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Who are the top Baltimore Orioles of all time? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Adam Jones: one of the top center fielders of his era, Jones played 11 seasons with the Orioles and earned five All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves, and a Silver Slugger while serving as a franchise face during a down period.
9. Mark Belanger: though a below-average hitter (.228 career batting average), Belanger was one of the best fielding shortstops of all time – in 17 seasons with Baltimore, he won eight Gold Gloves and a World Series title while accumulating more defensive WAR than any player other than Ozzie Smith.
8. Boog Powell: an imposing slugger who hit 339 career home runs, Powell played all but his last three MLB seasons with the Orioles, earning four straight All-Star selections in his prime and winning the AL MVP in 1970 while playing an integral role in a pair of championship teams.
7. Mike Mussina: a consistent workhorse in his decade with Baltimore, Mussina was a 5x All-Star and 4x Gold Glover who finished top-five for AL Cy Young 5x while winning 147 games as an Oriole.
6. George Sisler: the record-holder for hits in a season (257) for 84 years, Sisler played most of his career with the predecessor Browns, hitting .407 during his record-setting 1920 season and following up in his 1922 MVP season with a .420 batting average and 246 hits; overall, he won a pair of batting titles and hit .344 during his tenure with the team (career .340 batting average).
5. Eddie Murray: as steady and consistent as they came, Murray played a dozen plus seasons with the Orioles, earning AL Rookie of the Year, seven All-Star selections, a pair of Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and back-to-back AL MVP runner-up finishes while also winning the World Series in 1983.
4. Frank Robinson: the only player to ever win MVP in both the NL (1961 with the Cincinnati Reds) and the AL (1966 with the Orioles), Robinson spent six seasons with Baltimore in his 30s and won a pair of championships, highlighted by both the AL Triple Crown and a World Series title (with MVP) in 1966.
3. Jim Palmer: an 8x 20-game winner and the Orioles’ career leader in most pitching categories, Palmer made six All-Star Games, won three Cy Youngs and four Gold Gloves, led the league in ERA twice, and is the only pitcher to win a World Series game in three different decades
2. Brooks Robinson: the greatest defensive third baseman ever, Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves at the hot corner; he was also a strong offensive player, nearly reaching 3,000 career hits and winning the 1964 AL MVP while making 18 All-Star appearances and guiding the team to a pair of World Series titles.
1. Cal Ripken Jr.: in addition to breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak, Ripken could do it with both his bat and his glove – a 19x All-Star, 2x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger, and 2x Gold Glover, he led the Orioles to a World Series title in 1983 and holds most of the team’s career offensive records.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: This list includes players who played for the St. Louis Browns.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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