don Buford
SP - Dave McNally

Difficult choice with the outstanding pitching staff, but McNally was absolutely superb: 22-1- with a 1.95 ERA and 18 complete games. Jim Hardin and Tom Phoebus also excelled, both with ERAs in the mid 2's and combining for 25 complete games. Eddie Watt closed things with 11 saves. Their excellent pitching, holding opponents to fewer than 500 runs for the season, propelled the O's to a 91-71 record and second-place finish.

Don Buford led the O's in hitting, this in the year of the pitcher, turning in a fine season with a .282 average, 15 HRs and 27 SB. The next highest average (for players with more than 100 at bats) was Frank Robinson who had for him a very modest, albeit still productive, season, with only 421 at bats: .268 BA, .390 OBP, .444 SLG. Boog Powell led the team with 22 HRs and 85 RBI. Brooks Robinson was the only other player besides Buford and Robinson to bat over .250 (finishing at .253) and chipped in 17 HRs and 75 RBI.

Rebuilding the Orioles - Backstop to Build Around

In the June 2007 draft, the Orioles selected Matt Wieters with the 5th pick overall. This was shortly before Andy McPhail came on. Wieters came in as a very highly touted player, enough for the O's to draft him that high and take the chance that they could indeed sign him. The switch-hitting catcher had drawn rave reviews going into the draft, for his hitting -- .358 average and .477 on-base percentage in his career at Georgia Tech -- as well as his defensive ability and overall maturity. Many wondered if the O's would shy away from picking him, given his agent is Scott Boras, someone the O's have tended to stay away from.

"I think his defensive ability is going to allow him to move quickly," Orioles's scout Joe Jordan said of Wieters shortly after the draft, whose plus arm allowed him to also serve as closer at Georgia Tech. "We think the bat is just a bat that needs Minor League at-bats. He needs to swing the wooden bat for a while, but everything together, this guy should be on an accelerated pace."

Jordan and Mike Flanagan emphasized that Wieters' defense what attracted them most to the backstop, particularly the way he handled a pitching staff.

"It's not prototypical (his size - 6' 5"), but there are some and there have been some," he said. "This guy's done it for three years in college without any problems. ...He's not a vocal throwback type ... but this guy is a leader."

Source:
Wieters earned reputation as one of college's best pure hitters
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
June 7, 2007

First Promotion

Wieters did not stay long at his first stop, Class A ball with the Frederick Keys. Excelling over the first three months, he earned a promotion to AA Bowie.

"'We feel like he's gone a little over half the season now and he has made a tremendous stride with the bat and his catching," said Orioles director of player development David Stockstill. "Teams are no longer pitching to him and because he's not being pitched to, we feel like it's better for his development to move him up to a level with people who are going to challenge him.'

"During his time in Frederick, the Orioles' top 2007 Draft pick was the team-leader in batting average (.342), hits (77), home runs (14), RBIs (38) and walks (43). In 225 at-bats, Wieters also boasted a team-high .560 slugging percentage.

"Although the Orioles have been keeping Wieters on a conservative time line, unwilling to rush his development in the Minor Leagues, Wieters' promotion has been expected for some time. Earlier this month, Keys hitting coach J.J. Cannon said he didn't expect to see Wieters in a Keys uniform much past the June 23-25 All-Star break.

Amanda Comak is an associate reporter for MLB.com. June ??, 2008

Current Collection - 1967

Have a nice start to the 1967 Orioles' set, with two outfielders in place, Frank Robinson and Curt Blefary, and a pitcher whom I had not heard of, Gene Brabender. Robinson and Blefary combined for 52 home runs and 175 RBI that season, though the O's, despite scoring nearly 60 more runs than they gave up (654 for, 592 against), had a mighty fall from their championship season the year before, finishing 76-85. Brabender, for his part, pitched well, starting 15 games and going 6-4 with a tidy 3.35 ERA, including three complete games.

Targeted cards to fill up the first 9-sheet sleeve (to join the two OFs mentioned above):

C - Andy Etchebarren
1B - Boog Powell
2B - Davey Johnson
SS - Luis Aparicio
3B - Brooks Robinson
CF - Paul Blair
SP - Tom Phoebus (RC)*

*Brabender will serve in his spot until Phoebus joins the collection. Phoebus will be slotted for this front-page spot, having had a sensational first season (14-9, 3.33 ERA, 7 CG, 208 IP), winning Rookie Pitcher of the Year.

Collecting those front-page cards will be no easy task, with that formidable lineup. It's difficult to imagine what must've happened that season, with a lineup such as the one above and what looked to be some pretty decent pitching.

For the second and third sheets, targets are (again, will be some challenging ones, especially with an early Palmer card and a rookie Belanger):

OF - Russ Snyder
SS - Mark Belanger (RC)
SP - Pete Richert
SP - Dave McNally
SP - Jim Hardin
SP - Steve Barber
RP/SP - Wally Bunker
SP - Jim Palmer
RP - Moe Drabowski
RP - Eddie Watt
RP - Stu Miller
Mgr - Hank Bauer
C - Larry Haney (RC)
OF - Sam Bowens

Special cards:

Bird Bombers - Powell and Blefary
World Series cards
Team Card
World Champs, with three O's on the dugout steps

Should be a fun group to add to the collection.

Rebuilding the Orioles - Taking Note of the Rays' Success

In May 2008, with the surprising Tampa Bay Rays playing terrific ball and winning, Dave Tremley made mention in a May 25, 2008 article on MLB.com of the similar route the Orioles are taking to hopefully achieve similar results as well as gain the staying power the young Rays also are aiming for. The formula is an oft-heard one: pitching, defense and timely hitting. Tampa Bay continued its success throughout that season, winning the AL East and making to the World Series before losing to the Phillies in five games. As reported on MLB.com:

"Under Andy MacPhail, the O's president of baseball operations who took over during the 2007 season, the Birds have begun to replenish a depleted farm system and shoot for the long-term stability also preached by the Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.

Devoid of major market money and big-name superstars, both squads are going back to a pure formula for success: good pitching, solid defense and timely hitting.

'We got two of the three ingredients that you need in order to be successful,' Trembley said. 'We've lost games because we haven't had timely hitting, but the pitching, the defense has allowed us to compete. And [the Rays] have had all three going for a while, and that's what's allowed them to win a majority of their games, especially at home.'"

Brittany Ghiroli is an associate reporter for MLB.com.

Current Collection - 1976

Delighted to find a box of 1976 cards in the attic that I had forgotten was there, and even when seeing it again thought I had scoured pretty thoroughly awhile ago. Still, I had thought it strange prior to finding and going through the box again that I only had two Orioles' cards from that year: a team card and one of Wayne Garland, hands above head ready to swing around and deliver a pitch. At the same time, I had numerous 1976 Cardinals as well as several Red Sox (the two other teams I collect in abundance). Lo and behold, sitting in that box was nearly the team set of 1976 Oriole cards, from all the familiar names like Robinson, Blair, Belanger, Baylor, Bumbry, Palmer; a rookie card of Flanagan; and on and on, even a few I did not recognize, with doubles and sometimes triples to boot!

I had taken a stab at lining up the cards in the 9-sleeve sheet with what I imagined the typical starting lineup was, but found I had mostly gone awry. Correct was Paul Blair in center and Mark Belanger at short; I also had Ken Singleton correct, but it looks as though he played more left field than right (or did he DH a lot that season?), and thus need to re-position him. Al Bumbry could be considered correct being placed on the first sheet, having had 499 at bats in 1976, and thus played as much as, even a little more than Blair.

Where I was surprised was not knowing that Andres Mora was one of the DH's that year, but I do not believe there is a card of him, at least not an Orioles card, for that year, and of course that was Reggie Jackson's one-year adventure with Baltimore, and his card for that year still shows him being on the A's. Tommy Davis and Don Baylor both made the front nine, but neither was on the team that year. I also went with Brooks Robinson at third over Doug DeCinces, but the latter came to bat twice as much as the legend and is one of the cards from the set that I do not have. The other surprise: Dave Duncan did more of the catching than Ellie Hendricks (sentimental choice for first sheet) and Rick Dempsey (no '76 card that I'm aware of, unless there's one of him on the Yankees). Lastly, while I realized Jim Palmer was most likely the ace that year, and he has a terrific in-action card, orange jersey and all, I went with long-time lefty Mike Cuellar, as he cocks to fire to the plate, glove thrown out, eye on target and front foot about to land, all from the Memorial Stadium mound. Having checked though and seen that Palmer had a stellar season (yet another one) and Cuellar was in more of a minor role with his career coming nearing the end, I've installed Palmer in the center of the first sheet.

It was also clear to me that I was missing a second baseman from the set. In this case, Bobby Grich will fill the void once acquired. His '76 card is quite a hoot, a profile view without at hat on that makes him look to me like someone who just stepped off a Hollywood set. And Lee May. I need the Lee May card. The first base bopper hit 25 home runs and drove in 109 runs that year.