1969 Baltimore Orioles season

The 1969 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in North America's Major League Baseball (MLB). In the first season after the American League was split into two divisions, the Orioles won the first-ever American League East title, finishing first with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, 19 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who had won the World Series in the previous season.

After the regular season, the Orioles went on to the 1st American League Championship Series, where they faced the Minnesota Twins. They swept the Twins in the 1969 ALCS, but lost the World Series to the upstart National League champion New York Mets in five games.

The team was managed by Earl Weaver (in his first full season as manager), and played their home games at Memorial Stadium.

Offseason

October 15, 1968: Wally Bunker was drafted from the Orioles by the Kansas City Royals with the 25th pick in the 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft.^[1]
December 4, 1968: Curt Blefary and John Mason (minors) were traded by the Orioles to the Houston Astros for Mike Cuellar, Enzo Hernández, and Elijah Johnson (minors).^[2]
December 2, 1968: Bobby Darwin was drafted from the Orioles by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1968 rule 5 draft.^[3]
January 20, 1969: Ron Stone was traded by the Orioles to the Philadelphia Phillies for Clay Dalrymple.^[4]
March 31, 1969: Gene Brabender and Gordy Lund were traded by the Orioles to the Seattle Pilots for Chico Salmon.^[5]

Spring training

The Baltimore Orioles held spring training at Miami Stadium in Miami for the 11th season.

Regular season

On August 13, 1969, Jim Palmer threw the only no-hitter of his career, defeating the Oakland Athletics, 8-0. ^[6]^[7]

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

June 5, 1969: 1969 Major League Baseball draft
- Dave Skaggs was drafted by the Orioles in the 6th round.^[8]
- Dave Winfield was drafted by the Orioles in the 40th round, but did not sign.^[9]
August 16, 1969: Bob Galasso was signed as an amateur free agent by the Orioles.^[10]

Roster

Game log

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases

^[11]

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Postseason

ALCS

Game 1

October 4, 1969, at Memorial Stadium

Game 2

October 5, 1969, at Memorial Stadium

Game 3

October 6, 1969, at Metropolitan Stadium

1969 World Series

Game log

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Stockton, Miami

Notes

^ Wally Bunker at Baseball Reference
^ Curt Blefary at Baseball Reference
^ Bobby Darwin at Baseball Reference
^ Clay Dalrymple at Baseball Reference
^ Chico Salmon at Baseball Reference
^ 100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.213
^ "Boxscore of Jim Palmer's No-Hitter". retrosheet.org. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
^ Dave Skaggs at Baseball Reference
^ Dave Winfield at Baseball Reference
^ Bob Galasso at Baseball Reference
^ "1969 Baltimore Orioles Statistics".

References

Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
1969 Baltimore Orioles at Baseball Reference
1969 Baltimore Orioles season at Baseball Almanac