Buddy Peterson, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #359

There are 501 cards in the promotional "All-Time Orioles" set, which of course gave enterprising collectors a card of each and every player who donned orange and black from the team's arrival in 1954 through the beginning of the 1991 season. With this post, I've featured 83 of those cards on my blog. Maybe I'll hang it up for good if I ever get around to all of them.

Anyhow, I plucked this card out of obscurity today because Carl Francis "Buddy" Peterson was born on this date 93 years ago. I figured that I might as well try to fill in one of the gaps in my knowledge of the team's early history. A native of Portland, OR, Peterson was in his ninth professional season when the White Sox purchased his contract from the Pacific Coast League's San Diego Padres club in the summer of 1955. The 30-year-old batted .306 with a .374 on-base percentage in 154 games that year with the Friars, and got a taste of the big leagues with Chicago in September. He actually debuted against the Orioles, hitting a single off of Jim Wilson while batting for pitcher Sandy Consuegra in the eighth inning of an 8-2 O's win on September 14. That was the first half of a doubleheader at Memorial Stadium; he started the nightcap at shortstop and went 2-for-5 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored from the leadoff position to help the ChiSox earn a split. In all, Peterson appeared in six games with the Pale Hose, batting .286/.400/.333 with seven runs scored.

Despite this favorable introduction to the majors, Buddy spent all of 1956 with Chicago's AA affiliate in Memphis, hitting .279 with a slugging percentage of .393. The Orioles acquired him that offseason, and sent him back to his old stomping grounds in the PCL, where he batted .298/.368/.420 with a career-best 38 doubles for the Vancouver Mounties. Again, he got a late-season cameo in the bigs, but hit safely just three times and walked twice in 19 tries for a .176 average. He kicked around in the PCL for three more seasons afterward without making it back to MLB, and capped his playing career with three years in Japan, batting .272/.340/.462 with 58 homers and 186 RBI for the Nankai Hawks. So in summary, Buddy Peterson played pro baseball for 17 seasons and some 2,375 games, including 13 games at the sport's highest level.

Post-playing career, Buddy managed in the minors for the Mets, Royals, and Athletics, posting an overall record of 295-285 in six seasons. He also worked briefly as a scout for Kansas City and Oakland. Peterson died at age 81 in 2006 due to complications from a stroke.

Tito Francona, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #143

Some somber news this week, as 15-year MLB veteran John Patsy "Tito" Francona passed away at age 84. Most fans today probably know Tito best as the father of current Indians manager Terry Francona, who himself is affectionately known as "Tito". But the elder Francona made his name as a corner outfielder and first baseman for nine big league teams, most notably having a six-year stint with the Indians. In 1959 he batted an astounding .363/.414/.566 (171 OPS+) in 122 games for Cleveland, finishing fifth in AL MVP voting behind the Hall of Fame White Sox trio of Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, and Early Wynn, as well as Tito's teammate Rocky Colavito. The following year, Francona led the league with 36 doubles, and in 1961 he made his lone All-Star team while batting .301 and driving in a career-best 85 runs.

Tito actually started his major league career in Baltimore, serving as the team's primary right fielder in 1956. His batting line of .258/.334/.378 with nine homers and 57 RBI wasn't amazing, but fair enough for a 22-year-old novice. He only appeared in 97 games with the O's in 1957, slumping to a .233 average before being dealt to the White Sox in a seven-player trade that briefly made future Hall of Famer Larry Doby an Oriole. (Doby was swapped again to the Indians on the eve of the 1958 season in a five-player transaction.)

Farewell, Tito Francona. See you in a better place.

Willy Miranda, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #307

The Orioles did not score a single lousy run all weekend in Fenway Park. The last time that Baltimore's baseball team was shut out in three straight games, it took a Willy Miranda RBI single to break the skid. That was back on August 2, 1957, in the second inning of the opener of a doubleheader against the Athletics.

I'm still looking forward to seeing the O's open their final homestand of the season tomorrow night, despite this latest embarrassing stumble. After all, I've only got tickets for three more games this year, and there will be something missing in my life for the rest of the fall and winter.

Dick Kokos, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #245

For no reason at all, here's Dick Kokos, a St. Louis Browns holdover who played just 11 games for the Orioles in 1954, batting 14 times with four walks and two hits, one of which was a home run. Dick Kokos is fun to say. Try it: Dick Kokos. See?

Paul Kilgus, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #499

I had an unexpected Paul Kilgus sighting today, though I suppose any Paul Kilgus sighting would be unexpected. The Bowling Green, Kentucky native is coaching for his hometown team in the Little League World Series. Earlier this afternoon, the kids from Kentucky eked out a 4-3 win over Taylors, South Carolina in an elimination game. Just moments after I tuned into the game, Kilgus had to bail out of the first base coaches' box to evade a screaming line drive from one of his young players. If nothing else, he's still got excellent reflexes.

Bob Melvin, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #296

Sure, Bob Melvin is all smiles and innocent doe eyes in this headshot from his playing days, but he wasn't so placid tonight. The current Oakland manager was ejected from the Orioles' 4-2 victory over the A's following an argument with home plate umpire Brian Knight in the middle of the sixth inning. Knight had called outfielder Sam Fuld out for batter's interference after he ran too far inside of the first base line while beating out a bunt, and subsequently tossed Fuld out of the game for protesting too much. You certainly can't blame Melvin for losing his cool, since Oakland was just swept in a four-game series in Baltimore for the first time ever and has lost seven in a row overall. As an O's fan, it's just good to see the team take care of business against a struggling team before the schedule really gets tough.

Bobby Young, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #492

The Orioles' most significant trade-deadline acquisition was corner outfielder Gerardo Parra, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league pitcher Zach Davies. In a bit of serendipity, the two-time Gold Glover became the 1,000th player in Orioles history when he took his place in left field on Saturday, August 1. I'm not much for math, but that's an average of 16.1 new O's per season. It all began with second baseman Bobby Young, who led off for the Birds in their April 13, 1954 opener in Detroit and bounced out to Tigers first baseman Walt "Moose" Dropo, who was himself destined to be among the first 1,000 players in Oriole lore. As long as we're looking back on the team's Baltimore origins, here are the other firsts from that 3-0 loss to Steve Gromek in Motown:

• First base hit: Gil Coan, single to right field with two outs in the first inning
• First pitch: Don Larsen
• First putout: Clint Courtney, catching strike three from Larsen to Detroit leadoff hitter Frank Bolling
• First walk: Future Indians World Series hero Vic Wertz, leading off the top of the fourth
• First extra-base hit: Larsen, double to left field with one out in the top of the fifth inning
• First pinch hitter: Dick Kokos, who struck out while batting for shortstop Billy Hunter with one out in the top of the ninth

Dave Ford, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #140

With all of the commotion about Brian Matusz last night, the second superlative start of Mike Wright's young career may have gotten lost in the shuffle. The rookie from East Carolina University turned in seven more scoreless innings, limiting the Marlins to three hits and three walks (two intentional), while striking out four. He even delivered the Orioles' only hit with a runner in scoring position, singling through the infield, although he was denied the RBI (and possibly the win) when Marcell Ozuna threw out Travis Snider at the plate.

If you're keeping score, Wright has yet to allow a run in 14.1 innings over his first two starts in the big leagues. The last Baltimore pitcher to begin his career with so many goose eggs was righty Dave Ford in 1978. Ford tossed 15 shutout innings that September, then allowed a first-inning run to the expansion Mariners in his first start of 1979. Elbow and shoulder pain wound up limiting the Cleveland native to five wins, eight starts, and 51 total games pitched in his career. The rest of Mike Wright's story has yet to be written, though.

Harvey Haddix, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #172

If Harvey Haddix didn't have the most leathery face of any player in Orioles history, I can't imagine who has him beat. He looks like somebody left Don Knotts out in the sun.

Paul Mirabella, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #306

Paul Mirabella is a one-time Blue Jay with whom I have no quarrel. That's more than I can say for the showboating, tantrum-throwing, delusional jackass who plays right field in Toronto these days. Jose Bautista was so out of control last night that he managed to injure himself while trying to further prove some kind of point to the Orioles. So I guess he showed them.

Roric Harrison, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #183

If your name is Roric, it is your sworn duty to grow a set of thick, luxurious mutton chop sideburns. Kudos to you, Roric Harrison. Kudos.

Larry Haney, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #176

Five fun facts about Larry Haney:

1. He was born on November 19. Notable players also born on that date include Ryan Howard, Bob Boone, and Roy Campanella.

2. His son Chris pitched for the Royals and four other teams (1991-2002), going 38-52 with a 5.07 ERA.

3. Larry hit his first career home run on July 27, 1966 at Memorial Stadium in a 7-1 O's win over Cleveland. The opposing pitcher was John O'Donoghue, who would go on to pitch in Baltimore in 1968. (John's son also pitched in the majors, getting a brief turn with the Orioles in 1993.)

4. He was chosen by the Pilots in the expansion draft, and played for the ill-fated club in their one and only season in Seattle in 1969. He batted .254 in 22 games before being traded to Oakland.

5. Haney won World Series rings with the 1966 Orioles and 1974 Athletics, but his only postseason experience consisted of four innings as a defensive replacement in the '74 Fall Classic.

Johnny Oates, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #340

Today would have been Johnny Oates' 69th birthday. It's hard to believe that he's been gone for ten years, his life cut short by brain cancer. Just a few weeks ago, I visited Oates' birthplace of Sylva, a quiet town in the mountains of western North Carolina. I didn't make the connection at the time; my wife and I were visiting her favorite haunts from her undergrad days at Western Carolina University. But it was a fine place, fitting for such a beloved man. I hope he's in an even better place now.

Ross Grimsley, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #167

Today is a big milestone for Ross Grimsley, as the former Orioles pitcher celebrates his 65th birthday. The man known as both "Scuz" and "Crazy Eyes" (seriously, check out his bio!) is more than just a funny-looking guy with some colorful nicknames, though. He was a second-generation major leaguer who upstaged his father Ross. Sr., a veteran of just seven games with the 1951 White Sox. The younger Grimsley was only 21 when he debuted with the Reds in 1971, two years after the team made him their first-round draft pick. He had three solid seasons in Cincinnati, posting a 37-25 record with a 3.26 ERA, before the O's acquired him in a five-player trade that sent Merv Rettenmund to the Reds.

Ross replaced Doyle Alexander in the Baltimore rotation and got right to work, with an 18-13 mark and a 3.07 ERA that was lowest among Birds starters. He made an incredible 39 starts and completed 17 of them, totaling 295.2 innings to lead an AL East Champion club that only used 12 pitchers all season. That heavy workload may have taken a toll, as Grimsley averaged only 184 innings over the next three years, with a cumulative ERA of 3.99 (90 ERA+). The lefty joined the Expos as a free agent in 1978 and had one burst of greatness, going 20-11 with a 3.05 ERA and 19 complete games. He made the All-Star team, and ultimately stands in the record books as Montreal's only 20-game winner. But Ross was hit hard in subsequent campaigns with the Expos and Indians, and finished his career back in Baltimore as a long reliever in 1982. He had a 5.25 ERA in 21 games, but did eke out one last win with 7.2 innings of six-hit, scoreless relief on May 6. Starter Jim Palmer had lasted just three batters against the Angels, but Grimsley bridged the considerable gap to Tim Stoddard in the ninth inning, allowing an inherited runner to score on a Bobby Grich single but holding the line from there. The O's offense rallied for seven runs in the top of the ninth off of future Oriole Don Aase, with Ken Singleton's three-run homer and Gary Roenicke's two-run shot helping to break a 2-2 tie.

Should you be wondering about the current whereabouts of Scuz, he's been coaching in the Giants farm system since the turn of the century, and he's still got that beautiful mustache.

Billy Klaus, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #242

On Christmas Eve, I've gotta go with Klaus. As always, I'd like to wish my readers a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season spent with friends and family. Be good to one another and remember to be kind and generous for the rest of the year as well. I'm hereby giving you a break from your daily reading for the next week or so. I'll be back in the new year...year number seven for this little endeavor. Where does the time go?

Phil Huffman, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #207

Phil Huffman wasn't just a guy who looked like Ron Howard in a fright wig. He was also the American League leader in losses as a 21-year-old rookie, going 6-18 with a 5.77 ERA for the 1979 Blue Jays. In 173 innings, he allowed 220 hits, 25 homers, and 68 walks, and struck out only 56 batters. That was enough to banish him to the minor leagues until 1985, when the Orioles plucked him from a decent season at AAA Rochester (10-10, 3.49 ERA) for one relief appearance in July and a spot start in October. He gave up four earned runs in each game, totaling 4.2 innings, for a sparkling 15.43 ERA. That was enough to cap his major league career, poor devil.

Paul Gilliford, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #156

Today I was in the mood to blog about a card from my All-Time Orioles set, one of the cornerstones of my team collection. If I ever get serious about collecting at least one card of every player who's ever passed through Baltimore, this gas station premium gives me a leg up on the first 38 years of team history. I scanned the checklist and stopped on Paul Gilliford. The O's have occupied my thoughts for more than two decades, and still I sit here puzzling over that name. Who in the heck is Paul Gilliford?

For starters, he's a lefty pitcher from Bryn Mawr, PA. He played collegiately at Randolph Macon, in Ashland, VA. Paul was 20 years old when the Orioles signed him in 1965, and he performed impressively in the low minors. With the Miami Marlins (no, not those Miami Marlins) of the Class A Florida State League, he went 16-3 with a league-best 1.27 ERA in 1966. He allowed only 30 earned runs (40 runs total) in 213 innings. The southpaw split the 1967 season between another A-ball team in Stockton and the AA Elmira Pioneers, holding his own with a 12-10 mark and a 3.07 ERA.

The Birds rewarded "Gorilla" (his nickname, if Baseball Reference is to be trusted, and I don't see why not) with a September callup, and he debuted in the back end of a September 20 doubleheader at Washington. Manager Hank Bauer entrusted the rookie with the seventh and eighth innings of a tie game, and he held the line with two scoreless innings, allowing a walk and a single and closing out his day with a double-play grounder off the bat of Hank Allen. Paul was formally removed from the game in the top of the ninth, as Frank Robinson pinch hit for him with the go-ahead run on second base and received a free pass. There's one for the memory banks. The Orioles put together three runs in the tenth to win that day.

The lefty's second (and as fortune would have it, final) big league appearance was less auspicious. With the O's trailing the postseason-bound Red Sox 7-3 in the top of the ninth on September 24, it appeared to be a lower-leverage situation for the young Gilliford. He relieved Eddie Fisher to become Baltimore's fifth pitcher of the game, and he recovered from back-to-back singles to lead off the inning by striking out opposing pitcher Bucky Brandon and getting a forceout at second base on a Reggie Smith grounder. But then the lead runner, Jose Tartabull, scored on the front end of a double steal. Dalton Jones followed with a double to plate Smith, and George Scott walloped a two-run homer to increase the Boston lead to 11-3. After a Rico Petrocelli single, Paul finally escaped the nightmare ninth courtesy of an Elston Howard comebacker. The Oriole offense rallied for four runs of their own in their final at-bat to really twist the knife; if not for Gilliford's difficulties on the mound, it could've been a tie game. As it was, he was saddled with a 12.00 ERA in his three innings in the majors.

Paul returned to AA Elmira in 1968, and had a 7-7 record for Cal Ripken Sr.'s Pioneers. His 2.34 ERA in 131 innings was right in line with the team's overall 2.36 number. He landed in the Athletics' organization the following year, but was battered to the tune of a 9.39 ERA in 23 innings at AAA Iowa, and that's where his pro baseball record ends. That's everything that I could dig up with a cursory Google search, and it's enough to shine the smallest bit of light on one of the shortest-tenured players in Orioles history.

Ryne Duren, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #117

Ryne Duren is one of the numerous early-era Orioles who found his fame either before or after passing through Charm City. Duren had signed with the franchise back when they were still the St. Louis Browns, in 1949. He made his big league debut in the O's inaugural season in Baltimore, relieving Don Larsen after the starter allowed three runs in two innings against the White Sox on September 25, 1954. Duren fared no better, also yielding a three-spot in two innings, though at least one of his runs was unearned. It mattered little, as the punchless Birds were blanked on five hits by Billy Pierce in their season finale, 11-0. It was their 100th loss, a nice, round number.

Duren never pitched another game for the Orioles, and eventually resurfaced with the Athletics in 1957. They traded him to the Yankees later that season, and wouldn't you know it, he had a brief burst of stardom. He was an All-Star reliever in New York in 1958 and 1959, accumulating a 9-10 record, a 1.95 ERA, and 34 saves in those two seasons. He struck out 10.8 batters per nine innings, helping to offset the 5.1 batters per nine that he walked. The bespectacled, hard-throwing righty was never that effective again, as he struggled with alcoholism throughout his career. However, he sobered up after he was through in baseball and spent the second half of his life counseling others about the dangers of addiction. He was 81 when he passed away in 2011.

Hank Foiles, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #138

It's been a relatively quiet weekend on this blog because I'm on the road again. I'm in Richmond, VA (birthplace of Hank Foiles!) to see a Chikara Pro Wrestling show with some friends. Back to normal tomorrow, I suspect.

Bob Boyd, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #46

Say, didja know that 55 years ago today - April 9, 1959 - the Orioles became the first team in major league history to turn a triple play on Opening Day?

It's true, as at least 85% of the things I write on this blog are. The Birds were kicking off their season a ways down south in Washington, D.C.'s Griffith Stadium. Unfortunately, starting pitcher Jack Harshman had already dug the Birds a 5-0 hole by the bottom of the fifth inning, when famed Venezuelan shortstop Chico Carrasquel made his O's debut as a defensive replacement for Whitey Lockman, who had pinch hit for Ron Hansen. (Still with me?) Hoyt Wilhelm also entered the game from the Baltimore bullpen, and immediately got himself into a jam by walking Roy Sievers and failing to get an out after Bob Allison bunted the ball back to him. With runners on first and second, the knuckleballer was bailed out by his defense. Ed Fitz Gerald smashed a line drive to the right side, but it found first baseman Bob Boyd's glove for the first out. Thinking on his feet, Boyd fired the ball to second base, where Carrasquel forced Sievers for the second out. Chico relayed the ball back to Boyd at first base, and Allison was dead meat. One play, three outs.

Sadly, the triple killing did little to arrest the Senators' momentum. They piled on some insurance in the late innings, and it took a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth from Gus Triandos to spoil Pedro Ramos' shutout bid. Ramos rebounded to retire Brooks Robinson on a grounder to short to complete the 9-2 rout. One of Washington's offensive standouts was a young Harmon Killebrew, who had a single, a stolen base (!), and a two-run homer in four trips to the plate. If it's any consolation, the Orioles clawed their way to a sixth-place, 74-80 record in 1959, while the Senators stumbled into the cellar at 63-91 in what turned out to be their penultimate season in the Nation's Capital.