The Orioles started on their way to losses. A year later, the pundits said Baltimore was headed for last place again. They were after 30 games. But a hot streak in late May saw the team surge into first place, and they stayed there for most of the summer.
But by September they were chasing Toronto for first. They ended the year at SkyDome, playing three games, and coming into the series one game behind. The town was behind us. It was nice to play for something at the end of the season. We knew we would turn it around. There were a lot of guys hungry and trying to prove themselves. There was a different hero every day. It was a great mix of players.
The papers before opening day said we would get no-hit, and we took that to heart. It kind of snowballed after that. It carried us all the way and we were close at the end. But they captured the hearts of the Orioles fans who cheered them with gusto on 33rd Street. They provided the fans a summer of great fun. All the things, minus actually being in the playoffs or World Series, our check box got checked that year.
Wonderful memories of being here in Baltimore. The fans were great, the team was really close-knit. Think about all the rookies we had on that team. Park Factors: Over favors batters, under favors pitchers. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Are you a Stathead, too? Subscribe to our Free Newsletter. This Month in Sports Reference Find out when we add a feature or make a change.
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Read our Announcement. Transactions Def. Then the Orioles did something nobody expected -- they kept winning. They went in April, in May. They finished the month winners of eight of nine and in sole possession of first place, behind a group of unsung heroes -- Olson, the rookie closer, breakout catcher Mickey Tettleton and out-of-nowhere starters Jeff Ballard and Bob Milacki among them. This was the first time in the ninth inning of a real game. Miller: "And he struck out the side; he ran the table.
From that point on, they said, 'Hell with it. Half the battle is believing you should win. Our pitching was even better than expected. Our outfield defense was awesome. We made it a point for them not to score runs. It's fun and it was a thrill to be able to take runs away. But in '89, they had young, athletic defensive players and everything changed.
The fans caught on almost right away, with every diving catch that was made in the outfield. The Orioles lost their first 21 games of It set the stage for a summer fueled by slogans, comebacks and catch phrases, one that captured the imagination of a city clamoring for a winner.
I knew his wife, Sylvia, was in the stands one night and found her for an interview. Steinberg: "Say that occurred around the third inning.
Davis: "I was as stunned as anybody else. It stuck. Ripken: "I remember the city embraced us in a big way. It was almost like everybody was asking, 'Is this real? It was truly amazing and inspiring to watch.
They would go from about 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. There was no person in charge of marketing, because we believed so many departments are part of resonating, connecting with your market. What are our community partners telling us? What are our crab-cake-eating, Natty-Boh drinking fans telling us? Memorial Stadium to me was a special place to play. Steinberg: "Sometime after that meeting, someone in the fans held up a sign that said 'Why Not?
You could walk out after the game and there are hundreds of people standing around waiting to shake your hand.
It never felt like we got booed. It felt like percent support. It was talked about. Then when the spark was lit, we were ready to go. The '89 fans had every reason to feel excited. Now they had a rallying cry. Guys started believing, started trusting each other.
Mark Williamson, reliever: "It was literally like, 'Who are these guys? That feeling became even more prevalent in the second half, when another wave of previously unknown characters emerged to keep the Orioles afloat down the stretch.
Kurkjian: "Another snapshot of that season is Stanley Jefferson scoring a run on a play that defied logic. He came home, and he should have been out by like 50 feet, and somehow he zigzags the catcher, jumps over the catcher, does a summersault and helps them win the game.
I remember thinking: 'Who is Stanley Jefferson? And what is he doing scoring a run on a play like that? Something is going on here now! Jeff Ballard was close to winning 20 games. Pete Harnisch had a really good year. Dave Johnson came up from the Minor Leagues and contributed in a big way. Unexpected performances. It was about testing your limits, finding out who you were. He threw about 84 mph. He won some enormous games for the Orioles without very good stuff at all. But it worked. The year-old rookie threw complete-game victories in three of his first five starts, including two consecutive against Minnesota and Boston with the Orioles clinging to the division lead.
Johnson: "I always wanted to play for the Orioles. I grew up here watching Brooks and Frank and Boog and Palmer.
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