Although the organization suffered through some down times in last few decades, the Baltimore Orioles have amassed three World Series titles and look to be on the way back to the top. Over the years the franchise has fielded some iconic names in baseball and have built their current roster with plenty of young talent. This has made Baltimore an appealing hobby option for fans and collectors.
The Baltimore Orioles organization dates back to 1954 when they took up residence in Memorial Stadium. However, the roots of the club can actually be traced to 1894. They played one season as the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to St. Louis and playing for 52 years as the St. Louis Browns. In 1953, multiple business entities in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, formed an ownership group. They successfully purchased the team, moved them to Baltimore and renamed the team after Maryland's state bird, the oriole.
The foundation of the organization was quickly laid with an emphasis on fundamental baseball skills. Known as the "Oriole Way," the team's management instituted a policy of developing young talent with a sound understanding and refinement of basic skills. This ran contrary to the league norm of rushing promising talent to the big leagues as quickly as possible.
As a result of this organization-wide philosophy, the Orioles have successfully produced several Rookie of the Year award recipients, including Ron Hanson (1960), Curt Blefary (1965), Al Bumbry (1973), Eddie Murray (1977), Cal Ripken Jr. (1982) and Gregg Olsen (1989).
By 1960, the team was becoming a routine pennant contender. Finally, in 1966, all of these club attributes proved a success when the Orioles won their first World Series championship. Not resting on their laurels, the team maintained its competitiveness and won another title in 1970.
The Orioles perfected the concept of the "Oriole Way" by stocking their farm system with young talent. The players were taught every aspect of the game, in the exact same way and manner. This made roster replacements due to injury, trades or free agency a seamless process for the managers and coaches at the big league level.
In 1982, the son of longtime Orioles' organization coach, Cal Ripken, joined the team. Cal Ripken Jr. would add to the team's list of Rookie of the Year winners and help the team capture their third World Series title the following year. Ripken Jr. went on to break the consecutive games played streak held by Lou Gehrig that was widely believed to be unbreakable.
While the team has not seen much postseason success since that 1983 title, the organization is returning to a place of respectability in the highly competitive A.L. East. Bolstered by a roster of young talent, Orioles fans are poised to enjoy a competitive team for years to come.
Collectors have plenty of options when it comes to merchandise and collectibles for the Baltimore Orioles. Using the tabs above, check out the top Orioles' players to collect, top merchandise and jersey options, autograph guide, game tickets and the most watched Baltimore Orioles cards and memorabilia on eBay.
Although the results are never guaranteed, Orioles' fans looking to take advantage of this can try their luck with current players and coaches using the following address:
"Insert Specific Player/Coach/Executive"
c/o Baltimore Orioles 333 W Camden St Baltimore, MD 21201
Looking for something to support your team? There are tons of options for Baltimore Orioles' fans across all budgets. Normal retail price ranges are noted when available. View a complete breakdown of the jersey options using our detailed MLB jersey guide.
When shopping for autographed items, it is highly recommended to only purchased signed pieces that have been authenticated by a reputable company. Top options include PSA, JSA, Mounted Memories, UDA, Panini Authentic and Tristar.
If you are looking for tickets to see the Baltimore Orioles play, it might be an overwhelming experience. Luckily for fans, MLB teams play a ton of games, all over the country. After selecting a specific game, the first thing to decide is how much you want to spend and where you want to sit in the stadium.
From there, it can get messy given all the choices for purchasing tickets. With that in mind, we have complied the best options for buying tickets. Simply follow the links below to each ticket source for available Baltimore Orioles tickets. Be aware that the MLB regular season basically runs from April to the end of September. The playoffs continue until late October.
Check out the most watched Baltimore Orioles cards, gear and memorabilia on eBay. The guide is constantly updated with real-time information, so bookmark this page for future reference.
Rob Bertrand
| Rob is a former member of The Cardboard Connection Writing Staff and co-host of Cardboard Connection Radio.He is an avid collector with over 20 years of active experience in the hobby.
User Comments
I am looking for the 2014 team photo of Baltimore Orioles. My brother collects them but i can’t find anyting online. Can you help me?
thank you !
Cathy Dimartino You may want to try giving the team a call or writing them a letter. Sometimes they have them.
I am looking for the 2014 team photo of Baltimore Orioles. My brother collects them but i can’t find anyting online. Can you help me?
thank you !
Cathy Dimartino You may want to try giving the team a call or writing them a letter. Sometimes they have them.