An indication of better days appeared in '57 as the Birds finished at .500 for the first time. Veteran Connie Johnson (14-11) led the charge of a surprising Orioles pitching staff that saw four pitchers throw shutouts on consecutive days in late June
In 1966, a trade for Milt Pappas and two others, Frank Robinson came to the Birds and proved to be the missing ingredient for the Championship. Robinson's timely power and the amazing pitching of the O's staff brought the trophy home to Baltimore, who outscored the L.A. Dodgers 13-2 to capture their first ever World Series title.
In 1969, Jim Palmer's (16-4) dominance was on display as he fired off an 11-game win streak in the summer of '69. The O's finished 109-53 and played the Minnesota Twins in the first American League Championship series, which they promptly swept in 3 games. The World Series pitted the favored Birds against the Miracle Mets who shocked all of baseball with a 4-1 victory in the Fall Classic.
In 1970, The O's posted three 20-game winners in 1970 with Dave McNally (24-9) and Mike Cuellar (24-8) leading the way, followed by Jim Palmer, whose 20-10 record included five shutouts. Sweeping the Twins in the ALCS for the second straight year put the O's back in the Series against the NL champion Cincinnati Reds. However, the Big Red Machine proved to be no match for an Orioles team set on avenging '69's loss to the Mets. The Birds took the Series 4-1 for their second title behind the MVP play of Brooks Robinson who made several plays for the ages at third and batted .429.
In 1971, Not satisfied with their pitching brilliance in 1970, the O's outdid themselves by posting four 20-game winners in '71. Pat Dobson joined McNally, Cuellar, and Palmer as the Birds went on to win 101 games. Again an ALCS sweep, over Oakland this time, put the Orioles into the World Series for the 3rd straight year where they would meet up with Roberto Clemente and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente hit .414 and was the catalyst for a Pirates victory in a hard-fought seven game series.
In 1979, Orioles Magic came to town for the 1979 season as the Birds always seemed to find a way. If it wasn't a home run from someone you least expected, it was a late-inning rally that willed the O's to victory. Mike Flanagan took over as the ace of the staff going 23-9 with 16 complete games, five shutouts, and a 3.08 ERA on his way to the Cy Young Award. The team finished 102-57 and faced the Pirates in the World Series where history repeated itself as the "We Are Family" Bucs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to win the Championship on an RBI single by Willie Stargell in the 8th inning of the decisive seventh game.
In 1983, Joe Altobelli became the new manager and took over an Orioles team on a mission. The mission looked to be derailed by several key injuries to players such as Jim Palmer, Mike Flanagan, Dan Ford, and Tippy Martinez, but the O's stayed the path and charged all the way to the World Series to face Pete Rose and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was MVP Rick Dempsey who led the Birds to the Championship, batting .385 and throwing out the speedy Joe Morgan twice, as the Orioles claimed their third title and avenged the heartbreaks of the previous four seasons.
In 1988, On a night where 50,402 turned out to welcome the 1-23 Orioles back from a 1-11 road trip, Governor William Donald Schaefer announced that owner Edward Bennett Williams and the Maryland Stadium Authority had agreed upon a long-term lease for a new downtown ballpark to be built in time for the 1992 season. Williams, who was very ill, never attended another game after that and lost his battle with cancer on August 13, 1988. The season was a lost one as the Birds went 54-107, but the process of rebuilding had begun.
In 1992, The dawn of a new era of Orioles baseball began as Camden Yards was introduced to the world. Despite many comments about how hitter-friendly the park was, the first three games played there were low-scoring shutouts with the O's winning two of them. At the end of the '92 season, Cal Ripken Jr.'s consecutive games streak had reached 1,735 and Lou Gehrig's record was in sight.
In 1995, On September 5th and 6th at Oriole Park at Camden Yards against the California Angels, Cal Ripken Jr. became baseball's all-time "Iron Man", tying and breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record of 2,130. Cal's streak began on May 30, 1982. In the games Cal went a combined 5-9 and hit home runs in each. Ceremonies were held after the tying game and included a "roast" of Cal to congratulate him on his achievement, but the best celebration was to come during the record breaking game. After the game was in the books as an official game, play was halted for over 20 minutes and Cal made a victory lap as the fans showed their appreciation for baseball's new "Iron Man".
In 2001, This was a landmark season in Baltimore, as Cal Ripken announced that it would be his last in the Major Leagues. What was another rebuilding season for the Orioles transformed into a farewell tour for the most durable player in the history of the game. Ripken received numerous gifts and accolades as he stopped by visiting Major League parks for the final time. The season ended at home and the Orioles and Major League baseball agreed to switch the season finale to Saturday, and Ripken played his final game on Oct. 6, 2001. He finished the year hitting .239 with 14 homers and 68 RBI. He capped his career by hitting a home run in the All-Star Game and winning the MVP award.
--The Official Site
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