High Flying Birds
1970 Baltimore OriolesHome Field: Memorial Stadium
World ChampionsHit: #1 R; #3 BA
W - 108 L - 54Pitch: #1 OR, ERA
Manager: Earl WeaverDef: #2 FA

The 1970 Orioles represented Earl Weaver baseball at its best. His "Pitching and a three run homer" philosophy resulted in 108 wins and a second World Series title in four years for Baltimore. Just a year earlier, Baltimore had won 109 games and had swept Minnesota to reach the fall classic only to be upset by the Mets. This year's team had the same starting eight and same big three pitchers as the 1969 edition. This time, they would not be denied.

Boog Powell, the loop's MVP, keyed the offense with 35 homers and 114 RBIs. Frank and Brooks Robinson added firepower and leadership. The pitching staff featured three 20 game winners in Mike Cuellar (24-8), Dave McNally (24-9), and Jim Palmer (20-10). Cuellar and McNally tied for the league's lead in wins. When the regular season ended, the O's captured the American League Eat by 15 games over the Yankees.

Just like the previous year, the Twins provided the opposition in the ALCS. The Orioles not only swept, they humiliated Minnesota. No Twin starting pitcher made it to the fifth inning. A young Cincinnati team awaited them in the World Series. Baltimore defeated the Reds in five games in a series remembered as the Brooks Robinson highlight film.

Baltimore made it back to a third straight World Series the following year, but fell to the Pirates in their quest to repeat as series champs. The Orioles remained strong throughout the 1970s, but this was Earl Weaver's only World Championship club.


Pos Player Bats AB H R HR RBI BA    AL Rank
C Elrod Hendricks L 322 78 32 12 41 .242  
1B Boog Powell L 526 156 82 35 114 .297    #3 RBI; #5 HR
2B Dave Johnson R 530 149 68 10 53 .281  
SS Mark Belanger R 459 100 53 1 36 .218  
3B Brooks Robinson R 608 168 84 18 94 .276  
LF Don Buford B 504 137 99 17 66 .272  
CF Paul Blair R 480 128 79 18 65 .267  
RF Frank Robinson R 471 144 88 25 78 .306    #5 BA
                   
OF Merv Rettenmund R 338 109 60 18 58 .322  
C Andy Etchebarren R 230 56 19 4 28 .243  
SS-2B-3B Chico Salmon R 172 43 19 7 22 .250  
OF-1B Terry Crowley L 152 39 25 5 20 .257  
SS-2B Bobby Grich R 95 20 11 0 8 .211  
OF Curt Motton R 84 19 16 3 19 .226  
                   
Total: Team   5545 1424 792 179 748 .257  
  League Average   65675 16404 8109 1746 7589 .250  


Pitcher Throw G IP W L ERA PCT    AL Rank
  Mike Cuellar L 40 298 24 8 3.47 .750    #1t W
  Dave McNally L 40 296 24 9 3.22 .727    #1t W
  Jim Palmer R 39 305 20 10 2.71 .667    #2 ERA; #4 K
  Tom Phoebus R 27 135 5 5 3.07 .500  
  Jim Hardin R 36 145 6 5 3.54 .545  
  Dick Hall R 32 61 10 5 3.10 .667  
  Pete Richert L 50 55 7 2 1.96 .778  
  Eddie Watt R 53 55 7 7 3.27 .500  
                   
Total: Team       108 54 3.15    
  League Average           3.71    

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