Vintage Fridays: Bob Johnson, 1967 Topps #38

Whew, I'm back! I wasn't expecting to take a week off from blogging due to burning up a laptop charging cable, but if I've learned any lesson in recent months (over and over and over again), it's this: life is not tidy.

As an example, I give you this woebegone card specimen, featuring former Orioles sub Bob Johnson. Those yellowish bars criss-crossing the front of the card are from decades-old strips of tape, which I'd guess were used by another collector to affix the card to an album of some sort. Card enthusiasts in the 1960s and 1970s didn't have Ultra-Pro binders and pages and penny sleeves at their disposal, so they muddled through as best they could. It's all any of us can do.

Vintage Fridays: Paul Blair, 1967 Topps #319

In 1969, Paul Blair became the first Oriole to join the 20-20 club - 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Yesterday, Manny Machado hit a pair of home runs and stole two bases in the Birds' 6-4 win over Toronto, giving him 33 homers and 20 steals (both career highs by leaps and bounds). Manny joins Brady Anderson as the only players in team history to go 30-20. Next year's team might look drastically different, but as long as #13 is around, the O's have a good foundation.

Vintage Fridays: Russ Snyder, 1967 Topps #405

Baseball Reference has given me another new toy! Now anyone can search for historical transactions by date. That's how I learned that on January 24, 1961, the Orioles completed a five-for-two deal with the Kansas City Athletics. The O's shipped out Bob Boyd, Al Pilarcik, Wayne Causey, Clint Courtney, and Jim Archer in order to obtain Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder. Baltimore got seven solid years out of Snyder, including a career-best 126 OPS+ (.306 AVG, .368 OBP) in their World Series-winning 1966 season. The A's even sent "Scrap Iron" Courtney back to the Birds after a single game; he would play the final 22 games of his 11-season career in Charm City before the club released him in July. So anyway, there's your reminder than once upon a time, the Orioles actually acquired players during the offseason.

Vintage Fridays: Frank Robinson, Hank Bauer, and Brooks Robinson, 1967 Topps #1

I look at this card - this wonderful, triumphant card - and can't help taking a flight of fancy. After all, there are a few guys on the 2013 Orioles who compare pretty favorably to the cornerstones of that 1966 World Champion club.

First, there's the slugger. Frank Robinson captured the American League Triple Crown, the Most Valuable Player award, and the World Series MVP to boot. You probably know the numbers by now: .316 AVG, 49 HR, 122 RBI. He also topped the league with 122 hits, a .410 on-base percentage, and a .637 slugging percentage to boot.

Chris Davis isn't really a threat for the Triple Crown, since Miguel Cabrera is a remorseless hitting machine, but he's still leading the world with 35 home runs and a slugging percentage right around .700. He's driven in 88 runs in 93 games, and even with a recent cold streak, he's batting a strong .312. If you're curious, Frank was batting .320 and slugging .613 with 25 homers and 64 RBI through 93 games played in '66.

Hank Bauer paid immediate dividends when the O's hired him as manager prior to the 1964 season. He took a talented but inexperienced team and led them to 97 and 94 wins in his first two seasons on the job. But life was tough in the top-heavy American League, and the Birds finished in third each year. 97 W's did the trick in year number three, and before you could say "sweep", the Orioles had dispatched Koufax, Drysdale, and the Dodgers in a four-game World Series.

When Buck Showalter accepted the O's managerial position in August 2010, the team's immediate hope was to stop the bleeding. At 32-73, they hadn't even won a third of their first 105 games. Buck seemed to provide an instant shot in the arm, as the Orioles went 34-23 down the stretch to avoid the near-inevitable 100-loss mark. They weren't able to carry that momentum into the 2011 season, as injuries and inconsistent pitching left the team mired in last place at 69-93. The Birds flipped the script in 2012, winning 93 games and eking out a postseason berth. They were bounced in the Division Series, losing an agonizing 3-1 elimination game to the Yankees, but for the first time in ages, there seemed to be a strong foundation for optimism. Now, it's the third full season under Buck, and the O's are right in the thick of another American League East dogfight. At 52-42, they're two games ahead of last year's pace, yet they're stuck in third place, five games behind the resurgent Red Sox and a game back of the pesky Rays. Will they match 2012's torrid second half stretch run and return to the postseason, taking a shot at Baltimore's first World Series in three decades? Time will tell.

Brooks Robinson was the homegrown star, a solid hitter with some pop in his bat and an otherworldly defensive presence at third base. He'd already won the A. L. MVP in 1964, but he gladly settled in as a complimentary piece to that other Robinson. He batted .269 with 35 doubles, 23 home runs, and 100 RBI, captured his seventh straight Gold Glove at the hot corner, and was even named All-Star Game MVP for his three hits in a losing effort.

This is where the comparison falters a bit. Manny Machado just celebrated his 21st birthday, so it's not altogether fair to hold him up against a Hall of Famer who collected 2,848 hits and 16 Gold Gloves and inspired an entire generation of Baltimoreans to name their kids "Brooks". But Robinson didn't bat over .300 at 21, as Manny has through the first 94 games of 2013. And Brooks never hit 39 doubles in a full season, much less a bit over half of one. And as for amazing defense, plays like this help the imagination to run wild:

Some enterprising person already compiled an animated image juxtaposing Manny's incredible throw with the one made by Brooksie to retire Lee May in the 1970 World Series.

There's a lot of baseball yet to be played, and the odds don't especially favor the O's in a charge to and through the postseason, but it doesn't sound as insane as it did even a year ago. That's all I could ever ask for.

Vintage Fridays: Baltimore Orioles, 1967 Topps #302

I haven't done many late-night updates recently, but I just got home after a long day that included my second-ever Opening Day experience at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. This time I went with my sister; it was my treat for her birthday. The weather was beautiful, though it was a bit chilly where we sat in the shade of the upper deck overhang. Our seats were on the second level, midway down the third base line. After briefly braving the crush of orange-and-black-clad revelers across the street at Pickles Pub and Sliders, we checked out the new rooftop bar inside the ballpark. It offered a great view of the field, and there was plenty of comfortable seating. We made sure to be in our seats by 2:30, when the on-field ceremonies began. Rick Sutcliffe threw a picture-perfect strike to Chris Hoiles for the first pitch, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters were presented with their 2011 Gold Glove awards, and of course all of the players, coaches, and other team personnel were introduced. It was bittersweet to see the video board tribute to all of the past members of the O's organization who had passed away since last April, with Mike Flanagan being the final person recognized.

The game certainly lifted everyone's spirits, though. A sellout crowd of 46,773 was treated to a 4-2 win over the Twins. Jake Arrieta, finally healthy after having a fibrous mass removed from his elbow last summer, breezed through seven shutout innings. He allowed two walks and two singles, and got sufficient support from Nick Markakis, who hit a two-run homer and a run-scoring triple. Relievers Troy Patton and Jim Johnson made things a bit tense in the ninth inning, but Johnson nailed down the save by inducing a fielder's choice grounder from Trevor Plouffe to strand the tying runs.

I'm certainly trying to keep my expectations reasonable for the Orioles in 2012, but 1-0 is a fine way to start the season.

Vintage Fridays: Andy Etchebarren, 1967 Topps #457

This is most probably my favorite Andy Etchebarren card. I love the angle, which makes it look like he's rearing back to fire the ball right through the frame at me. The block-lettering "Orioles" doesn't even look bad, and the juxtaposition with the yellow "Orioles" team name at the bottom is visually interesting. The impish grin and sideways glance suggest that Etch is sharing a laugh with a teammate just off-camera. And of course, we have the Florida palm trees and the Yoo-Hoo sign in the outfield behind him. Who doesn't love the syrupy assault of a nice cold Yoo-Hoo?

Vintage Fridays: Davey Johnson, 1967 Topps #363

Will he or won't he?

It seems like every time there's a managerial vacancy somewhere along the Beltway, Davey Johnson's name is on everyone's lips. It makes sense. He was a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove second baseman for the Orioles in his playing days, and started at the keystone for the O's clubs that won four pennants and two World Series in the six-year span from 1966 through 1971. In his 40s and 50s, he first led the Mets to a 1986 World Series win, then took the Reds from fifth place to back-to-back division crowns, and finally led his Baltimore clubs to back-to-back American League Championship Series. (Ohbytheway, we're fast approaching 30 years since the last world champion O's team. In those three decades, the only two Oriole clubs to reach the postseason were Davey's 1996-97 squads.) So sure, there's a lot of fondness for ol' Davey in Baltimore and even in D.C.

Yesterday, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman up and quit, despite the fact that his team was riding an 11-1 hot streak to put them over the .500 mark, a place Washington has never been at the end of a season. His contract only ran through the end of 2011, and he had grown frustrated by GM Mike Rizzo's refusal to discuss an extension. Bench coach John McLaren was appointed as interim skipper, but rumor has it that the Nats are looking to make another move by Monday. Davey Johnson is already in the front office as a special adviser to Rizzo, and of course he's receiving most of the buzz despite his age (68) and the fact that he hasn't managed in the majors since the Dodgers axed him in 2000. But hey, he's just a pup next to Jack McKeon.

Vintage Fridays: Ed Barnowski and Larry Haney, 1967 Topps #507

By my count, Ed Barnowski was one of 30 Orioles to date to be born in Pennsylvania. He was born in Scranton, as were 17 other major leaguers. As he had only 7.1 innings pitched in his major league career, it's the ultimate in small sample sizes, but it's still worth mentioning to this fan of minutiae that Ed's 2.45 ERA is the best among all Scrantonians in MLB history.

So why am I talking about the Keystone State? Ah, it’s once again getaway day. I’m bound for the family cottage in Northeastern Pennsylvania (an hour north of Scranton, and an hour south of Binghamton, and nothing else you'd know is even close to there), with my significant other and her dog in tow. Since we’re both trying to conserve our vacation leave, we decided not to go until after work today. Of course, she works a 9-to-5, after which she has to go home, pack the car and dog, and make the eighty-plus-mile drive up from Southern Maryland to my home. Whenever she arrives (likely between 8 PM and 9 PM), only then will we be able to set out for a four-hour car trip up interstates 83 and 81, with a dash of PA Turnpike sprinkled in. It’s not ideal of course, but I’m driving and I am the “night person” between the two of us. Considering how long it takes to get there, it just wouldn’t be worthwhile to wait until tomorrow morning to make the drive. Two full days is the bare minimum to spend at the cottage if you want to feel like you’ve had time to relax.

So what’s on the itinerary, besides as little as possible? The simple things. There’s no cable or Internet (heavens forefend!), so we’ll probably catch up on some DVD viewing. I haven’t seen Kill Bill or Raising Arizona, so Barbara intends to remedy that. In turn, I’ll be exposing her to the final season of LOST, and maybe The Wrestler if she gets tired of my pestering. Undoubtedly we’ll get some reading done – for my part, I’ve fallen off the wagon in my literary pursuits ever since I stopped riding trains to work a year ago. “The Boys of Summer” has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. Maybe we’ll take the rowboat out on the lake, or roast marshmallows in the fire pit. I can assure you of two things, though: 1) I will not give another thought to this blog; I hope you’ll make do with pre-written auto-posts for the weekend. 2) I will enjoy the hell out of the weather. The forecast is calling for highs in the upper 60s and lows around 50 with no precipitation. After a typical week of high 90s and choking humidity in Baltimore, that sounds like a panacea.

Happy Labor Day weekend to you and yours!

Vintage Fridays: Brooks Robinson, Dave McNally, and Andy Etchebarren, 1967 Topps #154

With all apologies to night owl and all other Dodger fans, I must quote the Baltimore Sun:

"WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT? FOUR STRAIGHT!"

It's been 43 years to the day that the Orioles won their first World Series ever and brought Baltimore its first major league baseball title since 1896. Regular-season AL MVP and Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson clinched his Fall Classic MVP with a solo home run that provided the margin of victory, as Dave McNally out-dueled Don Drysdale in their dual four-hitters. When Lou Johnson's fly ball to center field landed securely in Paul Blair's glove to strand the tying and go-ahead runs on base and brought the Series to an end, bedlam ensued. The picture that Topps used for this card is the iconic image of that moment and one of my favorite photos of all time. It's amazing to see Brooks Robinson positively airborne, at least five feet off of the ground, ready to land in the jubilant McNally's arms. I'll drop in a larger version of the picture below, and let it do the rest of the talking. Well, it's from a different angle and a few seconds later, but it's still awesome.

Here's the reverse angle.

P.S.: Happy birthday to my Dad (55), and also to Brian Roberts (32).

Vintage Fridays: Moe Drabowsky, 1967 Topps #151

I hope you'll forgive me for simply passing along a link on a Friday night, but I don't want to take a chance on an excellent blog post slipping through the cracks. I already knew (and had mentioned here) that Patricia and Lucy from Dinged Corners had become big fans of the dearly departed Moe Drabowsky. However, I was stunned and pleased to come across an interview that they published on Tuesday. The bloggingest card collecting mother-daughter duo in all of New Mexico had been in contact with Laura Nevell and Beth Drabowsky Morris. Laura and Beth are Moe's daughters, and they were kind enough to share their memories of the mischievous righty. It's a great chance to get a private glimpse of a loving father, an entertaining teammate, a patient coach, a gracious ambassador, and a pretty skilled pitcher.

But enough of my blather. Go read the interview here.

Vintage Fridays: Woodie Held, 1967 Topps #251

Some sad news yesterday in the Orioles universe. Former utility player Woodson George "Woodie" Held died in Dubois, WY after a bout with brain cancer. He was 77 years old. I didn't really know much about him, other than the vague sense that he looked like a "Woodie" and that he was a member of the 1966 World Championship team. So I guess it's time to flip over and read the back of the card.

The first thing that jumps out is that he slammed 100 home runs in parts of seven minor league seasons before getting a real shot in the majors. In 1956, he went deep 35 times and drove in 125 runs at Denver. The top-heavy Yankees finally dealt him to Kansas City, where he hit 20 home runs as a rookie. He soon moved on to Cleveland (in a trade that sent Roger Maris to the A's), and set a team record for home runs by a shortstop, hitting 85 of his 130 round-trippers with the Tribe while playing the position. After a pit stop in Washington, he came to Baltimore in 1966 and played sparingly for a season and a half as a reserve. He hit only two of his 179 career homers as an Oriole, but the second was a game-winning, pinch-hit three-run shot against the Indians on May 1, 1967. All told, he had a solid 14-year career as a versatile defensive player with a powerful bat.

Woodie was quoted as saying, "Swing hard, just in case you hit the ball." Hopefully, he went down swinging.

Vintage Fridays: Hank Bauer and Dave McNally, 1967 Topps #155

There are few things that give me more joy as a baseball fan than beating the Yankees. If you're a fan of any team other than those villains from the Bronx, this should be self-evident. After fifteen years of watching the Yankees leave my Orioles in the dust, and watching the media fawn upon them, and listening to Camden Yards rock with the cheers of carpetbagging Yankee fans nine times a year, to say nothing of Jeffrey F. Maier...every game against New York has taken on a life-or-death importance for me. It's personal. As much losing as the Orioles have done since 1998, every time they rise up against the odds and put down the guys in pinstripes, it means just that much more.

Over 162 games, the details of a baseball season tend to run together. But so many of those victories over the Yanks stand out: Daniel Cabrera's near-no-hitter, Brian Roberts' walk-off home run, Jeremy Guthrie's hard-earned win, Brian Burres outdueling Roger Clemens, Chris Ray's bases-loaded stand...they're all right there in my memory.

I didn't get to see tonight's game; I went straight to a friend's house for dinner after work. I arrived home at 1 AM (still Friday on the West coast!), exhausted after eighteen hours's absence from my warm bed. The first thing I did upon powering up my computer was click over to the Baltimore Sun to see the score on the sports page: Orioles 8, Yankees 2. A gutsy six-inning win for Daniel Cabrera. A seven-run sixth inning, on seven singles. The Yankees looking up at the Birds in the standings. How sweet it is.

I chose this card because it represents a turning point in the fortunes of the O's and the Yanks. In the early 1960's, the young Orioles gave the Bronx Bombers a run for their money almost every year, only to fade down the stretch. When they finally broke through, it was under the tutelage of a former Yankee hero, gruff ex-Marine Hank Bauer. After playing in nine World Series in the span of a decade in New York, Hank found himself exiled to lowly Kansas City in a trade.

Seven years later, he got the last laugh, leading his orange and black charges to the American League pennant in a cake walk while his original team languished in last place. While fans and experts alike fawned over the National League champion Dodgers' one-two punch of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, it was the Orioles' young arms that carried the day. Dave McNally was the only Baltimore pitcher to give up any runs (a whopping two) in the World Series, and even he "redeemed" himself by outdueling Drysdale in a 1-0 masterpiece to clinch the sweep and put Charm City on top of the baseball world. I love the simple joy and exuberance of this card, as Bauer has been smeared with shaving cream by some practical joker (Moe Drabowsky, perhaps?), but still beams from ear to ear as he embraces the winning pitcher.

Considering the charge that I get out of a regular-season win over the Yankees, I can only imagine how I'd react if the O's ever won it all again.

Vintage Fridays: Frank Robinson, 1967 Topps #100

This week needed some star power, and they don't get any brighter than Frank Robinson. As you can tell from the block lettering on his jersey and the non-Woody Woodpecker bird on his cap, this photo was taken when Frank first arrived in Spring Training in 1966, before the team rolled out their new uniforms for the 1966 season. Even in their wildest dreams, the Orioles couldn't have imagined the impact that their new right fielder would have, as he won the Triple Crown (.316, 49 HR, 122 RBI), the AL MVP, and the World Series MVP, powering the Birds to a four-game sweep of the Dodgers for their first championship.

Sportswriter Jim Murray once said of Frank: "He plays the game the way the great ones played it - out of pure hate." He broke in with the Reds in 1956; though Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier a decade earlier, there were still racial tensions in the game and the country. "Robby" was hit by a pitch 20 times as a rookie and 198 times in his career (eighth-most in history). So it makes sense that he played mean; he wanted to show that he was not going to be intimidated.

I never would have guessed this as a child. The only cards of Frank Robinson in my early collection depicted him in his mid-fifties as a smiling, grandfatherly manager, the wise leader of the ragtag Orioles teams of 1988-1991. He was one of the friendliest looking guys you could ever see on a baseball card. Although he still had a reputation as being a strict disciplinarian up through his last managing gig in Washington (which ended in 2006), Bill James admits that he "has gotten nicer as he has gotten older".

It's good to know that I didn't imagine that, at the very least.